VACATION FIASCOS - Consumer Rescue

Royal Caribbean passenger says his $16,000 jewelry purchase was a mistake, Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean ship on the sea

I paid $16,000 for a diamond necklace on my Caribbean cruise. Here is its actual value

November 29, 2025November 28, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Alton Locklear returned home from his latest Royal Caribbean cruise with a $16,000 diamond necklace he purchased on the ship. But all was not as it seemed. He says salespeople inside the Effy jewelry shop aboard Utopia of the Seas wildly overinflated the value of that necklace.

When Locklear took his sparkly souvenir to a local jewelry appraiser, he received shocking news. Not only was the total carat weight way off, but the diamonds adorning the necklace were lab-grown. Those details significantly diminished its value.

Now Locklear is hoping that Consumer Rescue can help. He wants to return the jewelry and retrieve his $16,000.

Car rental mistakes to avoid in 2026, expert advises travelers, Michelle Couch-Friedman advises travelers

8 expensive car rental mistakes and scams that can wreck your wallet

November 21, 2025November 20, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Expensive car rental mistakes are easily avoidable with just a little research and preparation. Yet week after week, the Consumer Rescue case files show that many car rental customers do neither. By the time I hear from these blindsided travelers, that oversight has led to hefty fees and other unexpected repercussions.

Here are the most common mistakes car rental customers make and what you can do to avoid them in 2026.

Le Louvre, Tourist scams warning from Michelle Couch-Friedman (ombudsman columnist)

5 terrible tourist scams that could ruin your vacation in 2026

December 1, 2025November 13, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Could an ombudsman columnist who routinely writes about tourist scams become the target of one herself? The answer is, of course, “Yes.” No traveler is immune to the possibility of a brush with a bad actor — not even me.

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket turned into a $4,500 scam, Southwest Airlines aircraft on the runway

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket cost a scam victim $4,500

November 6, 2025November 4, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

How did a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket end up costing an American Airlines customer in distress $4,500? If you guessed a fake airline call center scam is behind this astounding upsell, you would be right.

Ace Rent a Car scam at the Tampa airport, car rental scams, rental car repair scams

Ace Rent a Car charged a customer $1,400 for damage it already knew about

November 13, 2025October 28, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Ace Rent a Car at the Tampa airport blindsided Carla Lemker with a $1,400 repair bill after her last rental. Sure that she didn’t cause any damage to the vehicle, Lemker asked the company for proof. That’s when things got really weird.

Norwegian Spirit cruise ship, Passenger denied boarding cruise, NCL changes its decision later

Norwegian Cruise Line refused to let me board the ship. Is this legal?

October 21, 2025October 20, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Norwegian Cruise Line recently denied boarding to a bewildered passenger in Tokyo — she says, solely because of her nationality. But the next day, NCL reversed course and told the woman she was welcome to join the cruise.

Unfortunately, by then, Norwegian Spirit had sailed and was nearly 500 miles away in Kobe.

SWISS aircraft taking flight, Swiss Air Lines aborted flight, engine troubles, lost upgraded seat

After a Swiss Air mid-flight emergency, we lost our $1,500 upgrade. Help!

October 18, 2025October 14, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Mid-flight engine troubles on Swiss Air led to a couple’s struggle for a $1,500 premium economy upgrade refund. Can Consumer Rescue help?

Aurora Expeditions celebrates Vantage Explorations' 2nd birthday, The Sylvia Earle is one of Aurora's luxury ships, approaching the expedition ship in a kayak

Vantage Explorations turns 2, and Aurora Expeditions has big news!

October 8, 2025October 4, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Aurora Expeditions’ subsidiary Vantage Explorations just turned two years old. To celebrate this milestone, the cruise line has big news and a $2,500 booking bonus for cruisers.

Here’s what’s next for Vantage Explorations and Aurora Expeditions.

Travel scams often target cruise passengers, cruisers fall for scams, tourist traps

8 travel scams cruise ship passengers need to watch out for now

November 14, 2025September 30, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cruise ship passengers frequently contact Consumer Rescue after falling victim to scams during their travels. Unfortunately, by then it’s usually too late to do anything – except to tell their stories so others can avoid the same fate.

Here are the eight most common travel scams you should know before your next cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers miss their cruise, bad weather led to a missed cruise, NCL refund rejection

We missed our Norwegian cruise ship. How do we get our $4,500 refund?

September 30, 2025September 25, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers Shirley Russom and her friend Robert intended to sail to Alaska last May. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans for them. En route to the cruise, severe storms rolled into Denver, Colorado, during what was supposed to be a two-hour layover.

That layover morphed into an unexpected two-day detour, and the friends never made it to Seattle, where Norwegian Encore waited. The ship sailed to Alaska, and the devastated friends flew back home to South Carolina.

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