Cruise Fiascos

Cruise Fiascos: Dramatic Tales and Essential Tips

Dive into the dramatic world of cruise mishaps with our “Cruise Fiascos” category. These articles from the Consumer Rescue case files recount real-life stories of unexpected and often chaotic events that have befallen cruise ship passengers. From being banned from future cruises to dealing with onboard disputes, these cautionary tales are both entertaining and educational. Alongside each story, you’ll find practical tips and guidance to help you avoid similar situations, ensuring your next cruise is smooth sailing. Learn from cruise ship passengers’ experiences and make your cruise adventures trouble-free.

If you have a problem with a cruise line that you can’t resolve, contact the Consumer Rescue advocacy team. We’ll investigate and help you, too! Our assistance is always fast, friendly, and, best of all, free of charge!

If you hate your cruise excursion, can you get a refund? This cruiser found our the jolting answer.

Hate your cruise excursion? A credit card dispute will only make things worse

March 1, 2025March 1, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If you hate your next shore excursion and the cruise line refuses your refund request, don’t expect a credit card dispute to save the day. It won’t. Joseph Campo can tell you.

After a salmon-fishing excursion in Alaska went all wrong, Campo asked Princess Cruises for his money back. When that didn’t happen, he filed a chargeback with his credit card company — and won. So he assumed that settled the matter.

It didn’t. Not even close.

Princess Cruises can't let these customers board the ship

My Princess cruise sailed without us because of a tiny passport mistake

February 23, 2025February 22, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Don’t make the passport mistake these Princess cruise ship passengers made. You’re in the danger zone if your passport has less than six months left before it expires.

Cruise passenger on this ship says she was tricked into buying a lab grown diamond, Royal Caribbean passenger news, Rhapsody of the Seas on the ocean

Was this cruise ship passenger tricked into buying a lab grown diamond?

January 31, 2025January 29, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

On the last night of her recent Royal Caribbean cruise, Amy G. bought a beautiful diamond ring on the ship. She was quite pleased with her purchase – especially because she snagged it during a flash 50-percent-off sale. But the pleasant feeling only lasted until she got home and had a good look at the Certificate of Authenticity.

Cruise ship passengers beware, Carnival freedom

These cruise ship passengers say they lost $30,000 to scammers in Nassau

February 2, 2025December 31, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

A Carnival cruise ship passenger says a beauty shop in Nassau somehow extracted $30,000 from her and her husband during a port stop. They’re the latest victims of the free facial scam to contact me in recent months. But the story she has to tell is much more sinister than the others. She says these bad guys drugged her and then filmed her thanking them and praising their products.

Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival's Jubilee, Denied Boarding Carnival cruise

Carnival Cruise Line refused to let me board the ship! Where’s our refund?

January 18, 2025November 17, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Getting denied boarding your cruise is probably one of the worst ways to celebrate your birthday. Just ask this Carnival Cruise Line passenger.

Why did the bank reverse this credit card dispute?

Help! My credit card company reversed my $16,544 dispute a year later

December 2, 2024November 3, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Your bank can’t reverse a successful credit card dispute nearly a year after confirming a positive resolution. So why did Nusenda backtrack and surprise this customer with a $16,544 recharge long after his dispute was finalized?

That’s what the Consumer Rescue team aimed to find out after this unusual request for help hit our inbox.

Norwegian Cruise Line will ban passengers for aggressive complaints about itinerary changes, NCL Bliss, Cruise ship on the sea

Did Norwegian Cruise Line really ban this guy over his itinerary changes complaint?

November 17, 2024October 6, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Would Norwegian Cruise Line ban a passenger just for complaining about itinerary changes? The answer likely depends on how the passenger delivers their grievance.

One former NCL customer recently discovered that his complaint about a port cancellation on an upcoming cruise wasn’t well received. And that’s an understatement.

Royal Caribbean canceled these cruise ship passengers trip. What went wrong?

Royal Caribbean canceled our cruise at the pier. Why did this happen?

November 17, 2024September 30, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cruise passengers beware: Royal Caribbean will cancel your cruise if you have any unpaid balance after your contract’s due date. That’s true even if the balance you owe is small. One unaware couple learned this costly lesson at the pier when the cruise line blocked their attempt to board Navigator of the Seas.

Not only did the stunned couple miss their much-anticipated cruise to Mexico, but Royal Caribbean kept their $842 deposit, too.

A cruise ship anchored while passengers take a shore excursion, cruise passenger excursion booking mistake

This cruise ship passenger made a big mistake booking an excursion. Can we help?

March 1, 2025September 17, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cruise ship passengers beware: It matters how you reserve and pay for your shore excursions. A group of disgruntled cruisers recently learned this expensive lesson after making the mistake of booking an iceberg tour through a fellow passenger.

Here’s a warning about booking third-party cruise excursions and tours.

Banned from cruising, Cruise line will ban passengers, Cruise ship passengers getting banned.

These cruise ship passengers got banned forever. Could it happen to you?

November 27, 2024August 31, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Many cruise ship passengers aren’t even aware that getting banned forever from their favorite line is possible. I’m here to tell you that cruise lines are more willing than ever to blacklist troublesome customers — permanently.

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