Completely off topic but maybe you can help
#311822 - 07/23/07 06:18 PM
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wendyc
Reged: 03/20/06
Posts: 78
Loc: Florida
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I posted early last week about my anxiety about my cruise to the Bahamas (my initial anxiety was about the 4 hour drive to Ft. Lauderdale to board the ship). The anxiety was actually OK but the trip turned out to be a nightmare. It was supposed to be my 35th bday trip. We had planned to cruise with a day cruise and be dropped off on the island and picked back up in 4 days (so not a cruise, kind of like a bus). Anyways, I made all the arrangements. My parents, DH and I arrived on time (we even paid to upgrade to VIP so we wouldn't have to wait and arranged for a cabin for teh day so I could be comfortable - A LOT OF hard earned, hard saved money went into this). When we finally got to security I was denied boarding. I had my hospital birth certificate with the raised gold seal just like the website and all the documentation the travel agency sent me said I was supposed to have BUT security said I had to have the STATE issued birth certificate in order to get on. My mother was with me and apparently she had no idea that she didn't complete whatever process she was supposed to bc that's the only certificate I have ever had. The travel agency is refusing to give me any money back and the people at the cruise company were so mean, they refused to even help me. Does anyone have any advice for me??? I'm SO sick about this. My DH gets one vacation every 2 yrs if he's lucky and we've put about $1,000 into this trip. Now he's so upset he doesn't care if he ever goes to the Bahamas. Talk about stress. I printed all the documentation that says 'ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE' underlined and highlighted and guess I'll write letters but short of that I don't know how to go about getting ANY of my $ back. You guys seem well traveled - any suggestions? 
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IBS-D, Acid Reflux, ???
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I would definitely write letters to the cruise company and the travel agency. See if you can write to both Customer Service and the head of the companies. If the travel agency is part of a chain, write to the home office, too, and make sure you copy the local office on that letter.
If you put the trip on your credit card, talk to the credit card company about disputing the charge. This is easier if you haven't paid the charge yet but even if you have see if there's anything you can do.
Contact the Better Business Bureau and see if you can file a complaint. Someone in your state regulates businesses - it's often the Secretary of State. Find out what office this is and write them, too. The travel agency is probably registered for business in your state and even if the cruise line isn't, complain about them, too. Make sure you copy the travel agency and the cruise line on any letters you write to the BBB or the Secretary of State. And I'd copy my State Congresspeople on any letters to the Secretary of State.
If you know a lawyer, you can consult him or her about filing a claim in small claims court - just be sure the legal fees don't eat up any judgement you might get.
And check out epinions.com to tell the whole story to people who might be considering a similar cruise.
I'm so sorry this happened. That really stinks!
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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