Help! Cruise hotline free carnival cruise?

[nhsails]

Sorry for this quick question, am at work and received "free cruise" letter from "Cruise Hotline, sponsored by Carnival" Free 4 night Bahama cruise.

Anyone know anything about these folks? Scam???

Thanks everyone.

Debbi

[Canadian_J]

I can almost promise you it's a scam. Not sure about where you're at but the call I get here (almost monthly) always starts with the sound of a cruise ship horn blowing. I go ahead and block the number but they always end up calling again...

[Badfinger]

Sorry for this quick question, am at work and received "free cruise" letter from "Cruise Hotline, sponsored by Carnival" Free 4 night Bahama cruise.

Anyone know anything about these folks? Scam???

Thanks everyone.

Debbi

 

May not be a scam, but a time-share company giving you a free cruise as long as you listen to their sales pitch at one of the ports. Of course, you will have to put a payment hold on the cruise that will only be refunded if you cruise. The dates will suck, and the interior cabin will be above the engine room, below the galley and next to the night club across from the elevators.

 

We get "free airline tickets" offers all the time. You actually can get the free tickets, but there are so many restrictions and obligations you would gladly pay to not go.

[nhsails]

Thank you both. Pretty much what I thought.

 

Debbi

[sjcruiser]

I can almost promise you it's a scam. Not sure about where you're at but the call I get here (almost monthly) always starts with the sound of a cruise ship horn blowing. I go ahead and block the number but they always end up calling again...

 

Sounds like its that time of the year that they start calling, as I just got that call last week. It use to be for a cruise vacation, a land vacation stay at Disney, a Bahama vacation stay, along with a stay at their resort. Now the offer includes all of the previous along with a trip to Vegas for $600 which must be paid right now in order to take advantage of the offer. YEAH RIGHT!!!! You call me from an unknown travel agency, and you think I'm going to give you my credit card over the phone?!?!?! CLICK!!!

[golfadj]

As a wise man once said, "Aint no free lunch".

[sjcruiser]

May not be a scam, but a time-share company giving you a free cruise as long as you listen to their sales pitch at one of the ports. Of course, you will have to put a payment hold on the cruise that will only be refunded if you cruise. The dates will suck, and the interior cabin will be above the engine room, below the galley and next to the night club across from the elevators.

 

We get "free airline tickets" offers all the time. You actually can get the free tickets, but there are so many restrictions and obligations you would gladly pay to not go.

 

Its a time-share company, but also a scam. The more questions you ask, the more you can figure out that there's a lot of restrictions with blackout dates for flight times and dates, and the same for the cruise. The last time they called, I was bored, and started asking them about the different cruise lines that I could sail on, and one was Carnival, and they didn't know about the others. I started recited most of the cruise line names, and they had no clue, or said no it wasn't on the list. I'd just stay away from these type of advertisements, as in the long term, it just might be a headache and not worth the hassle.

[ChaplainPagne]

my wife actually convinced me to go to a time share presentation with a promise of a free cruise several years ago. After the 2 hour presentation(more like 3 and a half) they gave us a voucher and said to call. The number wasn't real and when we tried to find the company they had moved on to another city and never replied. Lesson learned! We've done several time share presentations with hotel or tickets and they were fine, but the cruise ship offer was a scam.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Sorry for this quick question, am at work and received "free cruise" letter from "Cruise Hotline, sponsored by Carnival" Free 4 night Bahama cruise.

Anyone know anything about these folks? Scam???

Thanks everyone.

Debbi

 

Have checked it out before -- it is a big ol' scam

[whatseatingyou]

I just got one of these letters today from Cruise Hotline, too. It's offering a free Carnival Cruise for 4 to the Bahamas at no charge, and if I call within the next 72 hours I will also receive 4 round trip airline tickets departing from RDU (our local airport). On the backside at the very bottom it states that attendance at a 90 minute "visitation" given by Grand Discovery is mandatory in order to participate in the promotion, and that guests are reresponsible for all deposits, government fees, taxes, upgrades, port fees and all onboard service charges - and that the promotion may be cancelled at any time. I imagine they'l opt to cancel the promotion right after I decline their timeshare (or whatever they're selling) and/or pay some sort of hefty deposit with my credit card.

Like others have posted I, too, have enjoyed some nearly free travel thanks to timeshare promos, but unless anyone else can legitimize this offer, I'm tempted to toss it in the circular file. It seems way too good to be legit.

Edited August 8, 2014 by whatseatingyou

[Badfinger]

We attended a local presentation for timeshares that offered a $100 Visa Gift Card, $500 in Walmart grocery refunds, two airline tickets and 2 nights in a hotel. We listened to the pitch and it was not a timeshare as much as a club where to can reserve unused time shares for cheap...or so they said. First price to join was $12k. We were steadfast saying no...which is ultra easy for my wife. Before they would let us leave, the price was down to $2k with a limit 5-6 per year that we could reserve. Oh boy! Anyway, we got the freebies and left. The $100 gift card was legit...we used that for dinner that night. The Walmart refunds had so many strings attached and rules it was stupid..you had to send in receipts that only had grocery items...no clothes, households, etc, and it was on $25 per month so you would be doing this every month for a couple years. The airlines had so many blackout dates I thought I was blind. And the hotel was a dump. I guess 2 hours for a $100 on a saturday afternoon....meh.

[NavyCruiser]

Scam!!!

 

Nothing is really free!!!

 

Except my health care.

But no coverage once 12 miles out to sea...

Edited August 8, 2014 by NavyCruiser

[lcgvol]

I accidentally transposed two numbers when calling Carnival last week to cancel and rebook a cruise. SURPRISE! The 800 number I called said I had won a 4 night Bahamas cruise! Just for calling in at that moment. At first I thought Wow, how lucky was that. I had heard people were getting free cruises from Carnival. After being told I could "upgrade" my free vacation for $650, I realized it was NOT Carnival I had called and hung up before an actual person came on the line.

[DocF]

While this outfit is not truly affiliated in any way with Carnival, it is not a total scam. One can actually get the cruise if one is very persistent. It is also not in any way, shape or form free. Usually, one can get the same cruise cheaper from Carnival.

 

I finally managed to get these clowns to stop sending me ads.

 

Doc

[Donh44]

Sorry for this quick question, am at work and received "free cruise" letter from "Cruise Hotline, sponsored by Carnival" Free 4 night Bahama cruise.

Anyone know anything about these folks? Scam???

Thanks everyone.

Debbi

 

 

From personal experience, if I don't receive an offer through the United States mail with a first class stamp, then I toss it. You can guarantee that if it comes via e-mail or junk mail (bulk postage) it is not worth reading. If anything worthwhile is going to be offered you and is a "real deal" you will receive it via first class mail or certified mail or better.

[Badfinger]

Scam!!!

 

Nothing is really free!!!

 

Except my health care.

But no coverage once 12 miles out to sea...

 

Not true. I give all kinds of advice here for free. But most still think they overpaid!

[magnavox]

It’s a time share UBB company. You will have to jump through a lot of hoops to get the cruise. It’s like a pay to surf the web deal. Where you get paid to click on ads and get paid to read emails. My cousin went to the seminar and got hammered for 3 hours before getting the tickets. It would be easier to get paid to web surf BBS forum system for the same about of time it takes to actually get the tickets. It’s up to you if you want to surf the web for money or go to timeshare events. The presentation is like get paid to click on ads, a lot of work. Although who wants to get paid to click on ads when you can go to a 3 hour timeshare presentation instead. If you do not like high pressure sales, then get paid to click on ads and pay for your own cruise. MY uncle got the same mailer but he learned from his son who went to the seminar and decided to get paid to click on ads instead.

[8335GOULR]

I accidentally transposed two numbers when calling Carnival last week to cancel and rebook a cruise. SURPRISE! The 800 number I called said I had won a 4 night Bahamas cruise! Just for calling in at that moment. At first I thought Wow, how lucky was that. I had heard people were getting free cruises from Carnival. After being told I could "upgrade" my free vacation for $650, I realized it was NOT Carnival I had called and hung up before an actual person came on the line.

 

 

That happened to me too! I thought I had dialed Carnival's toll free umber and got a recording. It never identified the owner so I was skeptical. I played along and pressed the appropriate buttons to answer the questions. Wow! I qualified for a free cruise!

 

The call was transferred and the "operator" didn't identify herself as a carnival employee so I hung up. I hate that these scammers find these little tricks to take advantage of people. I always say what goes around comes around.

 

"Shame, shame!" Is all I can say..

[magnavox]

I got the call with the cruise ship horn blowing too. I was planning a cruise to The Dominican Republic. I usually buy cigars online in bulk. But hey, a free cruise to the DR where I could shop the local venders and sample what I was buying before I bought it. I buy cigarettes online and I buy cigars online. Taking a free cruise to the DR when I could buy in person seemed even better. That's how I fell for this trick. Did you know you can buy cigarettes online and buy rolling papers online for them. You can buy the same cigars in The Dominican Republic for half the price as the price when you buy cigars online. I was going to stuff my suitcase like when I buy cigarettes online. I thought on rednecks buy chewing tobacco online. "Hey Bobby Joe, do you want a free cruise to buy tobacco in exotic ports of call or do you want to buy chewing tobacco online. I have to buy some rolling papers online because there are other things to smoke in the Dominican Republic besides the cigarettes I buy online. I hate these free cruise mailers.

Edited November 3, 2014 by magnavox
mispelled word

[Serenegold]

So you can get e cruise, by attending a time-share presentation? Where is the presentation?

If that is all required, I'd try it. I am a very hard sell anyway, I would have them buying something from me!

But I would love to go on the 8 day Carnival cruise offered from Cruise Hotline, if it is in any way real. Guess I'll give it a call, I know how to hang up.