VACATION FIASCOS - Page 8 of 19

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

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

August 7, 2025September 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 passport mistake caused this solo traveler's vacation to end abruptly in a Mexican jail, A solo female traveler ended up in a detention center in Mexico City.

How did my vacation dreams end with me in a Mexican jail nightmare?

April 26, 2026September 23, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If you arrive in a foreign country without a valid passport in your hand, you’re going back home. That’s guaranteed. But sometimes, that’s not all that happens, unfortunately. Here’s how a simple passport mistake landed one female solo traveler with vacation dreams in a Mexican jail nightmare.

Here’s her story.

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.

Don't ignore instructions from flight crew, airline flight crew have full authority, follow flight crew instructions.

United Airlines banned this passenger for bad behavior. So why did he ask for compensation?

April 18, 2026September 14, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

What happens when an unruly airline passenger refuses to follow the instructions of the cabin crew? This unaware and belligerent United Airlines customer and his family found out on their last flight with the carrier.

And I do mean last.

Vacation rental problems, How to fight fake smoking charges

Falsely accused of smoking in your vacation rental? Here’s what to do

February 15, 2026September 9, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If you don’t smoke, I’m pretty sure you don’t pack cigarettes, marijuana, or a crack pipe when you go on vacation. Life-long nonsmoker Jason Gladden certainly didn’t bring any of that when he recently took his family to a baseball tournament. However, that didn’t stop his vacation rental host from charging the stunned dad a $250 smoking fee.

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

Aurora Expeditions and Vantage Explorations bonus for customers.

Aurora’s Vantage Explorations turns one year old. Here’s what to expect next

September 1, 2025September 5, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Today Aurora Expeditions’ Vantage Explorations turns one year old. In honor of this milestone, the cruise line is announcing new routes, a new ship, and a $3,000 booking bonus.

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

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?

April 22, 2026August 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.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' (RCCL) Freedom of the Seas

This cruise ship passenger says he was scammed out of $9,897 in the Bahamas

July 14, 2025August 26, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

A Florida couple came home from their last Royal Caribbean cruise with thousands of dollars in unplanned purchases. They say a dangerous scam is operating out of a beauty shop in Nassau, the Bahamas. The couple is hoping that by telling their story, they can prevent other cruise ship passengers from falling prey.

But is this just an extreme case of buyer’s remorse?

Scam alert, car rental gift card scam, scammers pretending to work for car rental companies

We lost $800 in the car rental gift card scam! Is our money gone?

April 16, 2026August 19, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Hertz will never ask customers to pay for their car rental with a gift card… but a scammer will. Unawareness of this basic fact led one couple to lose $800 to a devious international scheme.

Is there any way to get that money back?

leaking ceiling in an Airbnb rental and the host lets the bathroom flood, rubber duckies floating on the bathroom floor.

My Airbnb host doesn’t care that the ceiling is leaking in this $5,400 rental!

February 6, 2026August 8, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

A perpetually leaking ceiling in an Airbnb rental seems like a problem the host should fix immediately. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the experience of one young mom who paid $5,400 for the privilege of living in a soggy apartment.

Can Consumer Rescue help?

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