In January I was solicited to buy into the Ft Lauderdale / Orlando cruise package vacation. I was told that I would pay half now, and the remainder when I took the cruise. My husband is in the military and I told the sales rep that I was interested but could not commit to such a package because there was an 18 month expiration and with Iraq in the wings, I did not know when my husband would be available to take this cruise.
The sales rep then got his supervisor on the phone who said he understood our situation and that he wanted to show his appreciation for my husband's willingness to serve our country, so he would authorize our package for 3 years and also throw in a couple bonus getaways for us to use prior to the cruise since we would be able to squeeze a weekend in, but not a couple of weeks. He also stated that we would pay our balance once we took the cruise, so these bonus getaways were exactly that - a bonus. After much consideration, my husband and I agreed to do this.
We continued with the "ordering Process" and even went through a verification process in which we had to agree to all the terms. At the end there is an opportunity to bring up and other terms that may have been agreed to. And I did just that - to be sure we had the extended time frame and the bonuses on record.
Well, my husband is headed for Iraq and I am trying to utilize one of our bonuses so that we could enjoy some time away and I am being told that the cruise must be paid in full and that there is no reason I should rely on any information that I was promised over the phone. I spent many hours on the phone trying to get someone to pull the tapes to confirm what I was saying. I spoke with "Virginia Lockett" who is the customer care dept mgr, but according to Virginia, I am "wrong" and there is no way any of this was told to me, and asked why I did not call before now. I explained that I was told on the phone that the paperwork would quote the 18 months because that was standard and that the bonuses are suppose to be for after the cruise, however, because of our situation, we could go before and still pay the balance at the time of the cruise booking.
Virginia was extremely argumentative on the phone, insisted there was absolutely no one else I could speak to - she was it! And that I was not going to get what I wanted because that is not what the paperwork states. She had no customer service, she had no desire to check what I was stating and told me that they do not keep records that far back (15 months).
I would advise against this company. They do not deliver what they say they will. I am very disappointed in this situation. I always "look before I leap" and scrutinize the fine print, but I guess "verbal fine print" is not something I have figured out. My husband is willing to sacrifice his life for their freedom to scam the rest of us. Somehow that just does not seem fair to me.
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