Complaint Review: Caribbean Cruise Lines Free Cruise SCAM

     I worked for this company.  If you receive a mailing it is a front to get you to call in and claim your "FREE" cruise.  The "FREE" cruise is a front for a vacation ownership sales pitch (in south Florida or Orlando area) and to try to upsell a vacation package which, if you can say "No" a lot throughout the vacation ownership sales pitch seminar while down in FL may be a pretty good deal.  But they will pressure you at the vacation ownership seminar.

    That is why they are so clearly "willing" to "sell" you the port taxes for the "FREE" cruise b/c it does get you down to FL to get in on the vacation ownership pitch.

     Now, if you're in the market for this sort of thing, fair enough.  All terms and conditions are CLEARLY stated on the bogus ticket they send you aka "Travel Credit Voucher."  It's printed on the BACK of the voucher but it is printed clearly so please READ EVERYTHING IN THE MAILER BEFORE YOU CALL - FRONT & BACK.

     Be prepared to PAY on your FIRST call, too b/c they will tell you this is a "limited time" offer and only one call per household is allowed (but I have a sneaking suspicion that if you just call back when you have the money you can get in on this as well). 

     It is an ADVERTISING PLOY and nobody "wins" a free cruise.  In fact, WIN isn't even mentioned so why people "think" they "won" something was beyond me when I'd take their call.

     If you go to work here, you will earn very little unless you're prepared to work 6 days a week & way more than 40 hours (you work off a manager's number if you go over 40 hours on your own number if you want to do that), but since it's basically "commission only" nothing is guaranteed. 

     If you don't make your "Nut" aka minimum commission to survive the job & pay your bills - about 2 to 4 good deals/day, they will pay you minimum wage for your "Talk Time" only - not time worked but time actually on the telephone pitching the customers.  From this "Talk Time" amount they told me they deduct an additional 20% for breaks (which they're not paying you for anyway) AND a "rental fee" for using their equipment which can be anywhere from $10 to $15 a week (that's what they charged me).  For 39 hours there I made $180 or $130 only for the WHOLE WEEK!  I'm not a super-salesman or anything but I can hold my own.  And I feel my time is worth MORE than the $4.50/hour I earned.

     Be advised they do not pay you for training and, ONLY for Talk Time unless you make your Nut. 

     It just depends if you're LUCKY and get people on the phone who have money and are receptive or have a couple weeks where nobody's got nothin' and you spend your time talking to little old ladies with Social Security Debit Cards or Food Stamp recipients, etc. as the mailer is sent to people with credit cards.

     The sale is a 1-call close so if you don't hit right away, pack it in and leave at the end of your shift or work like a dog - probably for a whole lot o' nuttin'.

     However, their checks do cash and it's better than nothing but I quit because it wasn't enough to support my family and the ups & downs of this wildly fluctuating income will not pay my bills.

     At first, commission on the training literature is stated to be $100 per deal.  Then it's posted as $85 but it's really $80.  Then, they cut this to $55 commission per deal.

     So, do the math:  with $100/deal, you're okay with a deal a day, two is ideal and may be doable.  Even $85 a deal is doable.  For a one-call close, not bad.  But at $55/deal you've got to make 4 deals/day and with a 1/2 hour pitch (they tell you it's 12 minutes but believe me, it's a half hour) on a 6 hour shift - more if you want it & are a glutton for punishment - it's barely enough to cover the gas to get there.