Postcard Offering a Complimentary Cruise -- an obvious scam

[sailandcruise]

I'm sure this is a complete fraud but wanted to let everyone know that I received a postcard today offering a "Complimentary 8 Day/7-Night Cruise for 2 with an outside cabin, leaving from any major port in the U.S., including Baltimore, MD!" (Baltimore, MD was in a different font than the rest of the text, to make it appear as if it was added specifically for me. And the inconsistent hyphenation is as I typed it above.) The postcard claims that this is "In celebration of our Anniversary in your area." And it goes on to state that if I "Call within 48 hours, will also receive as a bonus 2 Round Trip Airfares Leaving from or Going to Any Major Airport in the Continental U.S.!!" (Every airline flight I've ever taken both leaves from AND goes to an airport, not just one or the other of these two. ;) ) The postcard has Carnival's Logo and name at the top, as well as the US Airways logo, except it adds the words "FLY A" above the logo and calls it "US AIRLINES" instead of US Airways. On the left of this text it lists three ports of call: Baltimore; Freeport, Bahamas; and St. Thomas. The front of the postcard depicts a generic Carnival ship (i.e., no name painted on the bow where it normally would appear).

 

Obvious warning signs -- in addition to the fact that no one would give away free cruises for no reason and with no catch -- are: (1) lack of any identification of who is making this offer, (2) the unusual labeling of the cruise as 8 Day/7-Night, (3) the grammatical errors, (4) the altered US Airways logo and similar but changed name, (5) the lack of a name on the ship picture, (6) the fact that there are no Carnival itineraries from Baltimore that call at both Freeport and St. Thomas, and (7) the curious wording of the airline bonus.

 

To say nothing of the fine print: "Certain restrictions apply. Call for details of participation. This promotion is not sponsored by or affiliated with Carnival Cruise Lines, but they are a major supplier. Deposits, reservation fees, processing fees, port charges and taxes are the responsibility of the recipient." :eek: I bet that all these add up to more than the cost of the cruise from a legitimate seller.

 

Has anyone else gotten a similar postcard?

 

Obviously, calling the number and falling for this scam would be a very bad idea.

[Essiesmom]

There are a couple of posts a week about these. EM

[woodey]

Yes i see posts started weekly about them.....there have been people who have sailed on these specials....

[golfadj]

One that I am aware of and she had to jump thru a bunch of hoops to get her cruise. My shredder loves these cards.

[MichCook]

If it sounds too good to be true....it's most likely a scam with a LOT of hidden fees.

 

You never get something for nothing.

 

Good idea to just toss it ...... Junk mail.

[H82seaUgo]

I'm sure this is a complete fraud but wanted to let everyone know that I received a postcard today offering a "Complimentary 8 Day/7-Night Cruise for 2 with an outside cabin, leaving from any major port in the U.S., including Baltimore, MD!" (Baltimore, MD was in a different font than the rest of the text, to make it appear as if it was added specifically for me. And the inconsistent hyphenation is as I typed it above.) The postcard claims that this is "In celebration of our Anniversary in your area." And it goes on to state that if I "Call within 48 hours, will also receive as a bonus 2 Round Trip Airfares Leaving from or Going to Any Major Airport in the Continental U.S.!!" (Every airline flight I've ever taken both leaves from AND goes to an airport, not just one or the other of these two. ;) ) The postcard has Carnival's Logo and name at the top, as well as the US Airways logo, except it adds the words "FLY A" above the logo and calls it "US AIRLINES" instead of US Airways. On the left of this text it lists three ports of call: Baltimore; Freeport, Bahamas; and St. Thomas. The front of the postcard depicts a generic Carnival ship (i.e., no name painted on the bow where it normally would appear).

 

Obvious warning signs -- in addition to the fact that no one would give away free cruises for no reason and with no catch -- are: (1) lack of any identification of who is making this offer, (2) the unusual labeling of the cruise as 8 Day/7-Night, (3) the grammatical errors, (4) the altered US Airways logo and similar but changed name, (5) the lack of a name on the ship picture, (6) the fact that there are no Carnival itineraries from Baltimore that call at both Freeport and St. Thomas, and (7) the curious wording of the airline bonus.

 

To say nothing of the fine print: "Certain restrictions apply. Call for details of participation. This promotion is not sponsored by or affiliated with Carnival Cruise Lines, but they are a major supplier. Deposits, reservation fees, processing fees, port charges and taxes are the responsibility of the recipient." :eek: I bet that all these add up to more than the cost of the cruise from a legitimate seller.

 

Has anyone else gotten a similar postcard?

 

Obviously, calling the number and falling for this scam would be a very bad idea.

 

yes, as posted 149 times before, as soon as you read the fine print, it states they have nothing to do with carnival.

 

beware the frozen food aisle. the stuff inside never looks like the box cover.

[luckycruzer]

wipe my other shoe with the newest one

[fkfad]

Actually, it is not really a scam. Yes, you need to pay for the cruise...it is not free... And, the fees and charges add up, however, the price of the cruise comes out to about 33% less than what you would pay if you bought the cruise on-line. My DH and I decided to take the bait, knowing that we would definitely not be interested in buying anything they had to sell! It was not a timeshare presentation, it was a vacation club presentation where we were pressured into purchasing a membership...they provide travel reservation services (supposedly at deep discounts). We decided that we would give them 90 minutes, get our certificates, then make a quick exit...which is exactly what we did. We are VERY flexible when it comes to travel, therefore, we could follow their terms and conditions without exception. We received the quote for a cruise and it was, in fact, cheaper than if I were to buy it after doing some significant shopping around (33% cheaper)! We also received 2 plane tickets to and from a major US airport. They were also significantly discounted when compared to me purchasing these tickets on-line. My DH and I love to travel, and we travel a lot! We were willing to take this risk just to see how it panned out... I have to say that I was truly (and pleasantly) surprised. These offers were not free, but they did turn out to be good deals!

 

Note that flexibility is the key here... They won't provide you with a quote until you are only 60 days out from sailing. Therefore, you cannot plan too far in advance as far as travel to the port, etc.

[firefly333]

Note that flexibility is the key here... They won't provide you with a quote until you are only 60 days out from sailing. Therefore, you cannot plan too far in advance as far as travel to the port, etc.

 

I can tell you from my experience it wasnt nearly as easy as this poster is making out to book. Took me a whole year to even talk to a TA, wound up going to BBB to get a cruise. True it was cheaper. They put me in the cabin next to the engines on the bottom deck, usually a storage cabin... or else I had to pay full price for the upgrade.

 

I didnt even know Carnival had cabins that bad. Better ways to book cheaper. Cant say here, but the cruises Im booking ARE cheaper than booking this way. .. and true a few hoops but nothing like as bad as this deal is. Dont do it.

[zqvol]

I'm sure this is a complete fraud but wanted to let everyone know that I received a postcard today offering a "Complimentary 8 Day/7-Night Cruise for 2 with an outside cabin, leaving from any major port in the U.S., including Baltimore, MD!" (Baltimore, MD was in a different font than the rest of the text, to make it appear as if it was added specifically for me. And the inconsistent hyphenation is as I typed it above.) The postcard claims that this is "In celebration of our Anniversary in your area." And it goes on to state that if I "Call within 48 hours, will also receive as a bonus 2 Round Trip Airfares Leaving from or Going to Any Major Airport in the Continental U.S.!!" (Every airline flight I've ever taken both leaves from AND goes to an airport, not just one or the other of these two. ;) ) The postcard has Carnival's Logo and name at the top, as well as the US Airways logo, except it adds the words "FLY A" above the logo and calls it "US AIRLINES" instead of US Airways. On the left of this text it lists three ports of call: Baltimore; Freeport, Bahamas; and St. Thomas. The front of the postcard depicts a generic Carnival ship (i.e., no name painted on the bow where it normally would appear).

 

Obvious warning signs -- in addition to the fact that no one would give away free cruises for no reason and with no catch -- are: (1) lack of any identification of who is making this offer, (2) the unusual labeling of the cruise as 8 Day/7-Night, (3) the grammatical errors, (4) the altered US Airways logo and similar but changed name, (5) the lack of a name on the ship picture, (6) the fact that there are no Carnival itineraries from Baltimore that call at both Freeport and St. Thomas, and (7) the curious wording of the airline bonus.

 

To say nothing of the fine print: "Certain restrictions apply. Call for details of participation. This promotion is not sponsored by or affiliated with Carnival Cruise Lines, but they are a major supplier. Deposits, reservation fees, processing fees, port charges and taxes are the responsibility of the recipient." :eek: I bet that all these add up to more than the cost of the cruise from a legitimate seller.

 

Has anyone else gotten a similar postcard?

 

Obviously, calling the number and falling for this scam would be a very bad idea.

 

We have received it and it is NOT a scam. It is a marketing technique that has conditions and costs behind it, but it is NOT a scam.

[firefly333]

Things that make it almost a scam in my eyes.

 

My postcard promised me a cruise out of Galveston. The TA company says by sending in money any promises on the post card are null and void... never got a cruise out of Galveston which turns out to be a premium port.. they then did a bait and switch to Miami. Finally gave me that cruise out of New Orleans, which for me is a more expensive hotel, more gas, etc... but I did get it..but I also opened a dispute thru BBB to get it.

 

Its as close to a scam as it can be, right on the line.

[kelkel2]

It's not a scam, but it's also something you probably won't want to waste your time with!

[Crusin6]

so I guess I shouldn't call the number on my postcard and give them my CC number and social security number?

 

How about my mother's maiden name and my checking account number? It might make things easier if I do give them my debit card though...then they can just take the fees straight from my account.:D

[Frequent Floater]

Actually, it is not really a scam. Yes, you need to pay for the cruise...it is not free... And, the fees and charges add up, however, the price of the cruise comes out to about 33% less than what you would pay if you bought the cruise on-line. My DH and I decided to take the bait, knowing that we would definitely not be interested in buying anything they had to sell! It was not a timeshare presentation, it was a vacation club presentation where we were pressured into purchasing a membership...they provide travel reservation services (supposedly at deep discounts). We decided that we would give them 90 minutes, get our certificates, then make a quick exit...which is exactly what we did. We are VERY flexible when it comes to travel, therefore, we could follow their terms and conditions without exception. We received the quote for a cruise and it was, in fact, cheaper than if I were to buy it after doing some significant shopping around (33% cheaper)! We also received 2 plane tickets to and from a major US airport. They were also significantly discounted when compared to me purchasing these tickets on-line. My DH and I love to travel, and we travel a lot! We were willing to take this risk just to see how it panned out... I have to say that I was truly (and pleasantly) surprised. These offers were not free, but they did turn out to be good deals!

 

Note that flexibility is the key here... They won't provide you with a quote until you are only 60 days out from sailing. Therefore, you cannot plan too far in advance as far as travel to the port, etc.

 

Would you please email me as I would llke to discuss more particulars on this issue with you.

r donte @ cox. net

[Crazy4Koko]

please see this: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1451593

 

it includes a link to a two day old new article with a photo of the post card the 'victim' received.....