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WPTV - 5 in West Palm Beach has an interesting article and video this morning about a U.S. soldier who was denied boarding on a cruise ship to the Bahamas by Celebration cruise line because he had only military I.D. with him.

The story involves Jupiter Florida mom Melissa Fontane who booked the cruise in celebration of her son, who serves with the 101st Airborne Division, returning to the U.S. on leave from service in Afghanistan.  Before she purchased the cruise, she knew that her son did not have a passport nor did he have possession of his birth certificate.  She asked if it was okay for him to use his military I.D. 

"No problem!" the cruise line agent said.

What Ms. Fontane did not know, nor did the cruise line reveal, was that the Department of Homeland Security changed its policies and no longer permitted military I.D. to board a cruise ship.

As WPTV - 5 explains, not only did Celebration block soldier Fontane from boarding, but the cruise line refused to honor "Celebration's protection plan" which Ms. Fontane paid extra for just in case she had to cancel for any reason.  Celebration referred to the "fine print" drafted by their lawyers in the cruise ticket stating: 'no refunds or changes are allowed if you're denied boarding due to failure to provide proper documents.' 

When Ms. Fontane tried to dispute the charges with her credit card company, Celebration blocked that move too, arguing that:  'the guests were denied boarding due to failure to provide proper immigration documents. The booking, was cancelled, and charged the full penalty.'

Ms. Fontane tried to contact the Celebration executives but was given only the email of a low level customer care representative who completely ignored her. 

Justifiably frustrated, she asked: "he can serve in Afghanistan, fly through different countries with his military I.D., but to go to the Bahamas on a cruise line is not acceptable?"

So what did Ms. Fontane do at this point?  Did she hire a lawyer to fight the dastardly cruise line?  No, that would not have make much of a difference in a case like this.  Cruise lines like this are equally skilled at ignoring lawyers too.

She did something much smarter - she contacted the media. 

When a local television station called Celebration and said it was airing an investigation, the cruise line suddenly changed its tune.  Its all a big mistake the cruise line explained.  Ms. Fontane received a full refund plus free cruises to be used when her son returns from overseas.  The foreign incorporated and foreign flagged cruise line was suddenly full of American pride and patriotism, announcing: 

"The President of Celebration spent 26 years in the military. We appreciate everything the brave men and women of the military do for our country . . . "

Ah, a happy ending to the story!  Now if we can only get Celebration to begin paying U.S. taxes . . .

Video credit:  WPTV Channel 5 West Palm Beach  (Shannon Cake reporting)
 

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A television station in Louisville, Kentucky reported on an interesting story today entitled "Woman Claims Cruise Company Promising Free Cruise Lied, Stole."

Amy Zetina, a hard working mother of three in Kentucky, responded to an ad which offered a "free cruise."

Ms. Zetina was taken for a ride, but it wasn't on a cruise ship. 

It turns out that "Caribbean Cruise Line" offers “free” Caribbean cruise package, with some ads featuring Carmen Electra promoting a "free" cruise.

Ms. Zetina received a packet in the mail telling her that she was the lucky winner of a "free" cruise, including a $1,300 voucher.  She agreed to pay only for port taxes and then gave her credit card number over the telephone.  The cruise company then began sucking money out of her account.

Ms. Zetina did not know that 458 customers had lodged complaints against Caribbean Cruise Line.  Nor did she know about it's "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau.  An investigation by the television station revealed that the company made unauthorized charges against customers' credit cards. 

After Ms. Zetina contacted the television station, she called the Better Business Bureau, the Attorney General's office and the local police.  Only then did she get her money back.

You can find complaints about this company on the Complaints Board and Ripoff Report and throughout the internet. 

Moral of the story?  There are no free cruises in life.  And when someone rips you off, fight back.

Enjoy the official ad of Caribbean Cruise Line with Carmen Electra (in Spanish - Cruceros Gratis!) 

PS:  There have been criticism of marketing scams by "Caribbean Cruise Line" which is not a cruise line at all but a marketing company which also sells time shares in the Bahamas.  We last mentioned this company two weeks ago in a story about an affiliated company, Celebration Cruise Line -  Report of Rape on Bahamas Celebration Cruise Ship.    

Photo Credit:  Celebration Cruise Line website

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The FBI is investigating a passenger rape aboard the MS Bahamas Celebration cruise ship which is operated by Celebration Cruise Line from the Port of Palm Beach.

A blog associated with the Palm Beach Post - Jose Mambiet's Page 2 Live - reports that a 52 year old woman was forced to have sex with a man, another passenger, on a ping-pong table on the ship's deck around 4:00 a.m. Monday.  The ship's nurse treated the passenger and administered a rape kit.

The article quotes the vice president of the cruise line's marketing, Glenn Ryerson, stating that "It's only a crime if the FBI deems it to be one.  At this point its only an alleged rape."  

This is one of the more insensitive press statements I have heard from a cruise line over the years. 

Unfortunately, the FBI's track record of successfully investigating shipboard rapes is dismal.  At a Congressional hearing I attended in 2007, the FBI admitted that its investigations resulted in prosecutions only 7 times out of every 100 sexual assault allegations. And cruise lines often work hard to make certain that no one convicted of a crime on the cruise ships.  Consider reading:

Cruise Ships Are A Perfect Place to Commit A Crime, And Get Away With It!

If You Are A Victim On A Cruise Ship, The Cruise Line Will Treat You Like A Criminal

Marketing VP Ryerson is also quoted stating that this is the first criminal allegation on the Bahamas Celebration "since its Palm Beach launch." 

That's not saying much - because this cruise ship started sailing out of Palm Beach in mid-March.

The cruise line has a Twitter page @CelebrationBS.  It is offering cruises for as little as $199 a day, although there have been consumer complaints.  Read Cruise Critic's article about about what are described as marketing scams by the cruise line or an affiliated wholesale company called "Caribbean" Cruise Line.     

I wonder if the cruise line has any surveillance cameras on the decks or security guards patrolling at night.          

Were you on the cruise or have information about this incident?  Please leave a comment below. 

Credits:     Photo        theBahamasWeekly.com

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