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An independent cruise excursion operator has resurfaced after a two-year hiatus. Sandra O’Leary, of the now-shuttered Sandra’s Cruise Tours, still owes former customers thousands of dollars. Not surprisingly, those people are especially infuriated by her sudden appearance on Airbnb Experiences and Viator, where she’s selling guided day tours in Newfoundland.
So, has O’Leary turned over a new leaf? Will she finally repay the money she owes? Or is this just her next chapter?
Here’s my original report.
Where the O’Leary fiasco began
If you are not familiar with this fiasco, let me quickly get you up to speed. Back in 2023, O’Leary advertised her services in various Facebook groups as a non-credentialed cruise tour operator. She specifically marketed herself to Carnival Cruise Line passengers.
In the incident that led to her business’s closure, O’Leary sold approximately 800 shore excursions for Carnival Legend passengers headed to Greenland. The day trip included a boat trip to see icebergs, among other things, and cost about $110 per person.
It was sold as a fully refundable excursion if the cruise did not make it to Greenland. Many of O’Leary’s customers asked her to confirm that detail.
They also took screenshots.
Unfortunately, for all the passengers aboard Carnival Legend and O’Leary, a storm made it impossible for the cruise to reach Greenland.
Suddenly, O’Leary, who was also on the ship, faced hundreds of her customers asking questions. She assured them in writing that their refund would be on its way within a few days.
Then, when Carnival Legend docked at its first Canadian port, O’Leary jumped ship and never returned. Instead, she rushed to her website and updated the terms and conditions for her tours.
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Sandra’s Cruise Tours now noted that the iceberg tour was nonrefundable.
No refunds for a refundable iceberg tour
Back in 2024, I was hit with a ton of complaints about O’Leary. Her customers had clear paper trails showing that she sold refundable tickets to see icebergs. But when the cruise ship did not make it to Greenland, she changed the terms. She also boldly fought credit disputes and shared her newly updated site with the banks, falsely claiming the tickets were always nonrefundable.
I worked with many of her customers to provide accurate documentation to Barclays and Citi, among others, to appeal and resolve credit card disputes in the customers’ favor.
See: This cruise passenger made a big mistake booking an excursion. Can we help?
I personally spoke to O’Leary and encouraged her to provide the refunds she owed her customers, but she did not, or could not. She told me her customers should file travel insurance claims — “That’s what it is for.”
When I pointed out that travel insurance is not meant to cover a travel provider who sells refundable tickets and then changes the terms later, she offered another solution.
“They can accept a 50 percent refund now,” O’Leary said. “Later, I can refund more. My hands are tied.”
It wasn’t clear to me how her hands were tied, but she asked me to proctor an agreement with her former customers. If they stopped “harassing” her publicly, she would work on the refunds.
The people whom she owed thousands to had no intention of remaining quiet. But then O’Leary did.
Related: 8 cruise scams to watch out for this year (from my case files)
O’Leary still owes thousands; why is she selling tours on Airbnb?
Soon, O’Leary’s website, Sandra’s Cruise Tours, displayed a message saying it would not operate for the rest of the season.
Everything was canceled.
That closure was a small consolation to the people she still owed thousands of dollars. But they banded together and started an O’Leary watchdog Facebook group. Their goal was to make sure O’Leary would not resurface and take advantage of other unsuspecting travelers.
And she didn’t — until this summer. That’s when I started hearing from some of her former customers. Jill Reiter, one of O’Leary’s most vocal critics, emailed me, “She’s back!”
The Sandra’s Cruise Tours site had come alive, advertising something called Coastal Journeys NL. This company offered iceberg trips and walking tours in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Coincidentally, that’s where O’Leary was born and raised.
For approximately $132 per person, cruise ship passengers docking in the area would be treated to a six-hour immersive experience on foot. The description boasted that a local would personally escort them around the area.
Reiter did more digging and found that this new venture was also advertised on Airbnb Experiences and Viator. She hoped I could ask O’Leary whether this meant she was ready to refund everyone she still owed money to from her last failed business.
Spoiler alert: The answer appears to be “No.”
Asking O’Leary if she intends to repay her former customers now
During my initial efforts to get her customers their money back, I had several lengthy phone calls with O’Leary and exchanged many emails. So when I saw this new iteration of her business, I emailed her to see what it meant for her former customers.
True to form, instead of a conversation about how to fix this problem, I received a bizarre response. A person calling themselves Terry told me that she knew nothing of O’Leary’s past problems, but touted her tour guide skills. Additionally, Terry told me she owned this new company — even though the business’s website sat on the domain of Sandra’s Cruise Tours.
“I operate Coastal Journey,” Terry told me. “I have known all my guides for at least 40 years. Sandra is not only a guide but also a web developer. I appreciate your understanding that this is none of my business. I know no details of the matter you are referencing so it is pointless to contact me on this again.”
That was certainly a strange response from a legitimate new business owner to a consumer reporter. And despite her appreciation of my understanding, I did not.
Terry/Sandra,
You put this new company on Sandra O’Leary’s website. Am I understanding correctly that you believe it is none of your business who you’ve hired as the ‘64-year-old resident’ to lead tours and represent your company?
Just so you know, none of the hundreds of people she still owes money to will stop pursuing her for their refunds. She should repay them before she attempts to begin a new business or help you with yours.
Sincerely, Michelle Couch-Friedman, consumer reporter
That is the last I heard from “Terry.” And despite her claims of owning Newfoundland Coastal Journey, O’Leary’s face is the one that appeared on the new Airbnb Experience listing.
Asking Airbnb about this Experiences host
I reached out to Airbnb’s executive team to discuss O’Leary’s recently added business as a local tour guide in St. John’s. I expressed my concern that she was selling new cruise excursions when she still owed former customers for canceled trips.
My executive contact at Airbnb assured me that O’Leary cannot change her refund terms post-booking. If she tries, their system will have a record of the change.
He also told me that, so far, she has received several positive reviews and no negative responses. Their team will closely monitor the situation, but the condition that allowed her to do what she did previously does not exist on Airbnb.
Every Airbnb Experience is vetted and, once approved, Experience hosts are required to follow our ground rules, standards and requirements, Terms of Service, the Additional Terms for Service and Experience Hosts, and our Community Policies.
The host has received a 5-star review from every guest who has taken her Airbnb Experience, and we have not received any negative reports.
To help our community have peace of mind and support positive experiences, most Airbnb Experiences have a one-day cancellation policy, which allows guests to cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience start time. If a host cancels a reservation, their guest automatically receives a refund, unless the cancellation is due to a disruption by the guest.
If a guest has an issue with a host or experience, we encourage them to contact our 24/7 Community Support team for assistance. If we receive a report with concerns about a host who may not meet our standards, we investigate and take the appropriate action, per our policies. We also regularly evaluate ratings, reviews, and other quality signals to help confirm that hosts follow our host ground rules for services and experiences.
Airbnb Spokesperson
How to screen your cruise excursion operator before booking
Booking cruise excursions and day trips through a third party can be tricky business. Although you may save a few dollars, you might lose in the end if you pick the wrong operator.
Here is how you can screen your cruise tour operator before you seal the deal.
Beware who you find in Facebook groups
According to recent data, Facebook has over three billion monthly users. That’s a lot of people, and unfortunately, a significant number of those should not be trusted. My case files prove this over and over. Fake travel agents, phony airline representatives, scammy merchants, and yes, disreputable cruise excursion providers operate on the platform.
Related: This traveler found the worst travel agent ever in a Facebook group
Remember, no one is vetting your fellow Facebook group members. And trusting an anonymous person with your vacation dollars could be a gamble that you lose.
Book your cruise excursion through an aggregator site
If you choose not to book your excursions through your cruise line, third-party aggregators are a great alternative. Platforms like Airbnb Experiences, Viator, and Shore Excursions Group have built-in protections and guarantees. While providers may not be fully screened, you will have another layer of protection if something goes wrong.
Read and understand the terms and conditions of your tour
Before plunking down your cash for any day trip or adventure, make sure you read through the terms and conditions. The three crucial questions you want answered are:
- If the cruise ship is not able to stop at the port, is the excursion refundable?
- What if you need to cancel?
- What if there is a delay returning to the ship and you miss it?
If you don’t understand any part of the large or fine print, ask for clarification. For your own protection, take screenshots of the way the tour was described on the day you booked it, including the cancellation terms.
Always use a credit card
Regardless of how you book your cruise excursion, always protect yourself by using a credit card to pay. If a tour operator asks you to use an unconventional payment method like Zelle, take it as a red flag. Not only is Zelle not an approved payment method in many countries, but it also provides the consumer with absolutely no purchase protection. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) provides purchase protection to credit card users. Do not give up that protection by paying with an instant money transfer or debit card. If something goes wrong, you’ll have no recourse.
Buy travel insurance that covers cruise itinerary changes
Another way to protect yourself from the financial impact of unexpected cruise itinerary changes is by purchasing travel insurance. However, it is important to understand that many, if not most, policies do not cover missed ports of call. You will need to buy a specialized comprehensive policy that specifically provides coverage for cruise passengers.
Allianz is a leading travel insurance company that provides cruise-focused policies. You can also use Insure my Trip to compare various policies. Don’t forget to use the look-over period (typically 14 to 15 days after purchase) to make certain the policy provides the protection you want. During that time, you can return it and get a refund if it doesn’t. After that, it is nonrefundable.
One final note: It is considered insurance fraud to report that an excursion was nonrefundable when it was not. If a tour operator encourages you to falsely file a travel insurance claim so they don’t have to refund you, don’t do it. Should that person ever be charged with insurance fraud, you do not want to be part of that investigation.
Related: New York travel agent arrested and charged with stealing $35k from cruise passengers
The bottom line
I do not know if O’Leary is a competent tour guide. But a good business is not measured only by how things go when everything proceeds as planned. It’s also about how management responds when unexpected problems occur. O’Leary’s handling of this fiasco speaks for itself.
For the sake of her future customers, the safest place for this tour operator to do business is on third-party platforms that provide protections for both travelers and hosts. As Airbnb explained to me, O’Leary cannot simply change her refund terms after a customer books and then use those new terms to fight a refund.
Having her behind guardrails may be the best her former customers can hope for, since O’Leary did not respond to my question about whether she intends to repay them.
For the record, despite her recent 5-star reviews, her former customers still waiting for refunds have their own assessment of Sandra O’Leary.
No surprise here: zero stars. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Chief Fiasco Fixer and founder of Consumer Rescue)
