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The Truth Behind the Caribbean Cruise Line "Scam"
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First of all, it's not a scam. I received a mailing around 08/10/09 from Caribbean Cruise Line (CCL) offering a free cruise for 2 and a 1,300 travel voucher for a 2-night stay in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, a 2-night cruise to the Bahamas, and a 2-night stay in Orlando, FL. You have to read the fine print, most of which is on the back of the voucher. It requires attendance to a timeshare presentation either in Ft. Lauderdale or Orlando. If you want to do it the easy way and want to get out of the presentation fast, go to the Orlando presentation. It's faster, the people are extremely nice, and you get some great information.
Ramada, Ft. Lauderdale - We were reading reviews on the way to the hotel about 30 minutes from our destination. All the reviews of the Ramada (Tamarac/Ft. Lauderdale) were awful. It's not as bad as people made it out to be, but you're not going on a glamorous vacation. If that's what you're expecting, you will not be happy. I will tell you it is barely a Two-Star Hotel. I despise supposed upgraded hotels that call themselves resorts. Believe me, you will not be in a resort. Your best bet is to ask up front where the accommodations are and ask if there is somewhere else you can stay for a small upgrade, preferably in the resort that you are going for the timeshare presentation. Otherwise, don't expect a lot from either hotel stay. The only perk in the Ramada Ft. Lauderdale was the room was neat and clean. The buffet is like home-cooked meals with a few options. They offer a pasta bar at dinner and a salad bar at both lunch and dinner. Dessert is offered at dinner only. You will pay a 15% service charge and taxes on each meal, but you're only going to pay an average of $5 or less per meal for two adults and a child. In Ft. Lauderdale, you will pay $15 per day for the hotel fees and taxes. The location is truly in a run-down part of Ft. Lauderdale. Some refer to it as the ghetto, but I expect those reviews are from people who don’t know what the ghetto truly is. Our timeshare presentation was in Weston, FL. It's about a 1/2 hour drive from the hotel. If they offer the cash deal, it may be worth it to you. There’s nothing to do in Ft. Lauderdale unless you want to go to the beach or visit Nascar. Beware of the timeshare presentation. They will give you all sorts of crap about buying power and stuff. I own a timeshare and it’s a huge headache. I will be out of it when it’s paid off in five years, thanks to the vacation club. Trust me, if you’re rich and you own a great timeshare in Aspen during Christmas week, that’s awesome. If you have that kind of money, you wouldn’t be looking at this cruise package in the first place.
Bahamas Celebration Cruise - The cruise is the best part. If you can afford to do it, extend your stay at least a couple of days and stay on the Grand Bahama Islands if you've never been there before. We did not, because the cruise was so short and we had been to the Bahamas before. It is expensive, so be prepared. Excursions are nice, but only book through the cruise line. It is the safest way to go, especially when you're only docked for the day. The Fountain of Youth Spa is awesome. See what deals they are offering. The one I did was fantastic. I took advantage of some other services as well. The staff is great and professional and the facilities are very clean. The casino is not open all the time, but if you get a chance, at least take advantage of the $10 play for $5 offer. I encourage 1- or 2-cent slots, especially if you're a newbie to the casino. My only complaints about the ship is the elevators are slow and don’t work correctly. It appeared that if the elevator met weight capacity, it didn’t stop on certain floors. It got annoying at times. Keep these things in mind, and this is for pretty much any cruise line unless these fees are included in your price: You have $12 per person per day gratuity fees on CCL. Half of that goes to your cabin attendant and the other half goes to the wait staff. That is worth its wait in gold, especially with the staff we had. If crude oil is over $40 a barrel, they will charge you $9 per person per day for fuel surcharges. If you intend to drink a lot of soda or alcohol, buy a per person package at the beginning of the cruise. It is worth it. Every soda in your room is $2.25, alcohol varies from $4.25 to $8 or $9 dollars plus the service fee. Mixed drinks throughout the ship are going to run about $9.50 or more per drink including your service fee. Remember every service you opt into will have that 15% service fee attached to it. Do yourself a favor. Do your homework. Compare other cruise lines and look at all the hidden fees before you dedicate yourself to anything. Verify your plans and allow enough time in case you need to change your reservation. If you don’t use it, you lose it unless you pay an extension which is not worth the money. That’s total profit for the marketing company. You will have to reconfirm your travel arrangements 60 days prior to travel. Do not upgrade your cabin on the ship unless you know what you are getting. I paid $200 to upgrade to a balcony room. There are no balconies on this ship. I ended up with an ocean view room with a view of the lifeboats. If you want first-class services on the ship, you will only get what you pay for.
The Ramada Westgate Orlando is better than the other one. It’s still maybe a 2 ½-Star Hotel, but there is more to do. They have both an inside pool with a hot tub and an outside pool. My fiancé complained because the men’s urinals were all broken in the bathroom next to the welcome center. I found the public restrooms were untidy and unkempt. Our first night there, I turned down the bed and found yellow stains all over the sheets. I was so mad. I couldn’t reach housekeeping, so I contacted the front desk. I waited a half hour. Then my fiancé took the sheets off the bed himself and hand-carried them down to the front desk. A half hour later, housekeeping delivered fresh, clean sheets and didn’t even offer to make the bed. We had to do it ourselves. The inside restaurant is open, sort of like extended pool side, which makes for a neat atmosphere. The buffet has more to offer than the one in Ft. Lauderdale. We found that they were understaffed at the most inopportune times and overstaffed when unnecessary. It was $17.10 per day for hotel taxes and surcharges. The service fees and sales tax at the restaurant ran between $3 and $5 per meal.
If you have the time and want a little something extra, opt for the Orlando presentation at Calypso Cay. It is vacation club, not timeshare. Big difference and worth the extra cash. If you like traveling to different places all the time, they have great options for everyone, regardless of your finances. It says in the materials you receive that you don't have to attend the second timeshare presentation. You can opt to attend and they offer $100 attraction voucher to Disney or Universal (or you can get $80 cash). The way it was presented to us, they don't give you a choice. You have to pay $20 deposit, ensuring your attendance. If you don't show up, you lose it. That's because CCL pays these marketing companies to sell the cruise packages and timeshare presentations. The timeshare people get paid just for you showing up.
Bottom line, do your research before you book any cruise. If you feel the sales representative is too aggressive or pushy, don’t do it. But make sure you do your homework first, both on timeshare ownership and vacation club. Research the hidden fees on cruise lines and figure out the money it will cost before you book. Then there are no surprises and you are an informed consumer. If you want a first-class, no-nonsense cruise and getaway, this one is not for you.
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