Cruise port scams and schemes: Here is how you can keep away from them

When Harry B. and his spouse boarded Royal Caribbean‘s Freedom of the Seas, they had been trying ahead to a soothing tropical getaway. Shopping for $10,000 of skincare merchandise positively wasn’t a part of the plan, however that is precisely what Harry inexplicably did when the cruise ship made a port cease within the Bahamas.

Harry — whose final identify I am concealing as a result of he’s extremely embarrassed about what occurred and believes he’s a sufferer of a criminal offense — suspects that to persuade him to purchase all that stuff, the service provider will need to have spiked the cocktails that had been served to him with medication.

Nevertheless, as a shopper advocate who has fielded 1000’s of complaints from vacationers with postvacation purchaser’s regret, I believe one thing rather less sinister because the offender.

I name it … trip mind.

Vacationers usually let their guard down throughout trip, doing issues they’d by no means contemplate doing at residence. For instance, they impulsively purchase high-ticket objects with none actual information of the product they’re buying.

Sadly, scammers and schemers know this, and once they see these large cruise ships crusing into port, they’re on the prepared.

So, cruise ship passengers, you had higher be prepared for them, too.

Listed below are the most recent schemes and outright scams that cruise ship passengers want to pay attention to when disembarking their ship throughout a port of name.

A ‘free’ present throughout your cruise port go to

Take a stroll down any purchasing space throughout your port go to, and you’ll seemingly be provided a free bracelet or different little bauble. The lure of a complimentary trinket is commonly how a reputable or not-so-legitimate jewellery outlet will get a cruise ship passenger into the showroom.

When you settle for that free bracelet and go inside, you will be handed off to a salesman who practices his or her gross sales craft 1000’s of occasions per week. These people see cruise ships as a provide ship of potential clients.

You will be greeted with pleasant banter after which bombarded with high-pressure ways geared toward getting you to buy a bit of knickknack to “commemorate” your journey. The salespeople know their time with you is restricted, so the pitch can have a way of urgency and the jewellery you are eyeing will seemingly be “restricted amount.”

Many cruise ship passengers are fully unprepared for the arduous promote and discover it tough to extricate themselves from these shops with out shopping for one thing.

Associated: The most important errors cruise ship passengers make on port days

This specific scheme shouldn’t be a rip-off, essentially. Many respected jewellery shops function in cruise ports across the Caribbean, a area often known as an excellent place to purchase duty-free jewellery.

The issue happens when cruise ship passengers are dazzled within the second by the attractive jewellery and the charming salesperson — and find yourself spending cash that wasn’t of their finances. After the deal is finished and the traveler is again on board the ship, the dazzling mild dims, and purchaser’s regret units in.

How to not get scammed: When you’re not out there to purchase jewellery throughout your cruise, don’t settle for any free bracelets or different trinkets. No service provider desires to provide you one thing without spending a dime. They need to topic you to a high-pressure gross sales routine. Simply preserve strolling and purchase a bracelet for $1 on the native market as a substitute.

In case you are out there to purchase jewellery throughout your cruise, ensure that to analysis the service provider and the kind of gems you are fascinated about beforehand. Moreover, set a finances and stick with it irrespective of how arduous the gross sales pitch turns into.

The low cost tour rip-off

When you’ve disembarked out of your cruise with no actual plans to your day, you are a primary goal for an tour rip-off.

This sort of scheme entails a pleasant particular person sometimes in a brief kiosk or working out of a storefront. She or he will inform you about an thrilling journey hosted by an area particular person. This sort of tour prices a lot lower than those provided by your cruise line, however there’s a totally different value to pay.

On this tour, your driver will take you to locations the place he’ll obtain a fee for bringing you there. Invariably, you will arrive at a personal manufacturing unit for a tour of the power. The aim is to get you to spend your cash shopping for no matter product is being made there. Many cruise ship passengers report making purchases simply so the tour will finish.

If you lastly are taken again to the port, hopefully in time to make your ship’s embarkation, you will be frazzled and quick on money with lots of surprising trinkets.

Associated: Cruise scams: Why it’s best to toss that ‘free cruise’ card within the trash

How to not get scammed: It is at all times a good suggestion to make use of a good tour vendor, akin to Viator, to verify what sort of non-cruise-line-sponsored excursions can be found in your port of name earlier than disembarking. You’ll learn critiques from actual individuals who have already taken the excursions listed there and see the price as properly.

When you determine after you have already left the ship that you simply wish to take an tour, go to the tourism data sales space that may probably be situated someplace near the pier. It would be best to make sure that you simply’re reserving a tour from a reputable, licensed firm.

The one factor you do not need to do is to ebook an tour on the fly from somebody who approaches you on the road. That is nearly at all times an error you’ll remorse later — after you come back out of your manufacturing unit tour.

Are you able to maintain this for only a second?

Many vacationers world wide have been confused by a stranger on the road who wants assist to carry one thing for “only a second.” These scammers — and sure, these are outright scammers — imply to confuse their victims and act as if there’s a reputable motive for victims to carry their shell or different merchandise. As soon as that factor is within the sufferer’s hand, they’re absolutely concerned within the rip-off.

Subsequent, the stranger tells the sufferer how a lot they owe her or him for the merchandise they’re holding. The sufferer’s protestations will solely result in the scammers reiterating that they purchased the merchandise. Some cruise ship passengers have even reported being threatened by the previously pleasant particular person once they did not hand over some money.

How to not get scammed: By no means take any merchandise provided to you by a stranger. Within the Bahamas, the merchandise is commonly an enormous conch shell, however I’ve seen different scammers who provide smaller shells, tree branches and different odd detritus. It would not matter what the merchandise is — it is only a scheme to extract cash from you.

Associated: The most typical journey scams in Europe — and how you can keep away from them

Unofficial, unmetered taxis

One more pitfall for cruise ship passengers to keep away from throughout a port cease is utilizing unmetered taxis.

Usually cruise ship passengers disembarking from their ship need to rapidly depart the crowded port space and discover. Their aim is to see the most effective the vacation spot has to supply. However a number of the automobiles ready have a distinct aim.

Vacationers ought to by no means get in unofficial, unmetered taxis.

I can consider a number of the reason why it’s unsafe to hop into an unvetted automobile with a stranger in your port of name. First, that particular person won’t even be licensed to drive a automobile, a lot much less a taxi. It’s not uncommon for unlicensed drivers to be working within the Caribbean. You are risking your life for those who get into an unofficial taxi.

Past that security challenge, the driving force of an unmetered taxi seemingly has a aim of taking you for a trip — financially. Cruise ship passengers report touring in circuitous routes to make it seem as if they have been pushed lengthy distances, when in actuality they have not gone far in any respect. The fee you will be charged ultimately will replicate your prolonged journey.

In fact, these kinds of shenanigans can even happen with a metered taxi — though a reputable cab driver is probably going much less prepared to threat his or her job over a couple of additional bucks. Nonetheless, it is at all times sensible to have an concept of the place you are going and what it’s best to anticipate to pay to get there and to substantiate all costs earlier than you’re taking off in your drive.

How to not get scammed: To guard your security and your pockets, at all times use an official transportation service. These often have some sort of placard or license on show, relying in your location. When you’re undecided what an official taxi appears like at your vacation spot, you possibly can cease by the tourism sales space and verify earlier than stepping into any automobile.

A free cocktail and a wonderful journey membership

Many confused and distraught shoppers have contacted me after coming residence from a visit with an expensive journey membership membership they do not truly need. That is at all times a disturbing state of affairs as a result of a shopper advocate cannot do a lot if a traveler has signed a legally binding contract out of the country.

This scheme often entails a reputable journey membership firm that sends its scouts right down to the cruise port to gather potential “victims.” The lure on this scheme is a free day cross to a stupendous resort, drinks, meals and enjoyable throughout the passenger’s go to.

Cruise ship passengers are scooped up from the port and transported to a tropical paradise.

There’s, after all, a catch. Whereas sipping quite a few cocktails and affected by that trip mind I discussed earlier, cruisers are required to attend a journey membership presentation. That is the place issues go all unsuitable. Many booze-filled vacationers have discovered themselves signing a journey membership contract on the finish of that presentation.

Associated: Keep away from these errors when reserving cruise shore excursions

Sadly, as soon as they sober up, they do not need the journey membership, however they’ve signed a legally binding contract. They usually’re caught as a result of, not like within the U.S., the place shoppers sometimes have at the least a three-day grace interval to rescind their membership, many journey membership and timeshare contracts overseas have none. As soon as the contract is signed, the deal is finished.

How to not get scammed: Earlier than accepting a free day cross anyplace, just be sure you perceive what your obligation is in change. If you cannot resist a tough promote, do not go. Vacationers who come residence from trip with the burden of a shock undesirable journey membership have flooded my helpline for years.

By no means signal a contract for something after you have had even one cocktail. If a salesman presents you with a contract after you have been served a number of drinks, jolt your self into actuality. When you assume you is perhaps , ask for a duplicate of the small print so you possibly can take that doc with you and do your analysis later. If the corporate refuses and tells you the deal is just good for those who signal it proper, then decline and ask to be taken again to the port.

A free facial and an surprising $10,000 buy

This brings us again to Royal Caribbean passenger Harry, who paid $10,000 for questionable skincare merchandise.

The free facial rip-off is a widely known scheme world wide. “Facialists” will lure you into their services with the promise of a free therapy. When you settle for that provide, you will be alerted that your face has lots of issues. However no worries! They’ll promote you a tremendous product that may be capable to repair all of it.

In Harry’s case, he says a salesman virtually dragged his spouse inside the shop.

My spouse and I fell sufferer to this well-orchestrated rip-off of high-pressure gross sales starting with the handing out of free pores and skin therapy samples in entrance of the shop. I resisted, however they grabbed my spouse by the hand and provided her a 10-minute face therapy. I adopted her in so she would not get suckered into shopping for something. They started making use of the product whereas additionally pouring us what was presupposed to be Champagne. To attempt to escape the gathered group of salespeople hyping the effectiveness of the product, I reluctantly agreed to a $200 buy.

However that was solely the start of this port-of-call fiasco. Now the salespeople knew they’d their victims nibbling on the hook.

Associated: Issues it’s best to by no means purchase on a cruise ship (or in port)

Because the alcohol continued to move, they introduced out extra merchandise, which they advised Harry would trigger his bald head to sprout hair. He advised me he realizes how ridiculous this sounds now, and that is why he suspects it wasn’t simply Champagne in his glass.

“We had been then given arduous alcohol and, I believe, medication. The heavy hitter deal nearer introduced out a light-weight wand gadget that was purported to reinforce the pores and skin therapy. To make an extended story quick, by the point we left, with this particular deal we got, we had a $10,000 cost on two credit score accounts.”

The dazed and confused couple gathered the baggage full of all of the objects and made their manner again aboard Freedom of the Seas.

Harry says they shared their expertise with their grownup kids on the ship however didn’t report their suspected drugging to Royal Caribbean. They did make a proper grievance to the cruise line a number of weeks later.

That delay in reporting this rip-off was a mistake. By then, any proof of misdeeds by this “service provider” was gone, and Harry had taken all of the merchandise residence, despite the fact that he did not need any of the lotions or the magic wand gadget. Predictably, his bald head hadn’t grown any hair and his spouse’s look did not bear a miraculous change. Not one of the merchandise did something they had been presupposed to do.

The $10,000 invoice, although, was very actual.

Since that day, Harry has tried each attainable strategy to get a refund for what he believes to be over-the-counter face cream. He filed a bank card dispute, which Chase rejected primarily based on the truth that he obtained all the pieces that he bought that day. The receipts learn “nonrefundable and all gross sales are ultimate.”

Subsequent, he filed a grievance with the Florida legal professional normal claiming elder abuse by this service provider. In fact, the Bahamas shouldn’t be beneath the jurisdiction of any U.S. legal professional normal, in order that grievance went nowhere.

Lastly, Harry reached out to me within the hopes that I would be capable to persuade Chase to reverse the cost. He additionally instructed that different authorities organizations within the U.S. ought to examine this service provider.

I defined to the pissed off couple that U.S. legislation would not apply within the Bahamas, and the nonrefundable phrases and situations of the skincare merchandise make the sale ultimate. Chase can solely reverse the cost if the merchandise weren’t obtained, and that is not the case right here. Harry walked out of the shop with precisely what he agreed to purchase.

Backside line

Sadly, some “trip mind” errors are irreversible, and Harry’s is one in all them. He hopes others can study from his terrible state of affairs and keep away from making the identical errors he did.

Visiting a wide range of ports throughout your cruise is enjoyable and thrilling, however the quickest strategy to damage your trip is to fall sufferer to a rip-off or to unexpectedly spend 1000’s of {dollars} on belongings you did not intend to purchase. Put together your self for the commonest rip-off ways, and you will seemingly keep away from being fooled by schemers.

Have an issue with a cruise line, airline, bank card, automobile rental firm or trip rental company? Ship your request for assist to ombudsman@thepointsguy.com, and I will be glad to research and make it easier to if I can.

Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales: