Someone didn't read the fine print. A woman, who won a free cruise trip, was surprised by all the hidden costs that she ended up having to pay.
Nothing is free in this life apparently. Taking to Reddit, via Unilad, she shared that she allegedly won a cruise from StarDream Cruises, one of the leading liners in Asia. She won a trip for a five night cruise for two people, departing from Taiwan. However, the vacation had more than a few hidden costs.
She explained, "I recently won a 5-night cruise onboard Star Navigator with StarDream Cruises (Balcony Stateroom for 2). It sounds amazing, but I'm wondering if anyone here has claimed something similar."
However, the fine print included, "I still have to pay visa fees, port charges, gratuities, etc. Blackout dates apply. I must book at least 1 month ahead. Not transferable or refundable."
Woman Wins "Free" Cruise
Redditors responded, speculating how the woman might have "won" the free trip.
"Did you enter a contest with this cruise line to win a cruise? If not, it's tied to something and not worth the hassle," one person responded.
Another questioned if it was tied to a timeshare presentation or raffle.
One wrote, "It feels like there should be another catch lingering somewhere like sitting through a timeshare presentation. Or an expectation of certain levels of casino play if you've been offered this based on past gambling. But it's a legit cruise line and they're telling you to contact an email address with their domain."
They continued, "It could just be that they're desperate to fill cabins and would rather someone was in it and spending money on board than if it was empty - they're not losing money on the port fees etc, so it's not outside the realms of possibility."
Following the story breaking, a spokesperson reached out about the prize.
A StarDream Cruises spokesperson told the outlet: "The prize winner may contact our Reservations Team directly at [email protected], attaching their prize letter for validation. Our team will be happy to assist to check on the validity of the prize letter, or enquiries on cabin availability, bookings and clarifying any terms outlined in the prize letter. With regards to sitting through a timeshare presentation or something similar, we do not practice that."
