Cruise holidays have become hugely popular in recent decades…but tourists at sea are also becoming more vulnerable to scammers offering ‘free’ day trips to luxury resorts on land, says one cruise expert.
YouTuber Gary Bembridge has revealed in his latest Tips for Travellers video how holidaymakers are being targeted with the promise of five-star days out on land – but end up getting locked into monthly contracts where prices soon spiral.
In the video, Bembridge says that often the scammers in question target tourists in Caribbean, Mexican and Mediterranean ports, posing as friendly locals or travel reps.
In fact, they’re actual fraudsters trying to extort easy money from those enjoying holidays at sea, he warns, saying: ‘There’s no such thing as a free resort pass in reality’.
One of the increasingly common ways passengers end up losing out financially is if they sign up to ‘travel clubs’, which claim to offer loyal members perks such as discounts and free excursions but actually come with hiked-up fees and contract-style commitment.
He explains: ‘This one seemed to be an issue mostly in busy Caribbean and Mediterranean ports, but a couple on my recent cruise that called into ports on the Mexican Riviera got trapped too.’
He referenced that another high-profile travel website, The Points Guy, had also picked up on the lesser-known scam.
He said: ‘The Points Guy spoke about how significant numbers of seriously out-of-pocket cruisers had been contacting them coming home from cruises affected by this one.’
Cruise expert Gary Bembridge has warned passengers of cruise scams in his latest Tips for Travellers video on YouTube
Bembridge warns of a lesser known scam currently becoming more common in the Caribbean, where tourists are wooed into signing up for ‘travel clubs’ with a free day pass to a luxury hotel
What should tourists look out for? Scammers often set up with pro-looking stands and smiling representatives – armed with free cocktails – to entice in unsuspecting holidaymakers, he said.
Persuading people to attend a presentation on the deals they’re offering, they’ll charm passengers into buying a day pass to a luxury resort, saying they’ll get extras such as free transfers, drinks and dining included.
The reality however, says the cruise expert, is that those lured into signing up will likely end up paying far more than they should.
Worse, they’ll be given the hard sell to sign up to pay every month for the ‘service’.
Bembridge warns that it’s an easy line to fall for, because people get ‘caught up in the buzz and drink’ and many then sign the contract to join the travel club.
He adds: ‘Only once back on the ship fully realising how much it will cost them, and how restrictive they can be, as they soberly reflect on it.
‘Unlike countries like the USA and UK, the laws in those countries do not have “cooling off” periods and so they are locked in for years with the provider having their financial details.
‘So before accepting a day pass for anywhere, fully understand what your obligation is in exchange.
‘Be extremely cautious if you go to any of these with the presentations and refuse to sign anything on the day and say that you’ll come back to them.’
Last year, Bembridge offered his wisdom on the cruise holidays that people should avoid for a variety of reasons, from maiden voyages to taster trips.
He said tourists who are shelling out between £500 and £2,000 per person should make sure they’re making the best choices, with everything from inexperienced staff to faulty ships or bad weather potentially hampering trips.
Last year, the YouTuber advised followers on which cruise ships holidays to dodge
Bembridge warned against going on the first trip of a new ship because they often cancel the voyage (stock image)
For example, he advised that joining the first trip a liner has might sound exciting, but actually it can be riddled with issues.
He said it’s not unknown for voyages to be cancelled if there are late teething problems.
Bembridge explained that one such cruise was cancelled with only three days notice because it was not ready and went on to describe the slow service, frustrated people and staff who hadn’t settled in yet.
Ships may be unfinished due to supply chain issues meaning materials never arrived on time.
Often there are contractors onboard, at least on the first few voyages, as things like Wi-Fi routers, elevators, and even waterslides are tweaked and monitored.
He advised to instead look at older ships – with reduced fairs and more experienced staff – for a safer bet.