Norwegian Cruise Line employee sounds alarm on new cruise scam
Scammers are targeting Norwegian Cruise Line passengers in a new way.
Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated in the methods they use to prey upon unsuspecting cruise passengers.
Recent scam warnings have alerted cruisers to be wary of individuals or accounts offering discounted tickets on social media platforms, and even to be cautious about calls and emails that appear to come from their cruise line or travel agent.
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Scammers have been known to pose as cruise lines to try to trick passengers into making a payment without verifying that they’re really communicating with the cruise line.
But now, scammers appear to be targeting Norwegian Cruise Line passengers with a new kind of phone scam related to Norwegian’s cruise airfare deal.
A Norwegian Cruise Line employee recently shared an urgent warning about the scam in the NCL community on Reddit.
“Full disclosure: I work for NCL. I wouldn't mention it except that this is important and I don't want it to happen to anyone else,” Soft-Ad-385 wrote. “This information comes directly from a guest I spoke with this morning.”
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New cruise airfare scam targets Norwegian Cruise Line passengers
“This guest had received a call from a 301 area code from someone claiming to work in our air department. She offered to help book the guest's large group of travelers on specific flights. The guest split the payment across two cards. Several days later, both cards were compromised,” Soft-Ad-385 shared.
But the cruise airfare scam didn’t end there.
“A month later, the scammer called them back to say, 'Good news, the price went down. Just give me your new card numbers, I'll book the lower price for you and then refund the original charge,’” Soft-Ad-385 explained. “This poor guest is now out close to twenty grand.”
After sharing the details of the scam, Soft-Ad-385 outlined a few things cruisers should know that will help them avoid falling victim to the same type of scheme.
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The employee pointed out that Norwegian Cruise Line only has corporate offices in Miami, as well as sales and reservations offices in Sunrise, Florida and Mesa, Arizona. Employees, such as personal cruise consultants, will only call from phone numbers that begin with an area code from one of these areas, even if they work remotely.
Miami’s area code is 305, Sunrise’s is 954 and Mesa’s is 480. The scam victim received a call originating from area code 301, which covers parts of Maryland.
The employee also pointed out that Norwegian’s airfare deal, which offers free airfare for the second guest, does not guarantee specific flights like this passenger was offered by the scammer.
“The Air Choice program does, but they almost never call the guest directly; the guest needs to contact them,” Soft-Ad-385 added.
Posting cruise details on online forums can put you at risk
The employee warned that even sharing too much about your cruise plans on Reddit or another online forum could cause you to be targeted by scammers.
“Do not share details of your cruise reservation in any public forum. Yes, even here. Saying you'll be on a particular sailing is usually safe, but make sure your name, number in your traveling party, and other identifying details are not included,” Soft-Ad-385 recommended. “A dedicated scammer can find your reservation or enough specifics to fake it. Keep your reservation number private!”
Related: Virgin Voyages shares cruise scam warning
The employee also encouraged cruisers to be suspicious of any call that appears to come from your cruise line.
“If anyone claiming to be from the cruise line contacts you directly, don't be afraid to push back. Ask them security questions that they should be able to answer easily. ‘I forget, what's my balance due? When's my final payment?’” Soft-Ad-385 suggested. “If it doesn't feel right, hang up and dial us directly. The extra few minutes is worth it.”
Your safest bet? Go to the official cruise line website and dial the phone number straight from there, or work with a travel agent you trust.
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Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
