Free cruise

[CBouquet]

I just received a letter offering me a free cruise if my wife and I attend a timeshare sales presentation for Frenchman Orleans in New Orleans. It sounds tempting for wasting two hours on a presentation, but I would like to be careful. Has anyone attended one of their presentations and received their free cruise?

[DisneyKidsDad]

If it sounds too good to be true... well, you know the rest. :(

[patseacruiser]

I don't know about your particular offer but any of the others are almost all alike. Read the fine print. Nothing is for free. You will be offered from a select list of cruises and you will pay the taxes and non-commissionable portion of the total price so only a small part will be 'free' and it will be the worst possible room available. On one of those free ones we got the very last cabin on the first deck next to the engine. In fact the steward told us that they don't usually book into that room and he uses it for his storage. When the stabilizers came out it literally shook things off the shelves.

[Essiesmom]

They are very restrictive about when you can sail, and from where. The cards promise you one thing, but when it comes time to book, you almost can't find anything that works. EM

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

JMO -- throw it away!!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Throw it out, don't wast your time.

[Dayenu]

I may be wrong as it was long ago, but when I was offered this "deal" I would have to pay air fare on their terms. This would over-ride all the freebies.

 

Make sure you have their offer in writing to read the small print.

[mamasue]

For the price of the taxes, extras etc....you can book a better cruise...

Don't waste your time.... it's 2 hours of your life you'll never get back!!!

[aohkay]

It's not the cruise that's going to cost you the big bucks. It's the timeshare annual fees that are going to kill ya.

 

These guys are good, they'll have you signing on the dotted line before you know it.

[I_heart_vaca]

Scam

[gingerboo]

If you do decide to attend a (they just want your signature and your money) time-share presentation, make sure you get something up-front for attending!! I got a $100 gift certificate from (does anyone remember?) Lord & Taylor for attending a time share presentation at a Marriott in Denver. Got a very nice Dooney & Bourke purse which was on sale, and which I still have! Several years later, we each received $50 in chips for attending a time-share presentation in Tahoe. Hasta la bye bye to any time share! I'm pretty sure the up-front gifts are long gone! There's no such thing as a free cruise. Lots of hidden charges, crappy cabins, poor choices of sailing dates, and possible air charges.

 

Run (don't walk) away!!

[STARFISH*4]

FORGET IT...just like all those other type of offers...still have to pay

"something"--restricted travel times, usually when no one can go or wants to go.

if you really want to go on a cruise...book it without the CRAP that goes along with the so called "free cruise"!!!

[Feelin' Nauti']

I just received a letter offering me a free cruise if my wife and I attend a timeshare sales presentation for Frenchman Orleans in New Orleans. It sounds tempting for wasting two hours on a presentation, but I would like to be careful. Has anyone attended one of their presentations and received their free cruise?

Nothing is free. :cool:

 

I was offered a free cruise once...I did a search and found out that there were "fees" attached. :rolleyes:

Then I checked out the ship. :eek:

Similar to this

 

[Wayfairers]

If you do decide to go we have found the best way out of a time presentation is to offer them a very low price and let them tell you no. Example: they want $50,000 you offer $3000. Tell them that is what it is worth to you. And, make sure you get everything in writing.

 

If you end up buying read all the small print and completely understand what you are signing up for before signing. They will try to rush to rush you, but don't let them. And, calculate a realistic time to payback to see if you can make the deal work for you (when you include maintenance fees, costs to get to the resort, etc).... we always ask to use their calculator and paper and we don't let them see the paper.

 

Timeshares are not always a bad business deal: We've owned two timeshares - used one for several years then sold it for the same price we bought it. We were just out the maintenance fees which were less than what we would have paid for a hotel room for those trips.

 

We still own one timeshare and it paid for itself a couple of years ago. Those people took the crazy low price we offered and we knew when we offered that with the maintenance fees added in, it would pay for itself within 4 years. Make sure you understand maintenance fees increase every year - use 10% on your calculations, only buy if you can pay cash. Make sure you will use it - the one that paid for itself so quickly gave us 5 weeks a year and payback was so quick only because we used all 5 weeks every year

[sail7seas]

If you do decide to attend a (they just want your signature and your money) time-share presentation, make sure you get something up-front for attending!! I got a $100 gift certificate from (does anyone remember?) Lord & Taylor for attending a time share presentation at a Marriott in Denver. Got a very nice Dooney & Bourke purse which was on sale, and which I still have! Several years later, we each received $50 in chips for attending a time-share presentation in Tahoe. Hasta la bye bye to any time share! I'm pretty sure the up-front gifts are long gone! There's no such thing as a free cruise. Lots of hidden charges, crappy cabins, poor choices of sailing dates, and possible air charges.

 

Run (don't walk) away!!

 

 

For the record, Lord & Taylor is still open. They closed some stores but Burlington and Boston, MA both have open, operating stores. They still have an active website.

[Marie51]

I just received a letter offering me a free cruise if my wife and I attend a timeshare sales presentation for Frenchman Orleans in New Orleans. It sounds tempting for wasting two hours on a presentation, but I would like to be careful. Has anyone attended one of their presentations and received their free cruise?

 

What cruiseline is the "free" cruise on?

Nothing is free. I'm sure there is a catch.

[SeaTeach]

If you're looking for "free and quality" forget it.

I won a free cruise and land time on such a deal. Found out that the cruise was actually a one day (not night) trip with "changing facilities" onboard. Their hotel of choice could not be found on the internet, travel mags, etc. So my guess was ...a flea infested roach trap. My statement to them was "thanks, but no thanks". Oh, I was to pay all taxes, provide transportation to and from the port of departure, and give them $100 for processing fees.

 

Who knows maybe your experience will be different, but I doubt it.