Reposted from Cruise Week Newsletter:
Here is a collection of potential travel scams reported to the newsletter Cruise Week.
Stay alert!
Fraud Update
In an issue last month, we reported, "Cruise sellers have alerted Cruise Week of a 'proliferation of scammers' involving cruise and other leisure travel bookings."
This week we circled back and asked a top national seller if the problem was continuing. "I have 48 newly reported fraud issues since my last report on 9/4," he responded in an email. "I have summarized them below, sectioned by cruise line."
We are publishing some representative examples. In some cases the amount lost by the client was well into the thousands of dollars; in some cases the client did not lose anything. The vast majority of the leisure travel scams involved cruise lines, spread across various brands.
The below are listed in order of the date the agency was made aware of the situation. With rare exception, the verbiage used is that of the agency supplying the information.
Googling a Fake Company
Cunard Booking
Date: We were made aware on 9/5/25
Type of Fraud: Client called company they thought was the cruise line, and company falsely charged the client a balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was the cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? Yes, $2499.
Notes: Client called 800-869-3557 for assistance with online check-in and received a call-back from 213-799-9369, they told the client they had a balance due of $2499.
*****
Client Bilked of $4000
Royal Caribbean Booking
Date: We were made aware on 9/9/25.
Type of Fraud: Client called company they thought was the cruise line, and company falsely charged the client a balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? Yes, $4000.
Notes: The client called 301-880-3261 and spoke with "Rob Dawson" --reported to be a Mgr with RCCL & gave her his ext.9189. Customer's connection flight was cxld during travel and they were unable to make cruise.
Asking for refund: "Rob Dawson" advised that she could pay $4,000 to make her cruise fare refundable. Then they would be able to refund the full amount paid for cruise plus the $4,000 paid to make it refundable.
Did the client pay the scammer and if so, how much? Customer gave him credit card to charge the $4,000. Received an email from "RCCL" ([email protected]) confirming $8,580.80 was refunded to CC she gave them & showed "Refund Reference Number: RCREF77952732TCR15."
******
Fake Worker
MSC Booking
Date: We were made aware on 9/15/25
Type of Fraud: Collecting a fake balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? Yes, $9000
Advisor's Notes: She said she dialed 866-882-5102 to reach MSC to ask if she could make her return flight time after the cruise.
She said she was rerouted to a person who said her name was "Meg Shaw" who asked who my client booked through. When she responded with the name, "Meg" told her she worked with [the agency].
She then told her that her flights were not confirmed, and to confirm them she needed to pay $4500 each to upgrade to first class, but would be immediately refunded and be in economy. She did pay the amount, but has since disputed with her bank and changed her credit card number.
"Meg" gave what she said was her cellphone number as 301-841-7536.
*****
"You Have A Balance Due"
Royal Caribbean Booking
Date: We were made aware on 9/27/25.
Type of Fraud: Client may have called a company they thought was the cruise line, and the company falsely claimed there was a balance due.
How was contact with the fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was the cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? No.
Notes: Client was calling to get help with specialty dining and spoke with "Jason ext 122" and then supervisor "Phillip ext 141." They were told they owed $600 in port fees, but the client did not pay.
*****
Phony Port Fees
Celebrity Booking
Date: We were made aware on 9/29/25.
Type of Fraud: Client called company they thought was the cruise line, and company falsely attempted to charge the client a balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? Yes, $380.
Notes: Client called 1-888-741-3008 ext. 102 (John). Guest was advised she owed $380 for port fees, which the client did pay.
*****
Calling "Richard Nixon"
NCL Booking
Date: We were made aware on 10/1/25.
Type of Fraud: Client called company they thought was the cruise line, and company attempted to charge the client a balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? We assume the client googled a number on their phone or tablet.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? No.
Notes: Client googled and called a number to inquire about dining reservations. She then received a call from: 3467917317 and spoke to "Richard Nixon." He advised she owed $500 in taxes, but she did not pay.
*****
Refusing the Bait
Virgin Voyages Booking
Date: We were made aware on 10/7/25.
Type of Fraud: Company attempted to collect a fake balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? No.
Notes: Client called what she thought was Virgin Voyages at 866-519-0070 to ask about general questions. "Louis" rep was pressing the guest to pay $275 per person before the cruise for "security, baggage handling."
Since guest did not pay what was being asked... Louis asked she call him back at 1-888-461-3003 ext. 114.
*****
Client Impersonation
Carnival Booking
Date: Imposter called on 10/11/25.
Type of Fraud: Fake company called travel agency and impersonated client.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Unknown, the client may have called the fake company after an internet search initially, but later we were contacted by the imposter.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? No
Notes: TA received call from 318-314-0419 around 3:58PM on Saturday October 11
Caller claimed to be [name of real client] and said she had requested her booking to be cancelled in August. Agent told her she needed to review her info and call her back.
There was no request for cancellation in the advisor's notes, so agent called the client number in the PSM, and had had client verify her DOB and sailing information. She stated she had never called the advisor today and did not want her booking cancelled.
Advisor called the original caller's number and asked them to verify booking number or email address, and what specifically they were requesting. Caller then claimed they were trying to cancel and requesting a refund to their PayPal account that their niece had set up to book the cruise.
*****
Terminal Taxes
Princess Booking
Date: We were made aware on 10/17/25
Type of Fraud: Company attempted to charge the client a balance.
How was contact with fake company initiated? Client googled and called a number they thought was cruise line’s.
Did the client make a payment to the fake company? No.
Notes: 877-440-9188 no name, and he could barely understand the person. He received a move over offer and wanted to ask about it. The scammer said they owed $516 for terminal taxes, but the client did not pay.