Free Cruise Scams and How to Spot Them
The scripts scammers use, and a ten-second checklist.
Get Free Cruise QuotesFree cruise scams have been around as long as cheap long-distance calling, and they keep working because the dream is so appealing. The good news: they follow a handful of scripts. Learn the scripts and you will recognize them in the first ten seconds.
Free Cruise Club is an independent guide from the Smart Traveler network. It is not a club, sells no membership, runs no giveaways and never calls anyone. If someone phoned you using a name like ours, it was not us.
The Survey Robocall
A recording asks you to answer a few questions — often political or about your shopping — in exchange for a free cruise. In January 2020 the FTC described one such operation in a FTC consumer alert: the message promised two free cruise tickets for a phone survey, then handed people to live telemarketers who pushed cruise extensions and upgrades, and charged per-person port taxes and fees. The operation dialed numbers on the Do Not Call Registry and faked local caller ID. Years earlier, in a complaint the FTC filed in 2015, the agency and several states targeted a campaign of “political survey” robocalls that ended in a cruise sales pitch, at a volume of millions of calls.
The Other Scripts
“Just pay the port fees”
You won, and only taxes and port fees stand between you and the ship. Real lines do not award prizes you never entered.
The real cruise line’s name
Callers name a well-known line or ship to sound legitimate. The line itself is not involved.
The free-trip presentation
A free cruise for attending a talk, which turns out to be a long pitch for a travel club membership.
The fake giveaway page
A look-alike social account asks you to share, comment and click a link that collects card details.
The FTC guidance on vacation clubs notes that free trips and prizes are often used to draw people to sales presentations, and that promoters may keep you waiting or pass you between salespeople until you are worn down. Same-day pressure is itself a warning sign. Free-cruise expo mailers are covered in depth on Cruise Travel Expo, and paid travel clubs on Cruise Club.
Ten-Second Checklist
- You did not enter anything, yet you won. Hang up.
- They need a card number, bank details or a gift card to release the prize. Hang up.
- They say the offer ends if you leave the call. Hang up.
- You are asked to press 1 to speak to someone, or 2 to be removed. Press nothing.
- You want to check? Call the cruise line on the number from its own website, never one supplied by the caller.
Report It
Report unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov and fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC’s FTC travel-scam advice is a good general read before any trip. If you paid by card, call your issuer quickly about a dispute. Then, if you still want that cruise, get a real quote from people who will never cold-call you.
Free Cruise Scam Questions
Are free cruise phone calls legal?
Recorded sales calls are illegal unless you gave the company written permission, according to the FTC. Many free-cruise robocalls also ignore the National Do Not Call Registry and fake their caller ID.
I paid a fee to claim a free cruise. What now?
Call your card issuer about disputing the charge, report the company at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and watch your accounts. If you shared a card number, ask for a new one.
How do I stop free cruise calls?
Register at DoNotCall.gov, hang up without pressing any keys, report the number, and ask your phone carrier about call-blocking tools.
Want a Cruise Without the Catch?
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise never cold-call. Ask for a quote and you will get real prices, in writing, with every promotion you qualify for.
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