[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference abbott::cruise_travel

Title:	CRUISE TRAVEL

Moderator:	XANADU::FAMULARO

Created:	Thu Aug 04 1988
Last Modified:	Thu Dec 12 1996
Last Successful Update:	Wed Jan 01 1997
Number of topics:	562
Total number of notes:	2834

287.0. "Travel Specialties, Travel Boutique??" by SWSEIS::WELLS (Cakes useless if you can't eat it too!) Tue Jun 04 1991 18:34

    
         Did a dir/title of both of these and found nothing, but feel
    free to move if appropriate.
    
         I've come across a cruise deal that sounds too good to be true
    and I want to check it out.  If anyone knows any more about either
    of these companies or this deal, or has any suggestions, please
    let me know.  If it turns out this deal is o.k. I will post everything
    here.
    
         Here's what they say.  7 days 7 nights(sat to sat) cruise,
    airfare and meals included, $399.10 FOR 2 PEOPLE.  Also, a port
    tax of $60 apiece when you return.  The flights are from Boston
    to either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, shuttle to the ship included,
    and a choice of either a west or east route.  The east includes
    stops at Nassau, St Thomas, the Virgin Islands, and a couple others.
    WEst is Montego, Cancun, and a few others.  Some of the cruise
    ships are from Celebrity, Princess, etc...
    
        They say how they do it is that Travel Specialties and Travel
    Boutique pre-buy a small number of spots from the cruise lines.
    The cruise lines are supposedly trying this because they average
    15% vacancy on each cruise and by pre-buying they are at least getting
    some of their money back this way.  Plus once they get you on board
    you spend money in the casino, on drinks, etc...  They say they
    only take 500 of these a day for the entire country.  Once you buy
    this coupon you can use it anytime up till the end of 1992 with
    60 days notice.  These limited spots are on 15 different ships.
    
         The parts I'm suspicious about:
    
    1)  They want you to give them your credit card # BEFORE they send
    you any literature.  The salesman quoted something from a credit
    card saying I was protected if not satisfied once the literature
    arrived.  I called my credit card company though, and they said
    they could not stop any payments and it could be a long tough battle
    if they contested the charge.
    
    2)  I called my travel agent and they had not heard of these companies
    and couldn't believe the price.  The lowest rate they had heard
    of was about $500 PER PERSON.
    
         I refuse to give out my credit card #'s to anyone till I get
    something in writing.  The person who referred me has already paid
    and the brochures are supposed to arrive in 2 weeks.  I think what
    I'll do is wait till they arrive and bring them to the travel agent
    to have them checked over.
                   
         Anyone out there have any thoughts, suggestions, experiences???
    
    
    Tim

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
287.1	I'm afraid the answer is obvious. If it sounds to good...	VINO::FLEMMING	No eraser? Its not fault tolerant	`Tue Jun 04 1991 20:25`	2
	Never give your credit card number to someone who calls you.
287.2		SWSEIS::WELLS	Cakes useless if you can't eat it too!	`Thu Jul 11 1991 13:56`	22
	An update: The only responses I've gotten on this were people saying not to give out your credit card # to anyone(which I didn't). But the friends who referred me on this did, and at last entry where waiting for they're brochures. The brochures have now arrived, and they say everything is in order. This is a 7 day cruise FOR 2 PEOPLE for $460 bucks.(the price has gone up $60 like they said last time) It took 3 weeks for the documentation to arrive instead of 2 like advertised due to "overwhelming response". So my next step is to bring the documentation to a travel agent and have them check for any gotchas. If everything there turns out ok, I'll post the #'s here as it would be a great deal. If not I'll also let you know so it can be avoided. Tim
287.3	Anymore Info on offer?	CHOTI::CARLIN	Monte Carlo forever	`Tue Jul 23 1991 15:05`	8
	Tim How is the follow up going with this offer? My SO andI cruised two years ago and the would like to do it again. If the price/deal is good I'd be interested. Bob C.
287.4		SWSEIS::WELLS	Cakes useless if you can't eat it too!	`Wed Jul 24 1991 18:34`	8
	I'm still working on it. My friends don't want to give me the originals and I've been waiting for them to make copies. Hopefully I'll get them tonite and get to the travel agent soon. As soon as I know I'll post it. Tim
287.5	BEWARE	GRANPA::KSHIELDS		`Thu Jul 25 1991 13:40`	11
	Please beware - sicne my husband is an outside sales rep for a cruise-only agency we receive many travel agent publications weekly. This week's "Hot topic" in three of these publications so far - is the cruise "deals" being offered by "Travel Boutique". The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin is investigating and so far Carnival, RCCL and Dolphin deny having any bookings placed for this agency. Attempts to speak with and interview "Travel Boutique" have been denied. I would be very cautious about doing any business with this agency. I'll keep the notes file posted as more information becomes available....
287.6		MCIS2::DUPUIS	Love is grand, Divorce is 20 grand	`Fri Aug 02 1991 15:20`	3
	To the Basenoter: Anything new to report????
287.7		SWSEIS::WELLS	Cakes useless if you can't eat it too!	`Mon Aug 05 1991 18:20`	29
	O.K. I took copies of the cruise documentation to a travel agent. She looked over everything and didn't find anything blatently wrong, everything looked pretty standard. She was however, extremely skeptical that it could be offered at that price, and seemed convinced that there had to be something wrong, though she couldn't say what it was. I then got many stories about people being ripped-off in various scams. Not all that helpful. She did suggest the following. Over the phone they had told me that trip insurance was included in the price. In the documentation, however, it said that insurance had to be purchased and was not included. The travel agent said to call Travel Boutique and ask for the name of the insurance agency. Call the insurance agency and make sure they are completely separate from Travel Boutique, and that you would be completely covered in case they went under, were overbooked, etc... And also see if the price is worth it for the insurance. It sounds to me like it will be a judgement call. If the insurance sounds reputable and affordable, then at least your $500 for the trip is covered. But I am in no way endorsing this for anyone, it's going to have to be your own call. I'm going to try and find time to check up on the insurance, call the Better Business Bereau, etc, but if I can't I'll post the numbers and maybe someone else can. Tim
287.8	ex	SWSEIS::WELLS	Cakes useless if you can't eat it too!	`Wed Aug 07 1991 18:10`	9
	The # for Travel Boutique is 800-477-1854. I'm not gonna have time, so if anyone else wants to check out the insurance go ahead. And to the noter with the travel agent spouse, please keep us posted. Tim
287.9	Don't Touch It!!	GRANPA::KSHIELDS		`Tue Aug 13 1991 12:19`	8
	Just as an update - be extremely careful in dealing with this company - I personally would not touch it. I read in recent travel trade papers that Carnival, Kloster, Costa and RCCL have issued "no sell" polices against Travel Boutique - in other works there reservationists are not allowed to book any cruises thru this company. The Better Business Bureau is still investigating and there was some former problems against the owner of Travel Boutique in previous years for business conducted in both New York and Florida.