Free or cheap cruises often pop up on social media.
Sometimes, it's just a scam to get your email or other personal information.
Related: Royal Caribbean confiscates tech items some passengers love
In some cases, it's a deal with a catch. A short weekend cruise might be dangled as the prize for sitting through a presentation for a time-share or other questionable investment.
In other cases, the deal is real since travel agents often buy or reserve blocks of room to get very good deals on certain cruises. These do come up — but people should be wary, as scams are very common.
Two Florida women, Nyeasha Lambert and Rochelle Price, both fell for the same scam, in which they responded to a Facebook post offering a 3-day Royal Caribbean cruise on Utopia of the Seas to the Bahamas.
“We had to pay $100 up front,” Lambert told a local news station. “And then over time, we paid off the cruise. The whole cruise was $523 at best. And then, she also said that once we were on the bus, we had to pay an additional $25.”
Both women made payments through Cash App until they had paid the full fare. They received what appeared to be reservation numbers and booking confirmations, but they were all fake, and when it came time to board the ship, they were not allowed to do so.
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Image source: Royal Caribbean.
How to avoid cruise scams
Cruise scams are somewhat hard to identify because many people book cruises through third parties like travel agents.
You can ensure safe booking of a cruise by following a number of rules:
1. Be wary of how payments are made
All legitimate travel agents accept credit cards. Some might allow you to use services like Cash App, Zelle and Venmo, but if they require you to pay with one of those cash-transfer services, that is a major warning sign.
Using a credit card also enables you to dispute the charge, and it's best to pay with a credit card, not a debit card. Never use any other method of payment unless you have a long and established relationship with a travel agent.
2. Check the cruise line's website
It's not hard for a scammer to make up a reservation number or fake a reservation confirmation. A real reservation, however, will also show up on the cruise line's website.
Any person who has booked a cruise on Royal Caribbean or any other cruise line can create an account and use their reservation number to confirm their reservation. If your reservation does not appear, you can call the cruise line to check whether it exists.
3. Be skeptical of cruise pricing
It always makes sense to check the cruise line's website to see what it would cost to book directly. A travel agent might have a better deal, but it's rare that the price will be half off or some other giant discount.
If the price seems too good to be true, be very wary.
Don't fear using travel agents
A good travel agent can do much more than get you better prices. When it comes to booking cruises, they can often get you on-board credit, and sometimes they may be able to get you perks like free specialty dining or an internet package.
Travel agents can also help you when things go wrong. If your flight gets canceled or your cruise gets stuck at sea for a day, your travel agent can help you make new arrangements.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
The best way to find a good travel agent is by getting a referral. If you want an agent to book cruises for you, it's important to find someone who regularly books cruises.
If you're picking a travel agent blindly, check to make sure they are credible. Real travel agents have websites and phone numbers. They can also introduce you to clients who will gladly vouch for them.
(If you would like to meet my travel agent, send me an email at Dan@comecruisewith.com.)
