Imperial Majesty Cruise Line Vacations Scam

[arvins]

I have received this offer in the mail with cheque for $1300, thought to get your input on this offer. To be honest i don't know how these companies get my real name and address.

The package it comes look and feel like real and legit, but when i googled for this i found out they are scam.

Will share with you guys the scan of the package i received.

http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z01.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z02.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z03.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z04.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z05.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z05-2.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z06.jpg
http://arvins.us/0/rfd/imc/z07.jpg

[boyoflondon]

Dateline NBC did a thing on this ... its not really a scam. You still get to go although in the end, you end up dishing out $1000+ for everything ... amongst other things, you have to go to a presentation where they push time shares on you like no other.

[JAC]

Tanstaafl.

[arvins]

wat is "Tanstaafl" ?

[CanadaBoy]

The last fine print in bold gives it away: This advertising material is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of a vacation ownership plan.

[CanadaBoy]

wat is "Tanstaafl" ?

there aint no such thing as a free lunch

[bbittman]

I am curious if anyone has actually taken them up on their offer? I have been to 2 time share presentations (only to collect the offer - not to purchase). I knew that there was a sales pitch going in and both presentations were low pressure. The travel offer was exactly as stated as well so I am considering pursuing this offer. I had a friend who went on something similar not to long ago (I think it was affiliated with Ramada as well) and he had a good experience. He also bought.

[Shaner]

I am curious if anyone has actually taken them up on their offer? I have been to 2 time share presentations (only to collect the offer - not to purchase). I knew that there was a sales pitch going in and both presentations were low pressure. The travel offer was exactly as stated as well so I am considering pursuing this offer. I had a friend who went on something similar not to long ago (I think it was affiliated with Ramada as well) and he had a good experience. He also bought.

Read the various reviews. The hotels they put you up in are cockroach infested, dirty, fleabag motels. They are absolutely disgusting. The boat they put you on is dirty and small with a serious lack of entertainment.

You'll regret it if you pursue this offer, and it has nothing to do with the Timeshare presentations.

[can2000]

got the same mail pacakge too. Not sure how would they get my full name and address... :?:

[JeVartan]

there aint no such thing as a free lunch


Walk into Godiva Chocolatier and ask for a sample :)

[Blunt]

there aint no such thing as a free lunch

That's double negative... :)

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

Hey, my roommate received exactly the same thing in the mail, but we thought it was a police set up to catch him since he missed court and refused to go to court summons. LOL so it was a run-of-the-mill scam all the time and not a police decoy trap :o

[actuary]

This might help in your decision to pursue a free cruise with this offer:

-MV Regal Empress (former Olympia, Caribe I) is a vintage ocean liner constructed in 1953. She is now owned by Imperial Majesty Cruises and operates on two night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Nassau and back. This is the ship used in the offer.

-The Regal Empress is the oldest passenger liner still operating in North America.

-In 2010, she will be taken out of service as new SOLAS regulations come into effect.

-Pics of the interior: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90781590@N00/sets/72157594555811322/

All from wikipedia.

In a sense, you have an opportunity to ride on a vintage ship that at one time was the most impressive vessel in the world (50+ years ago). Because of the new regulations coming into effect - you only have a very short while to have such an experience.

That said, unless you are a true cruise enthousiast, you probably will not like this ship.

[UrbanPoet]

wow... imagine if Nigerian scammers get a hold of this technologY? we're doomed!!!

[Odysseus_Maximus]

wow... imagine if Nigerian scammers get a hold of this technologY? we're doomed!!!

lol

[EDWIN42]

i attended wakestock 2008 in toronto not a while ago and i signed up a little paper in a booth for a vacation trip

they called me yesterday saying that i won and that they wanted my cc information for a 299 charge.

i gave them the wrong numbers so that i could research later since i didnt have my computer with me and see if they would call back later.

screwwww them.......

[dipple]

I just got called from these guys - I entered at Scarborough ribfest - at first I thought it was sweet, then they mentioned the lack of airfare, then they started trying to sell me stuff like upgrades. After they required immediate payment of "port-fees" of 59.99$ for two people (so 120$) I googled it and the first few pages to come up mentioned the word "scam" so I politely declined.

Should have realized it right away though - the call came from a call centre, and sounded just like any other telemarketer....and go figure....it was.

[Spor 13]

I saw the ship when I went on a cruise in July. It was docked at Nassau and my friends and I were all saying that the boat must be pretty crappy inside unless I guess, you're into old boats. Here's a picture I took of it from the pier:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/conradwoo/SHJ31XBF0WI/AAAAAAAAAeg/W8H2KxIWyPc/DSCF1218.JPG

[Keigotw]

I have received this offer in the mail with cheque for $1300, thought to get your input on this offer. To be honest i don't know how these companies get my real name and address.

The package it comes look and feel like real and legit, but when i googled for this i found out they are scam.



I got one of this as well, after staying in a Ramada hotel in USA
that is how they get your name and address!!!!

[gen.d00dz]

same thing happened to me.

they told me i won a free vacation and cruise! just $300 per person for port fees and taxes. airfare not included.

i also declined. and it was at a park festival where i submitted a ballot for a free vacation that they got my info.

later that year i planned my own florida vacation which cost $500/person including airfare and 4 days of disney parks.

this is definitely a scam.

it also happened to a friend who actually gave all her cc info, then called me to get help (after she realised that a free vacation shouldn't cost $300). i ended up calling the place for her, but they're such a pain about cancelling. they constantly hang up on you. then when i finally got through and they were going to let me cancel (after i quoted several florida state laws), they said they couldn't cuz the name on the card was a girl's name and i was clearly not female.

so i had to encourage my soft-spoken friend to call in herself, and stayed on the other line telling her what to say in order to cancel the trip.

if it truly was not a scam, then they would allow you to cancel the trip more easily.

edit: another thing you'll notice is that the terms and conditions is prefixed with "this is an offer to sell travel" which is the law in florida (since these scams are happening left, right and center down there)

[Dimension]

Eeeep. It looks shady.

[Tekkan]

they were going to let me cancel (after i quoted several florida state laws), they said they couldn't cuz the name on the card was a girl's name and i was clearly not female.

The key law is the one that states if the vacation destination is in Florida, the buyer can cancel *with full refund* within 30 day of purchase no matter what the contract says. Even if it says no refunds.

[lovepizza]

i got one of these a few months ago...if u read it carefullly, it says this is an "upgrade" coupon sorta thing, so you have to buy the air ticket there etc

[scarborough]

I was recently suckered into one of these vacation deals, and while I'm not saying that I wasn't incredibly naive by giving out my credit card info over the phone, this company does practice some questionable sales techniques. For instance, they got my contact information from a contest that I entered at a Ribfest (innocently enough), and when they called me, they said I had been "selected" to receive a fabulous and luxurious vacation package to Florida and the Bahamas (valued at $2500). Now, the package was nowhere near worth that (after I later did some research). Plus, there are many hidden fees that wouldn't be aware of until you actually go on the vacation (just Google the people who have travelled with Imperial).

However, it's natural when they quote you that value that your mind jumps to visions of grand cruise ships and the "white glove treatment" that Imperial promises. Needless to say, when I agreed to pay the heavily-discounted promotional fee of $299U.S./pp, I had no idea that this would be non-refundable and that the company had a "no vacation cancellation policy."

If you do your research, and look up the "Sellers of Travel" section on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website (http://www.800helpfla.com/complnt.html), you'll see that according to Florida Law (and I live in Canada by the way), a consumer is entitled to a full refund within 30 days of purchase. However, every time I called Imperial's customer service, they refused to cancel the package, offering to extend the period that I could use the vacation, or a 100% money back guarantee (after you go through with the trip), or to upgrade your package. They told me that they could not refund the 149$U.S. security deposit that I supposedly agreed to. And that if I cancelled, I would lose all my money.

Know your rights. Contact your credit card company's dispute department, and they'll advise you on how to return Imperial's package (through registered mail) and with an official letter of cancellation. Or better yet, complain to the Florida Better Business Bureau (Canadians can send a complaint through our local BBB), and complain to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

I did, and got my full refund within one week (August 22, 2008) of falling for this "luxury" vacation package. Now I just hope there aren't any weird or unauthorized transactions on my credit card statement.

The irony is that Imperial Majesty keeps calling my house, and asking to speak to my parents. They seem to be aggressively targeting Canadians now, so warn your friends even if they are "smart." I considered myself smart, and yet I fell for this. They are incredibly persuasive!

[Frankie3s]

I got the same thing in the mail the other day and just shredded it this evening. I wonder which company in the "Freebies" forum sold our info?

[DaBrat]

Thanks for your post. I received this package in the mail and had $798.00 charged to my credit card account. This never felt comfortable to me, so I did more research. After reading your posts, I called to cancel.

I was transferred and placed on hold but after threatening to contact the BBB and quoting Florida law and referencing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, they told me that my account would be credited back the amount charged in seven to ten business days.

I promptly called my credit card company to have this documented with their dispute department in the event that my account is not credited.

I will keep you posted on the outcome. Thanks again TS4MS for your helpful post. You kept $800 or more in my pocket and keeping me from unexpectec debt. It sounded like a good package, but the bait and switch technique is an Imperial problem.

DaBrat

[nguyenhinhca]

I signed up for a draw to win a vacation at a local exhibition event. A gentleman called a few days later by the name of Walter and announced to me that I had won the vacation package. With excitement I reluctantly agreed to paying the small fee of $299/person for a vacation package that felt like it was worth a lot more. After verifying my payments with them, I I soon realized how it all seemed too good to be true, so out of curiosity I googled the 1-800 customer service number that was given to me at the time I made the payment, and to my surprise it had SCAM written all over it. I quickly canceled my credit card and reported it lost/stolen. :cheesygri, and did my research of past victims. I called their customer service right away demanding them to cancel my vacation package. The special agent lady refused to cancel my vacation package and kept offering extended periods for the vacation package, or a %100 money back guarantee only after I had already taken the trip. I then quoted Florida state laws of my rights to a 30 day money back refund for all travel purchases, and she still refused. I then went on to threatening to report to the BBB and she still did not cave. After about 20 mins of listening to her blabber away about how big and special her company is and how they serve millions of customers a year, I finally gave her an ultimatum: either cancel my package and refund my money, or I WILL report you to the BBB. She finally decides to cancel my package after putting me on hold for another 10 mins. I finally got my cancellation with reference number, she mentioned that I should get the refund within 7-10 business days. I will post the good news when I see the credit in my cc statement.

Louis

[winterfreshgrin]

I guarantee that you will get a super enthusiastic phone call that you just won.
You'll know its a scam when the ballot ask you what major credit card you use.

And also beware of 'market researchers' who call to ask questions about any vacations your planning to take and innocently asks if you use a major credit card. Guarantees you a call within the next day that you won a vacation as well or sell you one of those timeshare trips.

[Bugness]

This happened to my boyfriend yesterday.
We went to the Saanich Fair and entered a draw there to win a vacation.
He got a call yesterday saying he'd won the grand prize which was a trip for two on the Regal Princess.
They immediately wanted 299.00$ USD for taxes and port fees.

As we had actually entered this contest at the fair he figured it was legit and gave his CC info.
As I write this he is now trying to get his money back.

We always thought we were pretty savvy about avoiding scams, you know the usual thing - Don't believe chain emails, don't believe random people phoning for donations ect.

We never thought that an entire booth would be set up at a fair just to get peoples names to sell them what is really a crappy time share seminar that will cost as much as a real vacation.

[ronny1980]

Why so many new accounts posting in this thread? :confused:

[pastorman]

This is definitely a scam....

I felt very uneasy about this and once I received my confirmation package in the mail, I thought that I would do a nice search to find out if this is legit or not. IT IS DEFINITELY NOT.

- I learned from other posts....quote FLORIDA law...they will ty to tell you it doesn't apply to Canadians...but you tell them it does.

- They will offer to give you another year to use your vacation...

- Tell them that you are going to have your credit card company reverse the charges and then ask for a supervisor....they'll put you on hold for about 5 mins. and then magically, it is cancelled and they said that the money will be refunded to you in approximately 7-10 days....AND THEN...

They have the nerve to give you a number to call to get another free vacation for one of three locations, because they want you to "leave with a smile on your face!"

- MY QUESTION IS THIS:

If this is truly a scam and there is lots of evidence proving such....why are they still allowed to have a presence at local fairs and events....I don't understand why organizers at the PARIS FAIR (where I entered) would allow such a scam to be had --- i think that it gives fair organizers a bad reputation and I would attend the Paris Fair again.

This web site forum has just saved me $498 USD....thank you for all your contributions.

[Starkicker]

Thanks for your post. I received this package in the mail and had $798.00 charged to my credit card account. This never felt comfortable to me, so I did more research. After reading your posts, I called to cancel.

I was transferred and placed on hold but after threatening to contact the BBB and quoting Florida law and referencing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, they told me that my account would be credited back the amount charged in seven to ten business days.

I promptly called my credit card company to have this documented with their dispute department in the event that my account is not credited.

I will keep you posted on the outcome. Thanks again TS4MS for your helpful post. You kept $800 or more in my pocket and keeping me from unexpectec debt. It sounded like a good package, but the bait and switch technique is an Imperial problem.

DaBrat

Did they charge you before you agreed to the vacation or after? I received one of these in the mail, but I figured it was some type of scam as nothing that good is ever free (or legal).

[1150guy]

got the same propaganda in the mail yesterday. phoned the tool free number (1-800-858-1788) 4 times and asked to be removed from their bulk mailing list:

call1.) Sonia - her reply was "Couldn't you just throw the letter out?" - then she hung up.

call2.) Bernard - asked my surname & spelled it back to me. when I replied saying that he was correct, he replied, "you're thanking me because I can spell?" - yes - then he hung up.

call3.) Sebastian - he hung up immediately.

call4.) Roger - asked for my confirmation number - provided, then my phone number - not provided - then he hung up.

i'm pondering how many times i can call the toll free number in one hour & how much these phone calls will cost their company ... hmmm.

[vanessie]

Why so many new accounts posting in this thread? :confused:

Yeah, pretty weird. Maybe it's coming up in a google search? I got the same letter in the mail this week, maybe the company is doing a mass-mailing

[UncleSteve]

Yeah, pretty weird. Maybe it's coming up in a google search? I got the same letter in the mail this week, maybe the company is doing a mass-mailing

I just went to Google and typed in just "Imperial Majesty Cruise Line". The first hit was the company's actual website, the next 2 hits were links to this thread.

[Rhylliam]

I love this site! Use it from deal searching, and now apparently scam finding.

Just received one of these bastards in the mail today, what a joke. I'm in Winnipeg so maybe they're doing they're rounds in Manitoba.

[smartfood]

I really appreciate OP for creating this thread. I received the exact thing as the OP had posted and was wondering the same thing. For a few seconds, i was like OMG I won. But thank you all for the warnings.

[boyoflondon]

Everyone should go by one very simple rule ...

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEN IT'S A SCAM!


At the same time, when in doubt, GOOGLE it!! You are just a click away from saving a whole bunch of money!! :)

[ukgirl]

I just got a call from them after entering a contest at the everything about sex show this weekend, luckily while on the phone I googled imperial majesty and this thread came up so i told the girl I'm not interested. thanks RFD!

[landryj]

I know for a fact that this Imperial Majesty Cruise is nothing but a Huge! Hoax!! They Got me last year .I pd. for the Port fees and up graded fees for cabin .etc Now this week they send out to me two news offers .And This one Major one with the &1,300 voucher toward this cruise with an extended vacation and to Mexico and Las Vegas as well. But after over an hr. on the phone with a Rep. I find out you have to dish out over $900.00 to start with then 99.00 for each person then Taxes for the ship and Soo many other hidden fees I cant begin to tell you all about!! This is A big Scam ..Plus the ship is soo darn dirty and if your not careful you get charged for every service that you get .from asking for a towel to buying from any shop while on Board this ship,it can add up to the hundreds of dollars .I was told by alot of people as well who came of this soo called cruise line that they had the worst time of their lives and was stuck with huge bills as high as $3,500 to 4 grand for hidden fees.. They just go ahead and add unto you credit card. So.. To the Naussu Bahamas and every other one they are now sending out to thousands of people .That by the way you are also told you are one of the few lucky ones to recieve these cruises.. Not TRUe at all .They are sent out to many States and Countries and The vast Majority of people such as myself have nothing GOOD at all to recommend about this trip..So FOLKS PLEASE!! Be WARE OF THIS HUGE SCAM .The ship Is dirty and You Dont have A Clean Cabin. Nothing good!! except the trip to port To The Bahamas and some of the meals.. But you get soaked in with huge bills and you dont even know it until you see it on you credit cards after!! .They will not even give you a chance to think on any thing with the first phone call .They want you to accept it then & there. I did not accept this last one and they hung up on me with no good by etc.
...landryj

[Oksijan]

I really appreciate OP for creating this thread and extra thanks for posting the screenshots. I received the exact thing, it sounds too good to be true. i did a search on "imperial majesty cruise line vacations" to find this site after which I throw it in the garbage.

Thanks

[hardcandy1911]

LOL for scanning your documents, that was a great waste of time.

[SUMPINFIERCE]

Why so many new accounts posting in this thread? :confused:

lol... it's definitely because this thread comes up in google searches.. it's inspired people to join and share their stories...

But yeah, these people from regal empress have been hounding me for weeks by phone and even told me i had 72 hrs to respond before they moved on to someone new... that was Saturday... and after them continuing to call all week, I finally picked up tonight (Friday) and this lady told me I was selected for a free cruise I had signed up for at a trade show (I'm assuming it was the women's show) and that I had "won".

I listened to her whole shpeel and I admit it sounded good when she told me that I'd only have to pay $59 USD per person for port fees. The red flag went up when she asked me for my credit card info... there was no way in hell I'd give that info over the phone (being the suspicious RFDer that I am :lol:) and told her that I'd forgotten my wallet at home and had no debit card or credit card on me. She went on to tell me that was unfortunate because then she could have offered me additional deals and blah, blah blah... then said I could still register later online, which is when I googled it and found this thread.

Thanks RFD! You've saved me again! :D

[Eyies]

I love this site! Use it from deal searching, and now apparently scam finding.

Just received one of these bastards in the mail today, what a joke. I'm in Winnipeg so maybe they're doing they're rounds in Manitoba.

RFD seems to cover all aspects of life.. knowledgeable people in tons of areas :cheesygri

[NoMoreScams]

Hi guys well this company has used computer speaker things to spam our phone and we have tried to get them to stop but one day (today december 12 2008) we got a call from a human and we all have to say its alot better because you can speak and ask questions and stuff well anyway my mom and dad were both on the phone listening and thought oh dear god this may be real we should do it its been around 14-15 years since we ever went on a vacation and it was much needed and i was only 2-3 years old im 16 now so for me and my sister we would be able to go and remember this great time well after that we were all happy and my mom went on google to read more about it and found hundreds of posts like this... a scam... so she stared reading the things you said and other peoples on other sites and it turns out the whole world is getting scammed by these people not just us North Americans... they paid 140 somthing Canadian dollors and gave there credit card number so basically they can get screwed real good so tommrow they are going to call there credit card company and try and stop any more fees going into there credit card from this scam company and then they will try to get a refund if they cant thats not that bad because some of you have lost thousends and we are in the 140 dollor range if it was not for you we would be screwed thank you all so much im only 16 and ill make it my lifes work to shut scammers down!!!! again thanks!

[chris103610]

there aint no such thing as a free lunch

wow... imagine if Nigerian scammers get a hold of this technologY? we're doomed!!!

i LOL'd so hard i think a little poo came out.

[NoMoreScams]

Hi guys im Jeff posted a post last night saying what happend well this morning my dad and mom called there credit card company and complaned about what happend and they found out that these scammers tried to get a couple thousend out it did not work then they tried 600 300 500 stuff like that they tried 7 times the credit card company said but they only got the 140 someodd bucks hahaha those suckers and also they may not even get that because my dad called and complaned so fast so thats good you guys helped us alot i thank you 100 thousend times good job thank christ for the internet or we would be out around 5000 dollors W00T NOMORESCAMS!!!!!!!!
ill help you guys with this ill be posting threads all over forums im a member with and try and make sure these crap heads dont scam others

what i dont understand is how they are still here...? why are they...? who can stop them...? why has somone not stoped them yet...? well the answer is no one has tried hard enough and the person who will stop them is me its my life work now to stop scammers! good job to me good job to all of you... c yeah!

[tracyA]

Hey All,
Yeah these guys tried to scam me too. Filled out a ballot in a mall. They called and said I'd won, I was so lucky and that not everyone wins, I won over x number of entries and bla bla bla. He kept me on the phone a long time telling me all about it. I told him I'd check out the website, tried to get him off the phone, and he wanted me to go online right away while I had him on the line. which I did, and more bla bla. he wouldn't shut up long enough for me to look at the site in detail. Then I told him look, yes it does sound like a great deal. However I was a Fraud Investigator for 10 years for a Bank/credit card company, and really do ya think I'd have someone call me out of the blue and I give them my credit card # ?
So then he went on about well, since you told me that, I'll tell you this.. and bla bla the whole procedure of how they process your credit card transaction.. I am not sure exactly what he did say because I knew he was a scammer so I blocked him out while I was trying to check out the website.

So, some advice from someone who knows all about scams firsthand.. First Listen to your gut. Does it "feel" right? .. I knew this was a scam right away, I felt it, and just had to google to confirm it.

Second, NEVER EVER give your credit card number to someone that called YOU. .they might even say they are calling from your Bank.. If they do then you ask for their name and then call them back, and not at a number they give you, a published number, like on your statements.

And of course, we all know, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.(and that's a big part of the "gut" thing)

A cruise is something you don't want to mess with..like you're in the middle of the ocean FGS! You don't want to be on some rickety thing with food that will make you sicker than the motion. I have been on 2 great Carnival Cruises and got fantastic prices. I found that I got the best price by calling Carnival directly. Your airfare will probably cost more than the cruise.

[kingsley]

Why so many new accounts posting in this thread? :confused:

It's a new way of scamming somehow...quickly close the thread!

[Aimsly]

A friend and I both entered a ballot for a free trip to LA at a restaurant we went to months ago. We both got a phone call saying we'd "won"; neither of us were home to receive it, so we had messages on our phones.

I just got the same spam mail the original poster had. I called just a few minutes ago just to ask to be removed from whatever mailing list they had me on -- and the guy immediately started on his spiel about upgrading the packages, etc. So while he's yammering away, I'm googling the scam, and just saying, "Uh huh, uh huh."

Eventually he puts me through to the manager to confirm the package (hoping this guy will let me talk) -- and he asks if I have any questions. Well, I start throwing their extra fees back at him, and tell him I'd have to have been born yesterday to throw down $750 USD over the phone for a "free package" you have to pay over $900 USD for, etc. All he says was "I guess you're declining the offer. Good bye." Although, I'm sure I can expect more spam mail and telemarketers. Frig.

I didn't even get to tell him to take me off their damn list :P

[bwmcmaste]

I just wanted to say thank you to all of those who posted their previous experiences with this company. They called me a couple weeks ago, and called me back again tonight.

I was okay with pretty much everything they were telling me until they started mentioning "port charges", and asking for my credit card (thank God for my instincts on this one). I Googled the name of the company while I was on the phone with them and this forum came up. Needless to say: After the horror stories mentioned here, and the striking similarity between them and what I was hearing on my end; I decided to cancel the whole deal on them.

Personally, I wouldn't mind driving all the way down to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (even though I live in Western Canada) for a couple days of vacation; but I draw the line at aggressive sales tactics (i.e. they kept trying to swindle me into doing some kind of "pre vacation" package for $498, and all this mention of fees and needing my credit card number). Seriously: If the **** is free, why would you need my credit card number?

Well, to conclude: The guy on the other end was pretty upset when I just told him, "Actually, I changed my mind and I've decided that I'm not interested", and he kept saying "I'm sorry sir, but I have to ask; what changed in this last minute?", to which I replied, "Oh nothing, I just have my personal reasons", and he says, "oh well, maybe we can talk about it...", and I reply, "No, I just changed my mind and I'm not really interested any more. I'm not going to tell you why, but you can put down that 'customer was no longer interested' or something like that. Sorry for wasting your time".

[Preggo]

I was hit by this scam too...

I booked/paid for the vacation on November 20th, and today is Christmas obviously. I called on December 22nd or 23rd to try and get my money back, and like everyone else has said, they were just trying to reschedule the trip.

Someone mentioned that I can get a refund within 30 days of purchase, no matter what they say. My problem is that I am now over 30 days. I did try to call on the 22nd though?

I don't know what to do now.

[Taken]

My 76 year old mother got swindled by these people as well and over the phone.
She was not advised of the cancellation policy and was in the hospital when her 30 day date came. They told me too bad so sad. I beg to differ and with the help of all of you-will get her money back. She is soft spoken and vulnerable to boot.

Let's do what we all can to stop this scamming

Red Deer Alberta Canada

[darkprince]

I got a call today telling my dad won some crap about vacation and stuff. But since he didn't speak English and the guy (FRANKIE) asked how old I was I said 21. He's like "Sry I can only talk to person that is 30". I am like what company are you calling on behave? He keeps telling me "I can only speak with some1 that is over 30 and since there isn't the youre disqualified".

I was just asking for what company he was calling. Since we don't recall entering any contest and he failed to provide me with a answer for my question. I told him to F*** off and hung up.

FYI: IF your number is listed in the directory you're more vulnerable in getting this stupid calls.

[laptop-tech]

This thread is funny. FULL of new members who registered only to post about the same "scam".

[Teletran]

This thread is funny. FULL of new members who registered only to post about the same "scam".

Your point being? Perhaps people are searching the web and came across RFD and took the time to register to also inform others of the scam. Until you're an administrator and can identify the originating IP addresses that made the posts, then we can talk about your claim.

Imperial Cruises are a scam. I received a call from then when I signed up for a contest at an Auto Show. They inform you that you've won a prize, but have to pay X dollars to claim it.

[Wilmega]

If you guys go to Scarborough Town Centre or Agincourt Mall and see a nice car contest.. do not fill out the Ballet! I get 2 or 3 calls a week from these ppl. But except its not Imperial Cruise.. its Regal Cruise line.

[angekfire]

I went to a convention about a year ago and they had a ballot to sign up to win a free cruise. Me and my girlfriend at the time signed up, as well as a co-worker who was also there. All of us got the call a week later saying we "won a free cruise", and they rambled on about what all was included. After they told me all the free stuff I won that was included, they asked for my credit card number to pay the $300 to claim this "free" cruise. I told him that I didn't trust giving out my credit card info over the phone, and then he berated me for not knowing how credit cards work. I just told him I was not giving him my credit card number and hung up.

I then got 2 more calls, and both times I just told the person that the guy they are looking for is not at this number. They got the hint. My girlfriend also didn't give in, but my co-worker did, he thought the $300 was a good deal. I informed him that in the off season he could find a cheap vacation package at a nice resort for just a little bit more, that would include airfare. I told him it is a scam and he was naive, but he thought it was a good deal, and didn't mind paying the money to get there for the cruise. After about a week he realized that he made a mistake and tried to cancel. They gave him a huge hassle, and he spent over 30 minutes on hold. Eventually they told him they could refund only $220 of the $300 because the $80 was a deposit or cancellation fee or some crap. He eventually got it all back, but it was entirely too much hassle.

[muggles]

I found this forum after I received a call saying I would be getting 2 days free cruise on the Imperial Majesty for answering 10 questions of a survey. When I googled the ship I found this forum and am very happy that I have been pre warned of this scam. I certainly won't be giving them my credit card. Thanks for all your posts warning about this scam

[kevin huynh]

unfortunately my sister fell for this scam... BUT she doesnt believe its a scam!!! even after my mom and i have told her. she made the payment of 750 for a few trips within the next 2 years.. she signed up i believe last year,,, all of a sudden i found the papers lying around the house and google the company. and first 4 links have "scam." she said she received this in the mail and claims she hasnt sign up for contests. she says if they send it to you its not a scam.. I laughed so hard but found out she was serious -_- After reading the entire thread i realize this trip will be very costly with hidden costs like paying for a towel lol like one mentioned, and how dirty it will be. I dont mind my sister paying for this stupid stuff.. she needs to learn the hard way unfortunately. But MOST IMPORTANT will this trip be SAFE? like will there be any boat stranded or high jack or something that will put her life in danger. once again i dont mind her paying a few thousand she learns that way -_- but will she be safe?
thanks

[micronta]

OP this is a very helpful thread to warn consumers. I have received this in the mail also and found it quite annoying since it had my full name everywhere; so I put it in the shredder.
Another simple tip is to screen phone calls using caller id, cause life is too short to waste your time being on the phone with telemarketers and possible scammers. I don't pick up the phone when the number is not recognized by me. I find if the call is important they usually leave a message anyways or try my cell. But if someone is trying to sell you something they do not leave messages.

[coolazn]

:cry:wow i can see alot of people getting fooled by it.

it seems sooo real

[BlueGreens]

So I understand that many of you complained about how so many people are signing up just to post this -- but it's the only way I (and many others) can get this off my back, I am just irritated.

I Googled "Imperial Majesty Cruise Line" and found the website first, then this thread. So I figured I'd share my experience as well. Also to let others know, just what a scam this is!

I received a mail just yesterday stating that I had been chosen to try this cruise line because of my "Responsible Financial History". This made me 10x happy because I thought they really did looked through my financial history and told me that I'm have a good credit (truth is, it's just average, or a little below average.)

So the next day I decided to call to find out more. I spent approximately 45 minutes on the phone talking to Jessie (she spelled it for me too). I tried to suck up as much information as possible because when it comes to this kind of thing, don't you have to be pretty well-planned?

Well here's how it went:

Speaking with Jessie:
1. Port charges, gas charges (I thought it's free mileage?), Taxes... All this started to add on.
I was still okay, I understand that they can't go around taxes and such.
2. It turned out to be a 70% off regular price, NOT FREE. And I have to pay $399/person.
3. I asked if I can call later to decide - they said NO.
4. I asked for a website where I can order there instead - they said NO. They believed in "word of mouth advertising, and not open to public." (I wonder why).
5. I told them I am interested, but I can't pay right away - I got transferred to speak with the supervisor.

Speaking with the Supervisor:
1. He told me of all this "low"-interest rate payment plans.
2. Asked me of reasons why I don't want go now - I told him personal reasons.
3. Went on and on about why I can't pay now - I told him I have other financial obligations at the moment and won't be free until early 2010.
4. He kept offering other payment plan options.
5. Finally he asked, "okay, we have a payment option of paying $66/month, is that too much for you?"
6. I said, yes - I told you, I have other financial obligations at the moment.
7. He said, "thank you for calling" - and hung up.


So in conclusion: I told him I don't want to pay now, and he hung up one me? I told him that I am interested in the cruise line, and dissed me? What kind of cruise line is this? And one questions I've been begging to ask but couldn't: Why advertise through mouth if you're such a million-seller successful cruise line? So many questions!!

My gut said NO, and so I kept saying NO. I did not reveal my credit card numbers and I am glad for it.




I wonder just how we could possible stop such scams? This is such a horrible way of scamming people... What if they're not as skeptical? What if they fall into the scam and spend thousands of dollars on NOTHING?

This is a good thread.

[jesslee123]

I guess I am one of the unlucky ones who fell for the sales pitch. I guess just having a baby when I had gotten the document in the mail and talking to the guy on the phone didn't help. We did pay the initial fees which totaled $800 and we have now booked our trip and have the rental car booked, etc. We haven't yet booked our flights and are really considering trying to get rid of this trip (due to me not being employed at the moment). I don't think I am able to cancel it without being penalized. And after reading the posts, I would feel bad selling it to someone else... But I really don't want to go on it now...especially since we will be bringing my 15 month old son with us...and if things are really as dirty as people are saying...that's just gross.

Any ideas on how I can get out of this without losing all the money put into it ($1200)?

[boyoflondon]

Any ideas on how I can get out of this without losing all the money put into it ($1200)?

Unfortunately, you are SOL as far as getting your money back goes...

[Whiteangel07]

Yes, it is a real scam. Plz don't fall into it. I had a very bad experiance. Such a waste of my time and money. And I learned my lesson.

[littlevince]

cant u guys just do chargebacks?

and has anyone actually been on this trip??

[misheymee]

Hi all,

Over the weekend I attended a Bridal Show at our city's convention center. There were tons of booths set up for all sorts of bridal-related things. Along with the booths came lots of ballots to fill out for free things; trips, engagement rings, cakes, etc. I probably filled out 10 ballots while I was there...including one for a free trip with the Imperial Majesty Cruise Line.

I got a call today from a Dan Anderson congratulating me on that fact that I had one this free cruise to the Bahamas. I was so overwhelmed with excitement. He went on and on about how great this trip was - worth over $2500. He then said that in order to hold the trip they would require me to pay $299 per person for port taxes or something like that. I really don't consider myself to be a naive person, or one that is easily suckered into scams. What he was telling me sounded legit, so I handed over my CC info.

As he went on I began to question my giving him the CC info. Was this great trip worth what I'd be getting in the long run? I'd also have to pay for one of the two flights to Orlando - so there was more money I'd be shelling out. In the end, they were able to take $499 off my CC only due to the fact that for some reason my CC company wouldn't allow anymore to come off (thank God!)

After I got off the phone with him I checked online only to find this forum. I almost fainted from all the posts from people who had the exact same experience I had. I was disgusted. I almost puked - literally. I felt so stupid...I never thought this would happen to me.

I read all of the people's posts - most of whom were unable to get their money back. I thought to myself, "What the hell - I'll call this company and give them a piece of my mind." After being on hold for about 10 mins, I finally spoke to a woman - Laquisha I think - and was very blunt and honest with her. I told her I was no longer interested and wanted my money back NOW! I was not nice or kind in anyway - just very straightforward. She tried everything to keep me enticed, but I wouldn't buckle. After a few minutes of what turned into arguing, she reluctantly canceled my trip and gave me a cancel reference number and told me I'd see the 100% refund on my CC within 7-10 business days.

Hopefully, I do end up seeing the refund and don't have to get in touch with the BBB. I don't know if it helped, but I threw at her the whole Florida State Law 30 day cancellation thing and the fact that I'd report them to the FL BBB if I didn't get my money back. I just tried everything because I had nothing to lose!

This people need to be stopped. I don't know how they can sleep at night doing what they're doing.

[unhappy_pappy]

@misheymee:
Were you also at the Total Bridal Show at the International Convention Centre near Pearson Airport?

We also got a call from Dan Anderson but the odd thing is we didn't fill out a ballot specifically for the Imperial Majesty.

We also got our money back after being transferred to a "specialist"-- I think they're called that because of their extensive selling techniques.

I also found the below article written by a former employee of IM-- if your concern is how someone working for IM can sleep at night, the short answer is they really can't.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/085/RipOff0085303.htm

Also-- does BBB stand for Better Business Bureau?

[Tekkan]

I guess I am one of the unlucky ones who fell for the sales pitch. I guess just having a baby when I had gotten the document in the mail and talking to the guy on the phone didn't help. We did pay the initial fees which totaled $800 and we have now booked our trip and have the rental car booked, etc. We haven't yet booked our flights and are really considering trying to get rid of this trip (due to me not being employed at the moment). I don't think I am able to cancel it without being penalized. And after reading the posts, I would feel bad selling it to someone else... But I really don't want to go on it now...especially since we will be bringing my 15 month old son with us...and if things are really as dirty as people are saying...that's just gross.

Any ideas on how I can get out of this without losing all the money put into it ($1200)?

Where is your trip? If the vacation is located in, or is a cruise departing from Florida, you are legally allowed to cancel your vacation without reason within 30 days of the purchase with a FULL refund (no penalties*).

I forget what the law is called, but its a state law in Florida.


*if you used a CDN CC and paid in USD you'll lose on the exchange rate back and forth but you'll get the FULL USD amount back.

[lvoisin]

Thanks for all your posts. I had one of the salesmen on the phone and immediately looked them up. I was able to get a 'call back number' so I could get off the call.

They told me they 'couldn't call me back again and I needed to buy now.' So, I'm hoping to hold them to it! :)

[EGee6]

It absolutely amazes me how there can be so many stupid people that will fall for this scam.

[WhatADeal!]

My friends and I acted on this offer 7 years ago. I'm really dumbfounded on why everybody wants to get out of it so desperately. The hotel they offered was Ramada Inn, while not being the best, is more than decent. The cruise is old, but if you're not willing to shell out thousands of dollars (I was still a recent graduate back then and didn't have a lot of money), it is a cheaper way to get away down south. We really enjoyed the time spent at Disney, Universal Studio, Islands of Adventure, JFK Space Station, as well as visiting the Atlantis resort and the beaches at Paradise Island, Nassau. Unless the company got a lot worse now, I'd suggest people who've already signed up to stop worrying and just go for it.

[ShopperfiendTO]

It absolutely amazes me how there can be so many stupid people that will fall for this scam.

How rude. :mad:

These people are trying to be helpful by informing us of a type of scam we or someone we know and care about might fall for.

Further, some of them have actually been duped and it takes a lot of pride-swallowing (even if it's anonynous web-posting) to confess that they've been taken in by it. Sure some of them are just venting, but the point is that we're all benefiting from greater knowledge of the scheme.

I don't think it's a scam myself... just seems to be a rip-off in that you pay waaay more for something than you can easily get elsewhere. Just know that legitimate cruise companies have a lot of fees and charges tacked on the final price as well, so that something advertised as $199pp (crazy economy!) can end up costing over $500pp after eveything's added, but it doesn't make it a scam (same as the cheap $99 airfare that end up costing $400 with all of the crazy fees and taxes added).

[ShopperfiendTO]

My friends and I acted on this offer 7 years ago. I'm really dumbfounded on why everybody wants to get out of it so desperately. The hotel they offered was Ramada Inn, while not being the best, is more than decent. The cruise is old, but if you're not willing to shell out thousands of dollars (I was still a recent graduate back then and didn't have a lot of money), it is a cheaper way to get away down south. We really enjoyed the time spent at Disney, Universal Studio, Islands of Adventure, JFK Space Station, as well as visiting the Atlantis resort and the beaches at Paradise Island, Nassau. Unless the company got a lot worse now, I'd suggest people who've already signed up to stop worrying and just go for it.

Perhaps this might be true in 2007.

Now decent cruiselines like RCCL, CCL, NCL have jaw-droppingly low prices (probably lower than this offer in its lowest price) for their ships that are at least two times nicer and better in every way.

[gei]

So I understand that many of you complained about how so many people are signing up just to post this -- but it's the only way I (and many others) can get this off my back, I am just irritated.
There's nothing wrong with signing up to share your story. The people who complained are idiots... the more information the better.

It absolutely amazes me how there can be so many stupid people that will fall for this scam.
+1

I actually got this offer in the mail too... identical to the one on the first page. I'll admit I usually throw things like this out immediately, but this time I actually took a second look. Of course, common sense eventually kicked in and I just threw it out.

[lor74]

It's amazing that this scam is still going strong 2 decades later! I used to work for a call center that offered this junk....trust me, while the vacation is technically legit, the accommodations are not! It is an AMAZING offer for a 1* vacation!

[Sephora]

My girlfriend and I almost fell for this awhile ago. My gf had filled out a ballot for a vacation at the St. Lawrence Rib Fest (or Beer Fest, forget which one).

Few days later, she gets a call saying she had won! I'm usually very skeptical about these things, but because she had filled out a ballot, I was more convinced this was the real deal (I now know better).

We had spare time when the vacation was offered, and it seemed like a deal, so my gf gave her CC number. As she was doing that, I decided to google them (they called themselves Ramada Plaza Resorts). Thank god for other posters on the internet sharing their experiences with these guys. From what I understand, it's not a "scam" per se, but for the money they charge you (one way or another) you could put together a much better vacation yourself. And the fact that they try to convince you you've won a prize while really they're just hawking packages is rather despicable.

Luckily my gf was still on the phone with them when I found out about them, but it was still hell trying to get them to cancel. Numerous transfers, putting you on hold, etc. You have to be extremely assertive to get them to finally listen to you.

Thanks to whomever posted that rip-off reports link. I can't believe their officers are (or were) located so close to home at Yonge and Wellesley. At least some of the ex-employees posting on that site say they were also duped, as I can't believe people living with themselves as they make a living trying to sucker other folks.

[BrieannaDD]

Ok so i am so dumb and fell for this idiot scam :cry: i was so excited i never win anything and i thought it was legit because i entered it at a Bridal Fantasy Show in edmonton. i gave them my CC information... i have never done this before... how do you cancel... what did you guys say exactlly so i can say the same?? did you tell them you knew it was a scam... and the you were going to contact the florida BBB... i am so scared i am trying to get married in august i cant deal with this I NEED YOUR HELP!!! PLEASE!!!:cry::(

[ShopperfiendTO]

Ok so i am so dumb and fell for this idiot scam :cry: i was so excited i never win anything and i thought it was legit because i entered it at a Bridal Fantasy Show in edmonton. i gave them my CC information... i have never done this before... how do you cancel... what did you guys say exactlly so i can say the same?? did you tell them you knew it was a scam... and the you were going to contact the florida BBB... i am so scared i am trying to get married in august i cant deal with this I NEED YOUR HELP!!! PLEASE!!!:cry::(

I'm surprised no one's replied yet.

Your best bet is to read the entire thread and write down/print the arguments that others have used to get the refund/cancellation. It's not that long so you should be OK. It looks like you just registered and so should have time to cancel within the "grace" period.

It's not technically a scam so I wouldn't use those words when speaking to them. Be polite but persistent that you've had second thoughts and would like to cancel your trip. If you get passed on to "closers", keep being persistent and polite. Good luck.

[gill2k]

My fiancé and I fell for it last week (and yeah I'm not afraid to admit it... stupid on our part but it's a lesson learned). They got our names from the wedding show last month (filling out those contest ballots). We wanna go to Florida this summer and thought this would be a cheap way to do it and it appeared like a blessing in disguise. But it just felt too good to be true. After googling the 1-800 number they gave us, I came up with a bunch of "scam" hits. I had her call the 1-800 number again and after quite some time over the phone, they refunded her money along with a confirmation number, but it wasn't without any persuasion. They wanted to keep $150 for themselves just to "keep the deal open for the next two years" but we just kept insisting. They said it would take 7 to 10 business days but she got the refund within 3 days back on her credit card.

So yes, you can still get your money back, but it will take quite a bit of insisting and it might take more than one phone call. If they put you on hold, just keep holding on to there. Just be patient and don't give up. If not, you can always call your credit card company to help you out.

Good luck out there and I hope it's a lesson for everyone reading this thread (myself and my fiancé included).

[flare]

I fell into same thing on Feb 5th. Everything sounded so good, lol! My husband tried to stop me, but I got to exited and, of course, gave my cc#. Finally my brain started to work when cc company didn't let to charge card for the full amount and they asked for another card to complete payment. I said it was the only one I had. Then they charged me 449$, and broke the rest for 6 months 74,83$ each. I understood the total price of such holidays would go much up, but still I thought it was a great deal.
The next day I spoke to a friend and he told that unfortunately I made a little stupid thing, and recommended to cancel it with my cc company. Called cc company yesterday, they said they couldn't cancel with them and had to call Imperial Majesty etc. And only then I googled and found all your posts, found people who fell into it before me and tried to save others people's time and money by sharing their experience.
At least I learned my rights from you, and was prepared for a phone "battle" with them. Was going to mention BBB and other things to get the money back. I called them about an hour ago. It wasn't as difficult as I expected. Just some holds and unrelated questions, eg. how much did you pay for the last holidays you've taken? I said that it's unrelated to my desire to cancel. The girl Katrina asked why did I agree if I didn't want to take vocations to Florida? I said I felt pressure, didn't have enough time to think and didn't have time to discuss it with my husband. She tried to offer to keep the offer for to years and for a minimum charge 112$, I said no I want full refund and full cancellation. She gave me confirmation# for cancellation and promised to send a post card with another "free" special deal. As somebody wrote "to make me walk from the door with a smile on my face". She sounded irritated, but the promise to get a full refund to my card within 7-10 business days and "the post card" Katrina is about to send me brought a wide smile on my face!
Thank you all very very much again! Enjoy your vocations you really want to take, but not the once you are made to take!

[falcolf]

I just fell for this too:|I feel like a total moron. Like everyone else here, I was wowed when I was called today after going to a convention and I thought it was good, because I didn't have any bad feelings about it. Now my plan is to call in tomorrow and make them give my $$ back (yep I paid... ). I'm only 18, so not much real life experiance. I'm glad that I at least didn't tell anyone I know about this, so I can save some face socially still. The thing that caught me as odd during the phone conversation was that first the lady said she couldn't call me back, then she said she could afterwards. Warning bells went off, but I didn't listen. Now I'm kind of glad, because I still have a chance to save myself because of this thread and I've already learned a very important lesson - never give out CC! Thank you! :cheesygri

[i6s1]

I got a call about this after filling out what I thought was a contest at the Outdoor Show at BC Place. This thing has scam written all over it.

[boyoflondon]

I just fell for this too:|I feel like a total moron. Like everyone else here, I was wowed when I was called today after going to a convention and I thought it was good, because I didn't have any bad feelings about it. Now my plan is to call in tomorrow and make them give my $$ back (yep I paid... ). I'm only 18, so not much real life experiance. I'm glad that I at least didn't tell anyone I know about this, so I can save some face socially still. The thing that caught me as odd during the phone conversation was that first the lady said she couldn't call me back, then she said she could afterwards. Warning bells went off, but I didn't listen. Now I'm kind of glad, because I still have a chance to save myself because of this thread and I've already learned a very important lesson - never give out CC! Thank you! :cheesygri

Sorry to burst your bubble, but chances of them refunding you are very slim to none.

[linktank]

Well yes I was fooled by this one just yesterday...gave me the whole BS on how I won this great trip...blahblahblah.
Needless to say went for gave my CC info...well after trying to access a webpage that needs a user code (redflag) and another that shows a ship that looks scary than the SS Minnow, I decide I better google this. And I get this site (thanks for all the post) (and to you babies that cry about them...don't read them...go play with your fists!)
So I called and cancelled my visa late last night. The companies customer service was not open...phoned first thing this morning and was expecting to be in for a rodeo! Needless to say I never had to raise my voice once. Simply told here I felt I was lied to, not given all the details of the trip and it was not what we signed up for...she went through her little speel on what they have to offer in which I declined. Within 5min I had a cancellation number (oh in which right after she tries to offer me another free trip! LMAO!!!)
After which I called VISA again and gave them all the details and my cancellation number and they said if it was not refunded in 10days (max) the proper steps would be taken to having my funds returned.

[peterrm28]

I got the exact same thing that the original poster had gotten. in my mail box yesterday. I was tempted to give it shot, but thanks to this site, I saved myself some headache.

[KMiller8707]

So yeah, I have the dubious pleasure of joining this group to post about my own stupidity.

I've always thought of myself as quite astute when it comes to recognizing scams, but "David" from Imperial was just so damn convincing.

Fortunately for me, my debt saved me. The only credit card I had on me was maxed out, so they couldn't charge anything to it, but he had me hook, line and sinker. I even told him I'd call back after I could talk to my girlfriend about it and use her card (I'm red-faced in embarrassment over my idiocy right now)

Fortunately, I googled it and came upon this site, so I immediately called my credit card company. They told me that in the last 10 minutes there'd been 7 attempts to charge my card in decreasing amounts.

They cancelled my card and are issuing me a new one with a different number just in case.

I think I've gotten away with this (the daily phone calls will be my constant reminder to stay vigilant against this stuff) My only question is regarding identity theft or things like that.

From reading a lot online, it appears to me that while this is clearly a brutal scam, it seems to at least be a mostly legal company doing it. I'm jsut wondering if anyone has heard anything regarding identity theft after someone fell for this scam.

Your help and reassurance that I'm not the biggest moron on the planet is appreciated.

[KMiller8707]

So to update my above post, I'd told "David" that I'd call him back before 7. Of course after realizing the scam, I didn't. Lo and behold, at 6:55, my phone rings.

I answer:

"Hello"

"Hi, is this Kevin"

"yes"

"Hi Kevin, its David from Imperial Cruises"

"Oh yeah, hi David. Listen, I've been doing some research and I realize now that this is a scam so you can take me off the phone list."

I'm not sure when he hung up, but it was sometime during that previous sentence.

Hopefully that's the last I hear of it, but I'm expecting a lot more phone calls.

[racoon40]

I received a call last week telling me that I was possibly eligible for a free trip to the Bahamas and all I had to do was answer a few questions. The questions were simple, what city do you live in, are you over 21 years of age (you, the 18 year old can probably get out of this on your age by the way), do you have a major credit card, where was the last place you travelled to for a vacation and when.

I answered all of the questions appropriately including my last trip being to the Bahamas on a cruise just last week. Then they asked me how much it cost me to go on that trip and I told them approx. but also explained that it was for 4 people. They then asked for my address and email address and phone number. Since I wasn't too sure about this I gave them my work address and my work email address but my home phone number (my address is not posted in the phone directory). They then gave me a registration number and told me that I would need that to be eligible if I was the lucky winner for a cruise for "4" (how convenient it was for the same amount as my cruise I just went on). They told me I would recieve an e-mail within 24 hours if I was a winner and then a call would follow a day or two after with all the details. They told me I could check it out on their website at www.vacationmoments.com and then they said goodbye. They asked me if I had a major credit card but didn't ask me for my number.

I didn't recieve an email but I did receive a phone call tonight verifying my answers to the questions the other night and then asking me once again if I had a major credit card but still not asking me for a number. I answered all the questions and then she told me that I was the lucky winner and that I fit all the criteria and I just won a trip for 9 days and would my party of 4 be able to take this trip within the next 18 months I told her yes and then she said she would be sending me a kit in the mail to look through but first she needed to speak to my husband and asked if he was home. I told her no and then she wanted to know if he would be home in the next half hour. I told her no he wouldn't be home for another 3 hours. She than told me that in order to finalize this transaction she would have to talk to both of us at the same time so she would have to have someone else call us another time and hopefully we will both be home. I said okay and we said goodbye and hung up.

I was away on the weekend and didn't have time to check out the website she gave me so I did after I received this call. What I found was the Ramada hotels in Florida and the Imperial Majesty Cruise Lines together. I took a look at the ship and thought...hmmm..this ship looks small and o-l-d! So... I decided to look it up on google and I did find it and I also found a website with a virtual tour of the ship including pictures of the staterooms. They were so dark and dingy looking and very o-l-d looking just like the ship itself! The website with this tour is http://www.imperialmajesty.com so check it out yourself.

After looking at this and after just coming off the Disney Cruise Line I couldn't see myself enjoying this cruise...not on that ship anyway! I went back to google and noticed these forums so thought I would check them out and this is what I found.

I am sure I will receive a call tomorrow and my husband will be home so we will both talk to them about it. I will keep on with this charade until they ask me for my credit card number and then I will politely turn down the offer and end all communication with them. This is also the advice I would give to anyone who receives a call telling them they have won a "Free" trip but in order to have it give me your credit card number!!! NEVER EVER GIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER OVER THE PHONE LIKE THIS!!!

[racoon40]

I just fell for this too:|I feel like a total moron. Like everyone else here, I was wowed when I was called today after going to a convention and I thought it was good, because I didn't have any bad feelings about it. Now my plan is to call in tomorrow and make them give my $$ back (yep I paid... ). I'm only 18, so not much real life experiance. I'm glad that I at least didn't tell anyone I know about this, so I can save some face socially still. The thing that caught me as odd during the phone conversation was that first the lady said she couldn't call me back, then she said she could afterwards. Warning bells went off, but I didn't listen. Now I'm kind of glad, because I still have a chance to save myself because of this thread and I've already learned a very important lesson - never give out CC! Thank you! :cheesygri

You might be able to get out of this on your age alone! When they called me they told me I had to be 21 to be eligible!:lol:

[Corban]

So, i just got this call about 30 minutes ago from a Neil Young Thomas who told me he was from Imperial Majesty Cruises and that i had won a cruises to the Bahamas. Apparently i had entered a contest at the Home & Garden Show in Vancouver last weekend.

He told me the trip would be a 8 day and 7 night Cruise to the Bahamas valued up to $2000. It would start out of Orlando Florido, where i would get 4 days and 3 nights at Orlando & get to check out Disney World etc. On the 4th day, i would board the Imperial Majesty ship, where all meals and entertainment was provided and we would have our own private cabin. We would then go to the Nassau (Nassa??) Paradise Islands. We would also spend 2 days and 2 nights in the Ramada Plaza Resort where a rental car would be included with unlimited milleage. I would have 18 months to decide when i would want to book the vacation, and i would just have to call 60 days before i wanted to travel. Oh yeah, and i would get a 2 for 1 voucher on plane flights down to Florida. This all sounded pretty decent (although warning bells were still going off in my head b/c of all the scams you hear about etc.) but he had a complete itinerary plan for me and so i thought perhaps it could be legit.

However he told me that i would have to pay a promotional fee of $299/person and he would need the expiry date of my credit card number and he would wait while i got it. That got me a little concerned. I asked him if he just needed my expiry date or my actual credit card number. He said he'd need my credit card number. I asked him why, if i had 18 months to decide on my vacation, would i have to give him my credit card number now. Why couldn't I just give him my credit card number when i booked the actual flight? He said that in order to send me my vouchers or whatever, valued at over $2000, they would need the $299/person. So i asked him if there was a website or a phone number i could call to find out some more information. He gave me 1-800-203-9783 which he said was a customer service line. I then asked him if i could think about it for a while (with every intention of calling the number, and looking up a bit more about this cruise) since i didn't know how legit it was (and i told him that straight up). He said that they were at the Home and Garden show, and they wouldn't risk their relationship with the credit card companies on such small amounts of money. He told me that there was a info thing that came with the form i had filled out (which i don't remember there being one at all!!) which explained what this was all about. I was still skeptical, especially when he read back the form i had apparently filled out and couldn't even read my e-mail address properly (i don't have that messy of handwriting - especially when filling out entry forms!).

Anyhow, i told him i'd need some time to think about this and if he could give me a few days to think about it. He said no, but he could call back in 20 min. I agreed to that - and went to check this stuff out on the internet. I found a few reviews saying the cruise itself was sketchy, and then a site before this one saying it was a scam. I tried calling the number but it was busy so i didn't get to speak to anyone about this. But seeing the postings of it being a "scam" and the simple fact that he needed my credit card right then and there and wouldn't give me more than 20 minutes to think about it pretty much decided for me - there was no way i would trust something like this w/o some more information. So, true to his word, he called back in 20 min and asked me if i was ready to register. I told him no, i don't want the trip and like everyone else, he asked why not?? I told him 20 min was not enough time to make a decision like this - i needed to look into it more etc. And then he told me how lucky i was to be picked for this trip, which i said, yeah, well, if i was given more time to look into it, maybe i would have taken it but since you only gave me 20 minutes, my decision is no. He was pretty nice about it - no yelling, no unpleasantries - but really, he wanted $599 straight up, right now. If i had truly won, why was i paying??

Anyhow, just thought i'd share that story - i'm curious if everything would have really been paid for like they said, or if there truly would have been hidden costs?? It does sound like a good deal, but i was thinking that i could probably get something on my own, for a similar price since i would still be paying for my flights. Plus, it would be something that i would be able to actually have some background information on. But reading these posts has made me feel better about my decision - thanks guys!!

Has anybody actually carried through and gone on these trips in the past year?? How are/were they?? And were there actually extra payments?

[overjoyed]

On January 21st, I received a call saying that I won a cruise trip for only $299.00/person... I didn't know what I was thinking but I continued on purchasing it so I was charged $800 on my credit card. I was promised to receive my package within 14 business days but have not received any package. So I called customer service letting them know about not receiving their package and they promised that they will be sending out a new package and should be arriving within 14 business days. And this was supposedly shipped out on February 17th, but until now I still haven't received my package. So I decided to call them again today letting them know that I still haven't received anything from them and I told them that this is the second time I'm calling regarding my package. I was so frustrated with the person I was talking to that I asked if I could get a refund for everything I paid for because I no longer want any transactions with Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. So I was transferred to 2 different people and the last person I talked to was the supervisor. And I kept demanding for a refund but she kept saying that I cannot have a my refund because it's past 30 days of which I'm allowed to refund my purchases. And I kept arguing with her that I was told that I would have 30 days to decide to cancel it after I received my package. However, she kept twisting things around that I wasn't told that kind of information. I was so frustrated with her that I just decided to hang up on her....So what do I do??? I REALLY WANT MY MONEY BACK AND I HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO GET IT BACK BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET ME...PLEASE HELP ME! I'M SO DESPERATE!!! :(

[PCDawg]

On January 21st, I received a call saying that I won a cruise trip for only $299.00/person... I didn't know what I was thinking but I continued on purchasing it so I was charged $800 on my credit card. I was promised to receive my package within 14 business days but have not received any package. So I called customer service letting them know about not receiving their package and they promised that they will be sending out a new package and should be arriving within 14 business days. And this was supposedly shipped out on February 17th, but until now I still haven't received my package. So I decided to call them again today letting them know that I still haven't received anything from them and I told them that this is the second time I'm calling regarding my package. I was so frustrated with the person I was talking to that I asked if I could get a refund for everything I paid for because I no longer want any transactions with Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. So I was transferred to 2 different people and the last person I talked to was the supervisor. And I kept demanding for a refund but she kept saying that I cannot have a my refund because it's past 30 days of which I'm allowed to refund my purchases. And I kept arguing with her that I was told that I would have 30 days to decide to cancel it after I received my package. However, she kept twisting things around that I wasn't told that kind of information. I was so frustrated with her that I just decided to hang up on her....So what do I do??? I REALLY WANT MY MONEY BACK AND I HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO GET IT BACK BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET ME...PLEASE HELP ME! I'M SO DESPERATE!!! :(

Simple, call your credit card company for a chargeback.

[i6s1]

On January 21st, I received a call saying that I won a cruise trip for only $299.00/person... I didn't know what I was thinking but I continued on purchasing it so I was charged $800 on my credit card. I was promised to receive my package within 14 business days but have not received any package. So I called customer service letting them know about not receiving their package and they promised that they will be sending out a new package and should be arriving within 14 business days. And this was supposedly shipped out on February 17th, but until now I still haven't received my package. So I decided to call them again today letting them know that I still haven't received anything from them and I told them that this is the second time I'm calling regarding my package. I was so frustrated with the person I was talking to that I asked if I could get a refund for everything I paid for because I no longer want any transactions with Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. So I was transferred to 2 different people and the last person I talked to was the supervisor. And I kept demanding for a refund but she kept saying that I cannot have a my refund because it's past 30 days of which I'm allowed to refund my purchases. And I kept arguing with her that I was told that I would have 30 days to decide to cancel it after I received my package. However, she kept twisting things around that I wasn't told that kind of information. I was so frustrated with her that I just decided to hang up on her....So what do I do??? I REALLY WANT MY MONEY BACK AND I HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO GET IT BACK BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET ME...PLEASE HELP ME! I'M SO DESPERATE!!! :(

Yup, phone your credit card company right away, before you actually get something in the mail. .

[RedHawk]

lol... it's definitely because this thread comes up in google searches.. it's inspired people to join and share their stories...

But yeah, these people from regal empress have been hounding me for weeks by phone and even told me i had 72 hrs to respond before they moved on to someone new... that was Saturday... and after them continuing to call all week, I finally picked up tonight (Friday) and this lady told me I was selected for a free cruise I had signed up for at a trade show (I'm assuming it was the women's show) and that I had "won".

I listened to her whole shpeel and I admit it sounded good when she told me that I'd only have to pay $59 USD per person for port fees. The red flag went up when she asked me for my credit card info... there was no way in hell I'd give that info over the phone (being the suspicious RFDer that I am :lol:) and told her that I'd forgotten my wallet at home and had no debit card or credit card on me. She went on to tell me that was unfortunate because then she could have offered me additional deals and blah, blah blah... then said I could still register later online, which is when I googled it and found this thread.

Thanks RFD! You've saved me again! :D

This is almost exactly what happened to me. I received the exact same mail as the OP and called the number on the "ticket". Then I had to talk to some guy who wouldn't stop babbling for almost 30 minutes straight!!! Meanwhile while he was talking I decided to googled up imperial majesty cruise and result popped and I came upon this thread. As soon as he asked for my credit card or debit the red flag came up. I told him I might have to do this later so he said he will transfer me to another person. As soon as he did that I hanged up. The whole thing was dodgy because he wouldn't stop talking for so long.

Kudos to RFD, you saved my skin.

[Sylvestre]

So, i just got this call about 30 minutes ago from a Neil Young Thomas who told me he was from Imperial Majesty Cruises and that i had won a cruises to the Bahamas. Apparently i had entered a contest at the Home & Garden Show in Vancouver last weekend.

He told me the trip would be a 8 day and 7 night Cruise to the Bahamas valued up to $2000. It would start out of Orlando Florido, where i would get 4 days and 3 nights at Orlando & get to check out Disney World etc. On the 4th day, i would board the Imperial Majesty ship, where all meals and entertainment was provided and we would have our own private cabin. We would then go to the Nassau (Nassa??) Paradise Islands. We would also spend 2 days and 2 nights in the Ramada Plaza Resort where a rental car would be included with unlimited milleage. I would have 18 months to decide when i would want to book the vacation, and i would just have to call 60 days before i wanted to travel. Oh yeah, and i would get a 2 for 1 voucher on plane flights down to Florida. This all sounded pretty decent (although warning bells were still going off in my head b/c of all the scams you hear about etc.) but he had a complete itinerary plan for me and so i thought perhaps it could be legit.

However he told me that i would have to pay a promotional fee of $299/person and he would need the expiry date of my credit card number and he would wait while i got it. That got me a little concerned. I asked him if he just needed my expiry date or my actual credit card number. He said he'd need my credit card number. I asked him why, if i had 18 months to decide on my vacation, would i have to give him my credit card number now. Why couldn't I just give him my credit card number when i booked the actual flight? He said that in order to send me my vouchers or whatever, valued at over $2000, they would need the $299/person. [...]

Same exactl call a few minutes ago from a form at the Bike show. Thanks for the postings all, good to know it's not a real win.

[djstiles]

I went to the Toronto Travel Show last weekend and filled out a ballot for a free vacation. I forgot my cell phone at home today and when I got home 23 missed calls from Imperial Cruises alone! I went out after work and got home around 9 and the phone rang. Offering a trip to the Bahamas and Orlando.
The women on the phone explains that I won, and wants to explain the trip in detail. I didn't say much because in my mind I knew it was a scam, who calls after 9 on a Friday about a free trip and won't leave a message? And who pays 299 for a free trip? She says, and I quote "you don't so very excited for someone who just won a free trip!" to which I responded "I would be excited if I actually won a free trip, rather then having someone waste my time with crappy spam calls. Take my name off your list". After that....
dial-tone. Beautiful dial-tone.

[vsxtrm]

I just got my money back within 2 weeks after I filed a complaint online to the State of Florida Dept of Consumer Services. Check out this great website www.ramadarefunds.com

I too was smooth talked back in Aug 2008 at which $498US was charged to my CC thinking this was a great deal!! And then in early March 2009, I decided to call their reservations line regarding booking the cruise and all, I was told about the extra fees, upgrade fees, the tour with the timesharing, and that the cruise boat was over 50 years old. Something told me to google the vacation and read the feedback before booking it. Man, I felt stupid!! I also read on other forums that people got their money back after months, so I had nothing to lose and filed a complaint like the above website instructs you to do.
After a week, I rec'd a letter from the State of Florida Dept of Consumer Services stating that they have rec'd my complaint and has forwarded this complaint to the cruiseline asking for their response to the allegations which might take 60-90 days and for me to send in copies of my CC charge and sign an affidavit. On the same day I expressposted my reply to Florida, I rec'd a credit of $498US to my CC. So infact, the dept didn't even need my reply back, the cruiseline instantly credited my money.
And the bonus, I made $100CAN because of the difference in the exchange rate from Aug08 to Apr09.
Its not too late to get your money back, just follow the instructions on the above website.

Oh joy!!

[liza1]

On January 21st, I received a call saying that I won a cruise trip for only $299.00/person... I didn't know what I was thinking but I continued on purchasing it so I was charged $800 on my credit card. I was promised to receive my package within 14 business days but have not received any package. So I called customer service letting them know about not receiving their package and they promised that they will be sending out a new package and should be arriving within 14 business days. And this was supposedly shipped out on February 17th, but until now I still haven't received my package. So I decided to call them again today letting them know that I still haven't received anything from them and I told them that this is the second time I'm calling regarding my package. I was so frustrated with the person I was talking to that I asked if I could get a refund for everything I paid for because I no longer want any transactions with Imperial Majesty Cruise Line. So I was transferred to 2 different people and the last person I talked to was the supervisor. And I kept demanding for a refund but she kept saying that I cannot have a my refund because it's past 30 days of which I'm allowed to refund my purchases. And I kept arguing with her that I was told that I would have 30 days to decide to cancel it after I received my package. However, she kept twisting things around that I wasn't told that kind of information. I was so frustrated with her that I just decided to hang up on her....So what do I do??? I REALLY WANT MY MONEY BACK AND I HAVE NO IDEA ON HOW TO GET IT BACK BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET ME...PLEASE HELP ME! I'M SO DESPERATE!!! :(

If you haven't had success yet,Overjoyed, go online to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and fill out the online complaint form. Thur their intervention I got all my money back. You can also call 1-850 488-2221 and speak to someone directly altho' they simply told me to go the online route. Keep fighting it. You can win.

[kitty11]

I received this plan like 1 yr ago, and I called to ask for a refund. They said coz the salesperson responsible for my vacation plan has quitted, so they didnt let me refund, but extended the time.
I'm just wondering, since it's been more than 1 yr, is it still possible that i can get the full refund?!?!?!?

[lovecruising]

Here's the deal. We got this in the mail back in 2001. It was a vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, a cruise to the Bahamas and a 7 day rental car. There was a $1600 cheque included and would cost us only $600. So, we went for it. We asked for and upgrade on the room in Fort Lauderdale to an oceanfront and also asked for an upgrade on the cruise from the Imperial Majesty to the Carnival cruise instead. That cost us an extra $99 each. So we end up going in 2003. We found a cheap airfare on Ebay. Two weeks before our trip my hubby gets laid off from his job so we were tight for money. We did not have much money left on our card but we were told everything was covered so we went anyways. We get to Fort Lauderdale at around 10:30pm and by the time we get to the counter for the rental it is almost midnight. We sign the papers and they wanted our credit card number just in case we take off with the car. Ok, we do that and then we are off to our first hotel which was the Ramada. When we get there we don't get our room on the oceanfront but we get a room across the street from the ocean. Already we were not impressed. The room was not too bad though but we had to give our credit card number for phone service and if we brake anything, and again we did and were told there that we had to pay a fee per night per person. During our stay there we had to go on this presentation for ownership of a timeshare. 90 minutes turned into 4 hours of pushing and shoving but if you did not go you can't get the cruise. So we finally get them to let us go without buying and get our cruise voucher. Then we are off to Orlando. The Ramada hotel there was very nice and again we had to give our credit card for the same reason. This time we opted out of the telephone service. We were getting very short on cash now because everytime the hotels would put a hold on our card for a certain amount and told us it would be 10 days before the hold is removed. We had to call our credit card company and pretty much begg for them to remove the holds but they could not. I had gotten a good deal on ebay for passes to Disneyworld so we spent our 2 days there and ended up going to all 4 parks but we had no money to eat or buy any gifts so we did not eat all day and then when we got to the hotel we bought a bottle of coke and a bag of chips and that was our meal for the day. Finally we get to the cruise ship. At this point we were not impressed with the trip but still managed to have some fun. Once on the Carnival Fantasy we were in awe. It was beautiful and we could not get to our room right away because they were still cleaning but were were allowed to go eat and since we had not eaten much we went for it. The food was amazing. Then we get to our room and to are amazement we open the door and we have a window. We found out because we did not get a oceanfront in Fort Lauderdale they gave us a room with a view. We were extremely happy. Our cruise was great even though we had no money we drank the free juices and coffees and teas on the Lido deck and did not need money. We opted out of the charge for tipping and tipped a little something at the end of the cruise. You also need money for that. When we got off in the Bahamas we decided to find a free beach and spent the day there. It was great. So now the cruise is over we have to head back to Orlando to drop off the car and go to a cheap hotel for the night before boarding on the plane. Well, get this. We found out that because we signed the car rental agreement at 11:56pm and returned it when we were suppose to 7 days later they actually charged us an extra day because we were gone 8 days (4 minutes = 1 day). So, we now had a charge of $153 for the rental and no more money for the taxi to that cheap hotel I got for $28 and no money for the hotel either. So, I called and cancelled the hotel (no charge for that) and we slept all night in the airport terminal. That was the worst part of the whole trip. When we woke up in the morning they were calling us the sleeping couple. So, all this to tell you to make sure you write down a list of questions about extra costs, holds by the hotels and car rental, etc...Make sure you have an extra $800 to $1000 on your credit card otherwise you will not have a good trip. If you come prepared you will have a great trip. But don't assume that when they say everything is included, it is because it is not.

[lovecruising]

I also want to add that we have been on 2 more cruise vacations but planned it ourselves. One was through vacationstogo.com plus we drove and another was a great 2 for 1 I got off ebay for $20. I actually planned my whole third trip through some great deals on ebay. We went on a 7 day cruise (2 for 1), spent 4 days in an upscale hotel in Miami Beach with air and a rental coupon and drove to Key West and spent one of those days there. This was during Christmas. Now planning our 4th cruise. So, my tip to you is to shop around, do alot of research because that deal you get in the mail might end up costing you more than paying regular price.

[dmvictoria]

Ti's a fine vessel lads.

If you want a scary boat ride try taking the ferry from Prince Rupert to Skidegate (Queen Charlotte Islands). Its the loose your lunch trip of a lifetime.

[EGee6]

Hilarious how there are so many gullible people.

[cambridgered]

I too like many of the other people fell for it kinda. My girlfriend did. DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMPANY. They charged us 1500 for a free trip. Please keep in mind my story started nov 27 2007 and I still got a refund. Thought we were screwd but after reading all this I thought what the hell. So I tried and word for word they said everything you guys said they would do. From offering later dates to 100% reimbursement. How to get a refund. ARGUE ARGUE ARGUE threating with the bbb and quote that consumers act people were talking about. I had to listen to 4 people try and get me to keep it before I got someone who was actually descent to talk to and refunded it with only one question trying to get me to keep it. Then he put me on hold two minutes later I got my cancellation number. Refund in 7-10 days. Ill let let guys know how it goes and I can't begin to thank you guys enough. IF YOU HAVE A TRIP WITH THESE GUYS IT'S NOT HARD TO GET OUT OF THE RIPOFF. TRUST ME. IF you are past the 30 days it's still possible to get a refund. I know this because I got one almost 2 years later of 1400bucks.

[FlyingSoLow]

I had a same situation, but this was with Imperial Majesty daughter company Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations which uses the Bahamas Celebration Cruise ship.

In August, went to Cloverdale Blueberry Festival and entered the "contest". Got a call September 8th, I had won a trip etc... Just had to pay $299 per person, I did. Later found out my girlfriend "won" the trip as well, but she didn't pay without asking me if I wanted it first. :razz: Anyways, waited til week later to call back and complain requesting refund. Time pressure, not really winning a trip, etc... Asked me questions, but hadn't really researched costs, wasn't really going to give refund. Researched some more about costs, turns out to be an ok deal if you want the cheapest of everything. Girlfriend and I decide that we don't want it.

Call back 3 weeks after purchase prepared with BBB 30 day refund talk. Girl says their website Terms says 10 days is limit, I take a look and it's not there. I tell her about Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 30 day refund laws and she doesn't believe me and just flat out declines a refund. I submit complaint to Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Sep 29th as well as write letter to Florida Bahamas Cruise Vacations, 2 weeks later on Oct 13th, refund shows up on my CC. Haven't heard anything since.

Thank god for things like BBB.

PS. I consider myself to be smart about getting scammed, but when someone tells me about how I entered a contest at the Cloverdale Blueberry Festival I give them all my trust. After all, the City of Cloverdale trust them. I guess when it comes down to it, they're only after my money and not the city's.

[xiaoli]

I am curious if anyone has actually taken them up on their offer? I have been to 2 time share presentations (only to collect the offer - not to purchase). I knew that there was a sales pitch going in and both presentations were low pressure. The travel offer was exactly as stated as well so I am considering pursuing this offer. I had a friend who went on something similar not to long ago (I think it was affiliated with Ramada as well) and he had a good experience. He also bought.

Please go to this website to read what this lady experience. I also bought this package. I am considering to get a refund.
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Telemarketing/Outbound/Minor/rpr_vacations.htm

Best wishes,
Lucia

[xiaoli]

I just got my money back within 2 weeks after I filed a complaint online to the State of Florida Dept of Consumer Services. Check out this great website www.ramadarefunds.com

I too was smooth talked back in Aug 2008 at which $498US was charged to my CC thinking this was a great deal!! And then in early March 2009, I decided to call their reservations line regarding booking the cruise and all, I was told about the extra fees, upgrade fees, the tour with the timesharing, and that the cruise boat was over 50 years old. Something told me to google the vacation and read the feedback before booking it. Man, I felt stupid!! I also read on other forums that people got their money back after months, so I had nothing to lose and filed a complaint like the above website instructs you to do.
After a week, I rec'd a letter from the State of Florida Dept of Consumer Services stating that they have rec'd my complaint and has forwarded this complaint to the cruiseline asking for their response to the allegations which might take 60-90 days and for me to send in copies of my CC charge and sign an affidavit. On the same day I expressposted my reply to Florida, I rec'd a credit of $498US to my CC. So infact, the dept didn't even need my reply back, the cruiseline instantly credited my money.
And the bonus, I made $100CAN because of the difference in the exchange rate from Aug08 to Apr09.
Its not too late to get your money back, just follow the instructions on the above website.

Oh joy!!

Hi,
I have same situation as you.I plan to file complainment. I am wondering what need to put on the form under "Explain your complaint, describing the events in the order in which they occurred". Do I need to write down the whole story?
Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best regards,
Xiao Li

[foryourinfo]

They get you on a impulse buy then when you go to your vacation , they take one of your vacation days to their advantage and make you spend 5 hours with the "Time Share" company to try and sell you a property telling you its for the free cruise. They tell you the presentation is for 2 hours, but really its the whole day. What a waste for a beautiful day at the beach!