Planning a cruise should be one of the more joyful things you do all year — but scammers know that excited travelers can be easy targets. The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a consumer alert about travel scams, and Royal Caribbean Blog rounded up the most common traps cruisers fall into, along with practical ways to sidestep each one.
One of the sneakiest schemes involves fake customer service phone numbers. When you search for a cruise line's contact information online, paid advertisements can push fraudulent numbers to the very top of results. The fix is simple: scroll past the sponsored listings and go straight to the cruise line's official website to find a verified number — or let your travel agent make the call on your behalf. Similarly, phishing texts and emails designed to look like official cruise line communications may claim your reservation was canceled or that you've won a prize. Any legitimate link from Royal Caribbean, for example, will direct you to a page beginning with royalcaribbean.com.
Physical mailboxes aren't immune either. Postcards claiming you've won a free cruise are almost always a red flag — genuine free offers outside of casino loyalty programs are exceedingly rare. And if you're searching for deals through a travel agent, stick to established agencies with verifiable reviews; legitimate bookings are never paid via wire transfer to a personal account, and any email address or website should match the agency's name exactly, with no subtle misspellings.
Once you're on your way to the port, stay alert around taxi and rideshare pickups. Impostors posing as Uber or Lyft drivers sometimes approach travelers directly, bypassing the app entirely. Always confirm the license plate matches your app, and make sure the driver already knows your name. In ports of call, watch your pockets in crowded areas, and if a stranger places a bracelet or flower in your hand and demands money, simply decline and walk away.
For the full breakdown of each scam and detailed avoidance tips, the original reporting comes from Royal Caribbean Blog.
