I want to be refunded $24.99 and not be charged $100 for a penalty fee. This is what happened I responded to this companys advertisement, only to find out that I was ripped off. I made a reservation around 11:00 P.M. On Friday, 3/30 to travel in December with the understanding that there would be no penalties for cancelling, as long as the cancellation occurred 60 days or less PRIOR the departure date; after that I would be in the penalty phase, and CruisesOnly would keep the $24.99 processing fee and Royal Caribbean Intl (RCI) would charge various percentages depending on the date of cancellation on the 59th day onwards. I called to cancel this reservation less than 12 hours later i.E., around 11:00 A.M. On Saturday 3/31. They indicated that the RCI would fully refund my $200.00 with no penalties, but, much to my shock and dismay, they were going to charge me $124.99! They said they would keep the $24.99 they charged, and charge an additional $100 for a cancellation fee. Never once did the rep mention anything about an additional $100 penalty fee. They advertise as saving you lots of money, but this is simply not true. After some research, a friend found out for me, and I verified, that it would have been much cheaper to go directly to the cruise line. CruisesOnly quoted me a total of $1123 for the following: room ($932.67), insurance ($98.00), and gratuities ($93.20). RCI was shocked by these prices; CruisesOnly clearly pads their prices much more than if you just go directly to them e.G., RCI charges a flat rate of $29 per person for their Cruise Care insurance; I was told by the CruisesOnly rep that I was getting a bargain for getting the insurance @ $49 per person and that this amount increased by $10 when the total slightly increased. Again, BIG rip-off! Very slimy business practice! At the very least, customers should get the SAME price as what the cruise line is offering not more, simply for the CruisesOnly reps to get their commission (the commission was mentioned several times on my call). Im also disgusted that RCI works with such unscrupulous companies. Based on this experience, I will definitely be sharing my story and will NOT recommend CruisesOnly, under any circumstances. This weekend, Ive spoken to friends, and their recommendation is a good one dont get suckered in by slick advertisements; always go directly to the cruise line as there is no processing fee, very clear about penalties, no hassle with refunds, and definitely no padded prices. If I ever think about a cruise again, I will know who NOT to call! Please refund my $24.99 ASAP!!! And dont even think of charging me $100.00!!!
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