We know you want the facts about this Cruise99.com offer we keep hearing about. After running an infomercial longer than the actual cruise - lots of curiosity has been aroused as people wonder - is this cruise real & legit? Or is it just another too-good-to-be-true offer?
Cruise99.com appears to be the real thing at first glance for sure! After all - they're on TV, and they can't put anything on TV that isn't real...right?
Well I should be fair - the Cruise is real, in that, there is a real ship that sails with real people and serves what I can only assume is real food. (Don't quote me on that one!)
But is the offer real? This is what we're going to find out!
This company meets some “good” criteria at first glance. The site looks decent, and has a highly visible phone number & slideshow of photos of people having fun. Cool! So far, so good! 800-479-0931, cheap bahamas cruise, 99 bahamas cruise, $99 cruise, cruise99, cruise99 scam, cruise 99 legit, cruise 99 real, cruise 99 reviews, www.Cruises99.com
In the spirit of thoroughness, we did our own online research, and called the 800 number on the site directly to get the real deal on this offer. Here’s what we found! 800-479-0931
Online Digging: Our online research led us to the trusted ol' Better Business Bureau. We looked & looked, but did not find any reference for them. So, no BBB Rating.
Reputation: This Cruise is offered by Caribbean Cruise lines, which has a long standing good reputation as a cruise line. Since this particular offer is being offered via a lengthy television infomercial, we can also safely assume they have some serious cash to throw at this promotion.
Media: The site has a video that's kind of cool to watch, with springy caribbean drum music in the background (catchy!). The online video is similar to the infomercial, just thankfully shorter.
Uncovering the dirt: We called the toll free number and a rep answered quickly. I had a lot of questions since the site did not provide a lot of specifics. For example there was no information on sail dates, itinerary or schedule times, cabin details, or on board activities. This seemed like stuff that should definitely be available, but I presume this tactic is meant to make people call in.
On their site it claims “The Cruise is $99 for 2 people. Really! All your gourmet meals, 24 hour room service, on-board entertainment and non-stop fun are included! And no blackout dates!”
The TRUTH About FEES: This is untrue. This offer requires additional fees that are not clearly listed.
It requires fees of $59 per person, and an additional $20 “processing fee.” We have nothing against additional fees, in fact, we expect them. ("There's no such thing as a free lunch" I can hear my mother now...) Companies should know that customers are realistic, and they should just list the required fees up front. Strike one for vagueness.
The TRUTH About CRUISE DATES: The most significant issue I saw with booking this Cruise is that along with “No blackout dates”, they do not mention anywhere on the site that guests are required to book 60 days in advance.
This sucks the fun & spontaneity out of a weekend trip enormously, as many people call in expecting to book right away, or according to their needs or work schedule, only to find they must plan 2 months in advance. With additional research we discovered that once the cruise is finalized (2 months in advance), there are no refunds available and no changes can be made to the cruise, passenger name, or cruise date, unless you spend additional money for insurance. (None of this info is listed on their site either.)
You Must Attend a Timeshare Presentation: Yes. This Cruise offers an additional option to stay longer at Grand Bahamas Island for “just a few small fees”. (We pressed for info on exact figures and were not given an actual number). Unless you live in California or Illinois, you will be attending a soul sucking timeshare presentation for half the day (morning or afternoon) on this wonderful island paradise. This is not mentioned anywhere on the site, except briefly, & very vaguely, on their Terms & Conditions page. (Who reads that page, really?)
Our Overall Opinion. Eh. Caribbean Cruise lines are reputable, so the Cruise is probably fun. It is “basically” $99 plus a few fees.
The biggest drawback is the requirement to book 60 days in advance. Most people, myself included, can barely book for next weekend between work, children, school, and life in general.
If you’re able to book 2 months in advance, remember that you won't be able to make any changes or get a refund for your cruise in case you need to change your date because of a schedule change at work, or a medical emergency.
Also, if you’re in the market for a new timeshare property, this is top pick, since you'll be able to preview a good number of timeshare properties while you're there.
Better Bet: If you want a better Cruise option with no timeshare presentation, that you can book anytime - try a wholesale broker. They have an "A" rating with the BBB, and no nonsense. You can find them here.
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What is the length of the cruise!!!?
ReplyDeleteWebsite says it's for a 2 day cruise.
ReplyDelete