7 New Tourist SCAMS Are Targeting Cruise Travelers (Right Now)

Watch out for these 7 sneaky new scams that are targeting cruise travelers. Whether you're planning your next vacation or currently aboard a ship, it's crucial to stay informed and avoid falling victim to these scams & rip-offs. From port-based hustles to onboard cons, we'll cover how these scammers operate and share tips on how to protect yourself.
On our recent cruise, we witnessed 2 rip-offs & tourist scams affecting cruise passengers. Stay one step ahead, enjoy your trip, and keep your money and valuables safe!
In this video I share travel scams to avoid, including online spammers & scams in cruise communities.
First time cruisers & experienced cruisers need to watch out and be aware. This video is full of cruise tips as well as mistakes cruisers should avoid. These can be cruise scams, airport scams, hotel scams, online scams & more.
This is travel advice is important no matter which cruise line you are traveling with, from Carnival to Royal Caribbean to Norwegian Cruise Line & beyond.
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ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about & planning future cruises, ideally to hot & sunny destinations!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. Videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences & info with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or cruise line for advice & information specific to your booking.
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[@LifeWellCruised]

Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limted time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/

[@crazy4dariver]

Bump n break. Happened to me in St Kitts 10 years ago. They blamed "my daughter" and demanded I pay for it. First of all I was solo and second none of the exact same item had a price tag. I DEMANDED they call the police. When the authorities arrived they asked for my ID and escorted back to the ship. And I quote, "My friend, they are scamming. Everything in that shop is counterfeit. We know that and you didn't. Enjoy your cruise and please come back someday."

[@kathoolan9982]

We experienced a shop keeper in a port in Italy insisting we broke a bar of fancy looking soap of all things. He said he had it on camera. I crossed my arms and said go ahead check your cameras. I didn’t touch anything on that table. We set down the items we had planned to buy and walked out. Found another shop with the same stuff and gladly supported a different store.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@kathoolan9982 wow!!! Thanks for sharing

[@evilgtlee]

Well done for standing up to these crooks. I’m surprised they are targeting the very people that actually want to buy stuff in the first place

[@j.m.7056]

Tow truck scam -- Keep a small foldup shopping bag in the car in case you need a tow. Then you can put EVERYTHING in it to take away!

[@breadroomghost8764]

They’ll rob you even if you’ve been badly hurt in an accident, too

[@denishiakaseyrambo]

Great idea!! I mean the shopping bag, not robbery.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@j.m.7056 good idea

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@breadroomghost8764 sad

[@betruetoyourself8738]

Thank you Ilana for this helpful information, appreciate everything you do. Stay safe, and stay vigilant always. Happy cruising 🛳 Blessings and Peace 🕊 🙏 ✝️

[@4daloveofcruising]

Nowadays I just assume everything is a scam.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@4daloveofcruising lol good to be a bit skeptical

[@sassycat0222]

Yep. Agree

[@stevengolden9009]

I used to be a rideshare driver and for safety, ONLY order rideshare rides from the Uber/Lyft app, look at the photo of the person that is going to be your driver, the make/model of their vehicle that is coming, and the license plate shown on the app. When they get there if one of those dont match what is showing on the app, DONT GET IN. Especially check the license plate before you get in.

[@breadroomghost8764]

My daughter worked at a university in Mexico and spent a lot of time rescuing exchange students who had inadvertently hopped into fake Ubers. It’s easy to do if you aren’t thinking about it

[@dv8mr2]

Had a coworker in Tunisia who grabbed a local cab, the cabbie drove them 1 hour away, demanded all their money in wallet or else they wouldn’t drive them back. Could probably happen even using ride share apps too.

[@designdoctor247]

this happened to my daughter and i as we were leaving Universal Studios. A diver pulled up and said..."sorry we had to switch cars and drivers please get in and we will take you." My daughter and i had that moment of feeling pressure to get in the car... Thankfully a couple we had been visiting w while we both waited for our divers Yelled..."no wait that is NOT an Uber!"... the fake driver drove off.

[@marthagaluszka8888]

Remember that the Uber app gives you a code number. If the driver can't give you the correct number you'll know it's a fake. Also open up a map for directions or your GPS on your smartphone with the route to your destination marked clearly, as if you are driving yourself. You can then watch to see if the driver is driving you directly or scamming you by driving a wrong way. I'm not sure how well it works in foreign countries but it worked for me in my town as I had either an ignorant driver who didn't know where I wanted to go or he was trying to follow a messed up GPS on his dash, but he drove a random route and I finally told him the streets and turns I wanted him to take. He was a bit disgruntled but I was also ready to call the police. I'm a lady in my 70's so maybe he thought I was stupid. He's the only driver I ever reported and didn't give a tip. Maybe he got fired or retrained.

[@VannyObe]

​@@marthagaluszka8888 this is absolutely right. Turn on the code verification option in your Uber apps. Especially for ladies and especially at night!

[@henriquerochelle]

These people could get a job, instead of trying to ruin the holidays of families who work hard, to try to spend a few days in peace!! Shame on the human being!

[@LifeWellCruised]

👏👏

[@cathycooper1426]

That is their job

[@mea3665]

Walmart edumacation ?

[@karladick8514]

My husband and I got hit by some scam artists during a shore excursion in Honduras a few years back. We were waiting for our bus when we were approached by a couple of woman that were giving massages. We told them that no, we weren't interested but I was also trying to be nice. They told us that it would be free. We still said no. Next thing we knew, they started massaging our necks. We asked them to stop touching us. About that time, our bus pulled up. We started to leave and they started screaming that we had asked for massages and were trying to get away without paying. Other Hondurans started closing in around us. I shoved a twenty into their hands (they said that we owed $60) and loudly said that we said NO several times and that they told us that it would be free and got onboard the bus. I don't trust anyone anymore when it comes to being approached by anyone that I do not know.

[@marthagaluszka8888]

I would have started screaming assault the minute some stranger touched me. Let them be embarrassed or arrested. Nobody, but nobody has the right to touch me.

[@dno8025]

I had not heard of the "bump and break" scam. Thanks for sharing. Great information.

[@breadroomghost8764]

They have a similar thing in NYC where they spill food all over and demand restitution

[@hushpuppy3]

On my last cruise in mid-April, there was someone in the Facebook group claiming to make custom tumbler cups. They wanted to be prepaid and they would deliver the tumblers during the cruise. I kept thinking to myself, how is this person going to get all of these tumblers into their luggage and on the cruise ship?!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@hushpuppy3 you’re right

[@Gardis72]

A better question is who would even fall for something like that?? And why would you buy a tumbler from someone on a FB group, when the cruise ships sell these items in their stores?? I can only shake my head at the utter foolishness of some of the victims. Use your common sense, people!!

[@CarboneCat]

Thanks for letting us know about these scams.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad this could be helpful

[@MatthewLedes]

Here is a bit of a scam at least one embarkation port (I'm looking at you Fort Lauderdale). When disembarking, out at the taxi stand, there are signs that specifically state that fares are regulated and that they must transport you for the regulation fare. But the taxi drivers resist giving you a ride to your desired destination unless you agree to pay a flat amount greater than the regulated amount. We did, but when we got to the hotel, I refused to pay the additional amount and stated to the taxi driver, "That is illegal." He left forthwith, only taking the proper fare. Some will likely say I agreed to pay it so I should have. Hogwash and nonsense. They need to follow the rules and if they don't, don't expect me to follow their rules. Happy to tip larger amounts, however, when everyone is on the up and up.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@MatthewLedes very interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@lporterusc]

A scam you missed is the rental car scam. We returned a rental car in Dover. A clerk went over the car and found a small bump on the rear bumper. Knowing that I had to catch a cruise he offered to settle it all up for £1,800. Fortunately I paid for the rental through American Express and just walked out telling the clerk to deal with American Express. When I got home I called American Express and they heard nothing about the claim. I've spoken to several travelers that have had the same scam pulled on them.

[@pietersleijpen3662]

It happens with other rentals as well. It can be prevented to some extent by photographing whatever you rent so that you have a pretty decent idea of the state it is in before you rented it and can proof it.

[@druegillis1744]

I just love to read/see people posting on websites like Facebook that they are going on this or that cruise. All that does is let the bad guys know when you are away from home. Rest assured that anyone with a little computer experience can find your address in just minutes. Even when you stop your mail, just mention that you will be “in and out” while your mail is on hold. Be careful who you mention any trips to. Resist the urge to mention specific dates of your trips. Keep your mouth shut when in public places about where you are from. Posting anything on line just opens up all possibilities of a home burglary. The only people who should know where you are going is family members and ask them to keep that information to themselves. If you can’t refrain from letting people know about your travel, wait until you are home.

[@campingwithkids3350]

I run a FB cruise group for our sailing next month and in addition to the paint scam I've denied/banned SO MANY post regarding mini shot glass tumblers. Everyday there are AT LEAST 2-4 profiles trying to post the same pictures advertising mini shot glass tumblers with little chains attached. I finally just placed a filter to catch all these posts so I didn't have to manually delete/ban them myself!

[@sct4040]

Good reason not to do FB. Do NOT send money to anyone.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@sct4040 absolutely

[@katepm56]

Also if your car is towed be sure to remove your garage door clicker.

[@deenacaldwell4415]

Remove your car registration also. If they take it, and they know you are on your way on a cruise, they can go help themselves to everything in your home.

[@j.m.7056]

I also remove those items if using valet parking.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@katepm56 good idea

[@janined1445]

And your Toll Pass!

[@marthagaluszka8888]

Always keep a tote bag in your car. Empty the glove compartment, the arm rest storage unit, anything on the visors or plugs and any accessories. Open the trunk and remove what you think might disappear and take pictures of the inside of the trunk, proving there's tools or the spare tire, and even photo the car's interior. Cars can come back with cuts in the seats or floor mats missing. Pictures of the dash prove that you have a particular radio or disc player, because those can be stolen or switched to cheapos. Definitely keep the cars registration, insurance cards, etc., and leave only the ignition key or fob if necessary. If not then take that with you too, and leave no other keys.

[@QueenKayKay47]

Some of these scams that people are falling for shows that they really shouldn't be left on their own, they need a mentor.

[@strange924]

As soon as I saw "scam" in your title I KNEW the Facebook groups would be addressed! In my last cruise Facebook group was a Casino pull, this year it was a customized wine glass for the sailing. Luckily the mods got them out of the group quickly.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@strange924 wow, lots of new ones

[@crrizello5157]

Scammers are so creative! Thanks for the video.

[@SamSitar]

we need a law that pushes scammers into legit work.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@crrizello5157 right? We have to keep up 😂

[@TooManyCars2011]

What a valuable video! Should be required viewing for all cruisers, new and experienced. Thank you.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@TooManyCars2011 so glad you think so :)

[@kenyattaclay7666]

THe theft after getting your car towed happened to me once back in 1994. I was in the Navy at the time in Norfolk VA and got rear ended. Being 22 I was young and dumb and didn't think to take my CD changer and the detachable faceplate (yes, I'm that old 😂) and when I went to pick my car up from the body shop everything was gone. All I got was finger pointing between the the tow company and the body shop and the police said if I didn't know who took it there wasn't much they could do. If I had at least taken the faceplate and the changer then stealing the whole unit would've been worthless but your right, take everything out that you can whenever you're getting a tow.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Haha I remember those. They were pricey too 😂

[@Relic_Hunters]

Absolutely loved your hair in today's video. It makes you look younger with your hair straightened. Also, good scam updates.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@Relic_Hunters awe thanks! I’ll try and repeat that 😂

[@arlenemaxwellcopeland1644]

@@LifeWellCruisedabout to make that comment

[@marysolurbina]

How do people have all this money to send someone else, WOW . As soon as someone asks for money. BLOCKED!!!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@bryang3635]

As for me, at ports of call, I would lock my credit card and any jewelry or expensive items in my stateroom safe and only bring a limited amount of cash on hand and get it exchanged for local currency. This way, I can always tell them that I cannot afford their prices. Also, having a very limited cash on hand and wearing similar clothes that locals wear and not wearing anything expensive or with anything on the attire that advertises "America or USA, a US state name, Canada, or the home country) can allow you to blend in with the crowd. As for me, I just stay out of the souvenir shops and just go for the experiences. Everything in these shops is overpriced and are often sold online for a fraction of that price. The pictures I take on my phone are my souvenirs from the trip and do not cost any money.

[@rachellenale]

Yes. When we got off the plane at the Fort Lauderdale airport a month ago for our cruise, we had a man asking us if we wanted a ride. We were standing outside the airport waiting for our urber and this guy was not our urber. He was in an unmarked vehicle and he didn’t mention who he was driving for. Very strange.

[@alicebeilman4168]

We kept having “duck scams” on our cruise face book page. The one that says “ my cruise plans were canceled and I have all these ducks”. Then someone would say, “ I can take them and hide them “ and then the person would ask for money to send the ducks

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@alicebeilman4168 I was seeing that for months too

[@maryannsharp8427]

I was almost scammed on this one!

[@denishiakaseyrambo]

​@@LifeWellCruisedwhat are the ducks for? I'm going on RC next month.

[@kj7045]

What does this even mean?

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@denishiakaseyrambo here’s some info about them. If you search cruise ducks life well cruised on KZbin you’ll find a video as well. Enjoy your cruise! lifewellcruised.com/cruising-ducks/

[@kaylam1743]

Most importantly, when your car is towed or just parked, if you normally leave your insurance card & registration in your glove box, remove them & take them with you. Also your garage door opener. You never want to leave any info with your address or a way for anyone to open your garage door. This is for parking at ports, garages or airports too. Take it all out of your car.

[@lifewithgrandmabev]

Wow! Glad you shared these.

[@LizMelanese]

Never post any type of travel info on any site. Criminals are searching websites to see will be out of town and burglarize your home when you are away. Posting obituaries with funeral arrangements is another calling card to have your house burglarized. Sick ppl out there

[@stevengolden9009]

Great advice!

[@marthagaluszka8888]

Weddings too attract thieves. A house full of gifts makes it a good target. When my sister, brother and I all got married my parents hired off duty sheriff's deputies to stay in the house for the day. Cheap insurance.

[@melissacole5639]

Thanks for this video. This will be our second cruise and I wasn't aware of some of these scams. Will definitely be watching out.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@melissacole5639 glad this was helpful

[@karenthissen2805]

I like your hair like that! Thanks for the tips.

[@SkullsAndStones]

Thank you for the heads up.

[@bimiup1]

We absolutely got scammed in Brooklyn last weekend. We went to get in the line for taxis and a man hustled us to his cab, which was second in the line along with other identical cabs, so I thought he was legit. We put our suitcases into the trunk and the driver asks us where to, ai told him Newark. He told me it was cash only. I asked how much, he said $160. I said I didn’t have that much cash and started to get out of the car. He said not to worry, that he would take us to an ATM so I could get cash. I told him I didn’t have a code to use at an ATM and just let us out. He was determined to keep us in the car and agreed to take a credit card. He said the price was $150. I had checked pricing before and knew it should be closer to $100. I looked around the cab, and there was no license, no picture of the driver, no meter, etc. And we got out. Not sure if we would have made it to the airport, but this guy was trying to take advantage of us. Crazy!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@bimiup1 wow, thanks for sharing your story!

[@suekuhn4090]

Here is a scam that we were victims of. Tequila tasting in port. You taste the top shelf tequila and purchase it. The salesperson takes the bottles and goes behind the desk and wraps the bottles so you can't see them. Find out when you get home from the cruise, that the salesperson gave you the cheap tequila and charged you for the high end tequila that was agreed upon. The credit card company could not help us because the salesperson listed "tequila" on the receipt. We paid over $150 for 3 bottles of cheap garbage tequila that would have cost $50. Buyer beware. We are done shopping in any cruise port with the exception of Bonaire where we buy spices/hot sauces/salt from the "flaming Flamingo" owned by a couple from the netherlands and usa. we buy every time we are in Bonaire.

[@juliehall2893]

I've heard of this happening in touristy spots in Mexico

[@j.m.7056]

I heard of that scam used for purchase of expensive purse. Always have items wrapped in front of you or refuse the wrap and use your own bag.

[@tongueking]

Something similar happened to me with the drink "Mamajuana". What we tasted in Jamaica was delicious.When we tasted what we bought after we got home was terrible.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@suekuhn4090 wow; thanks for sharing this

[@TeufelHandlanger]

on my 1st trip to Ft. Lauderdale I figured a taxi ride to the cruise terminal would be the best way to go for three persons, and I believe that is correct. When we arrived at the taxi stand there was a rate sheet that said the max taxi fare to the cruise port should be something like $22 or so (this was 2023 so that may have changed). The driver however, asked that we not use a credit card because "The company takes a large percentage of the fare". Then he said the fare would be "About $35". When I mentioned that I'd viewed the rate sheet he said "But there's an extra charge to get into the airport and the cruise terminal!" I told him the rate sheet said it took that into account. I ended up giving him $25 in cash, and he didn't argue. If you can find a rate poster or whatever, it's a good idea to read it and make sure the fare isn't jacked up once you're en route or at your destination.

[@waynechason5855]

Yes! We heard about the SIP N Paint on the Carnival Vista.

[@nancybogart3960]

Great information, thank you!

[@gmg227]

After watching a previous video you had done on scams someone in my cruise facebook page posted about a slot pull. I looked at the persons profile, just a profile pic and a cover and no info so red flags went up and I commented on the post to be cautious of such scams but hey if it’s not a scam hope y’all win big. Well that person deleted the post shortly after that and I could no longer see her profile. So thanks for the heads up!! Many people were interested so you may have helped save people some money!!

[@stephanieparker5528]

We did a slot pull but we had our money in hand on the day of the pull. I was a lot of fun and we did win back our money plus $38 each. Good that you called them out. I would think collecting it before the cruise is crazy!

[@annmariekincaid7245]

We had a cruise duck scam on an RCCL Facebook group. A person was trying to sell her ducks because she had to camel her cruise but, of course, she was never booked on the cruise. The pictures of the ducks were pirated from another Facebook group.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@annmariekincaid7245 thanks for sharing

[@jessicalogsdon7154]

Um, pretty obvious to me, I would NEVER pay money to anyone, let alone some random cruiser. Any one that wants money up front is suspect!

[@jaybeez7672]

Thanks for these tips and reminders. I have encountered some of them. We'll be flying this Friday to Venice for our cruise.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Glad it was helpful! Have an amazing cruise!!

[@sharonprice588]

I’m cruising next week and I’ve seen the painting posts but scrolled on by because I wasn’t interested. As a solo cruiser I’ve got to be even more careful because I feel like a “target” when I’m seen alone. Thank you for these tips that will help me be diligent!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@sharonprice588 it can happen to any of us, but you’re right to be cautious. Have an amazing cruise!

[@sharonprice588]

@@LifeWellCruised I also want to say I finally paid attention to your packing/compression cube videos (and rewatched) Got my Gonex brand this week and they are a GAME CHANGER!!! Thank You!! 🙌🏼

[@rickk6700]

Interesting video Ilana. Very glad I don't use Facebook. I did have a friend who was in a Facebook cruise group. He told me someone was running a raffle to be paid on the ship. He did send any money but he said it did look real. The fake website and fake telephone number happens way to often in other areas so not surprising they are targeting cruisers. Being cautious & vigilant is a new tool we all need. Happy cruising Ilana. Happy

[@LifeWellCruised]

As long as people don’t send money in advance, as you said 👏

[@clarkanyan8508]

When we got off a cruise in New York City we were approached by so many people saying they were with Uber and showing us on their phone,we waited in line for a legit cab. There was a lot of them scanning the line.

[@tymartin1508]

Funny that I've seen just about all of the scams you've mentioned. In Mexico, we were at a local shop. My daughter (her fault) dropped a figurine. The employee immediately said we'd have to pay for it and said it was 500 pesos. Thankfully the item had a price of 200 pesos on it and I told him thats what I was paying. After a fuss, he accepted it. As for the ride share. We got off in Orlando and called an Uber. The drivers kept canceling the pickup. We were frustrated after the 4th cancelation. We saw a private van with an older guy standing next to it. We struck up and conversation and he agreed to take us (5 in our party) for 120.00 cash (Uber was 165.00 for the same fare). So we took it. As for the bracelets...we were in Alaska where there were jewelry stores everywhere. We sent our teen daughters inside as they wanted to collect the bracelets. They were told, at several stores, that they were out! As soon as my wife and I walked in, they magically found them. What a SCAM>....

[@jbarttx2100]

Great video and information

[@grahamblackshaw7113]

Nice work again Illana. I dumped facebook several years ago because I felt that it was infested by idiots being preyed on by crooks. Some of the weird friend requests I got were living proof of this fact. Looks like not much has changed in all that time, so I would advise all sane people to do like we did and bale out of social media. I can honestly say that I've never missed it and I know for sure that we're none the worse for not having it.

[@jeffreyclinard2002]

The trouble with the pay in advance raffle or painting thing is that it's too obvious it's a scam. If I was going to run one, I'd do it as a passenger organized group shore excursion that would be popular. Last year I went on one in Liverpool (a Beatles tour). I paid in advance to the organizer, and I had a nice excursion. A LOT of people were on it (enough that it was clear the tour company hired some outside cabs and drivers for the day, with stick-on magnet signs instead of the full painted livery on their cabs. They dispatched out in groups of two; one with the company tour guide who ran the tour while the other was just a driver). Now, if I was dishonest, I'd pull a scam like that, get people to sign up, and then abscond with the funds.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@jeffreyclinard2002 you’re right, this is an honest (hopefully) way to spilt the costs for excursions. The other way is to pay to the company through a website

[@vonniebench]

I just saw a T-shirt sale for our FB group. I didn't reach out to the seller...glad I didn't.

[@tjhumphrey7010]

It's good to see you in a video again. Thank you for the 4-1-1

[@M1CH3113]

New UBER/Rideshare scam - You book your rideshare and then as you get in the car they cancel it and say it's an "UBER glitch". Since you are already there they say oh "just give me the address and ill just drive you there". Or they have another app which calculates the fare. - Just leave the UBER and book another!! They do this so they dont have to split the commission with UBER and they get the whole fare. They will ask for cash or a bank transfer.

[@JeanneHamblin]

Great information Ilana! By the way, did you change your hairstyle? It looks great!! 🙂🙂🙂

[@bethanyaudion9441]

I am/have been a member and Admin of a few Facebook Cruise Groups for specific cruises/sailings and ships. I have banned members who posted (or tried to post) the duck, slot pull, shirt, and shot glass/mini tumbler with chain scams, but have not yet encountered the raffle or paint and sip scams. I actually just banned someone a few minutes ago, who was trying to post the customized shot glass/mini tumbler scam.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@bethanyaudion9441 you probably see a lot

[@sexytoylady2]

I’m in a facebook group for a upcoming cruise with RC in 3 weeks and my husband told me about the paint and sip post, I couldn’t find it but I did want to do it 😩😩 I can’t believe it’s a scam. Maybe I’ll take my own painting kit and paint on my balcony

[@sweetypatnett6123]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm making a mental note. I'm getting ready to take a cruise real soon, so this info is good to know. ❤

[@robertbarberis1266]

One of the semi scams that I have experienced not on a ship but in port at a crowded market is when a vender yells at me " Hey I want to see you about the five dollars you owe me" Ignore him and just walk away - They never come after you as you owe them nothing.

[@catieorth7686]

Great information as always, Thank you Ilana!!

[@JBM425]

Semi-related: your home can be a target for break-in and theft if you proclaim when you are going somewhere. Don’t post photos during your vacation; wait until you come home to share the good times. If your Facebook isn’t locked down tight, some unscrupulous people may come across your posts of you enjoying the beach or tales of your tours and target your house for their next heist. Let’s be careful out there!

[@jhmumma]

Love your new hair style!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thank you 😊

[@r.coleman5675]

Always a good listen. Thanks🎉

[@alwilliams64964]

Probably not what you mean but on board art shows probably one of the biggest scams of all. Selling $2000 painting for the unbelievable price of $900!. (BTW, that art can be bought for about $400 on shore.) If a pick-pocket stole $500 out of your wallet you'd be outraged - but many of us seem willing to give it to the cruise line and be happy about it. (And that $100 raffle ticket you won means they will only steal $400 out of your pocket.)

[@lesleynyborg2093]

Ilana, my sister recently asked Siri for the number to American Airlines and called the number to make a reservation. The reservation was made and she got a reservation #. They called her back and asked for her reservation # and then informed her that the reservation had been canceled and she had to pay another service fee to book with her points again. At this point she hung up and called the 800 American number. Re-booked with lower points and NO fee. AA credit card refunded the supposed fees. If she wasn't so cheap they would have made off with money. We came up from Florida to Virginia on the AutoTrain a couple of weeks ago and while checking in there was a gentleman next to me. He stated that he had booked 2 bedrooms. He told the agent that AMTRAK called him and took his credit card for payment of $1500. She told him that $1500 is not the cost of 2 bedrooms that it would be more and he had been scammed. He was on the train so he worked something out but my heart broke for him. He was old!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@lesleynyborg2093 wow, that’s awful. Thanks for sharing

[@kgarcia4684]

Last month, we went to mahogany bay port and there were people selling excursions to horseback riding, four track and zipline. We are bilingual but we started talking in english and the guy was trying to sell us all 3 for a set price I can’t remember exactly, like $130 maybe for the 3 activities. And he told us that each one was more if purchased separately. When i asked in spanish where would the horses go, he said awe we don’t have horses now

[@PamelaChristensen-t4c]

We are going on the Miracle tomorrow and our group got a message about the “Sip and Paint” class. Someone knew it was a scam and alerted us! Thanks!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Enjoy!

[@skqq3250]

We must have been scammed too. In Cozumel, we bought cooling bamboo bed sheets. Also the ole’ scarf purchase. The correct size didn’t match the size we thought we were buying. Didn’t realize what happened until we were home. The scarf thing happened in Malaysia.

[@pams6792]

I’ve recently seen sip and paint on Facebook. Had no idea it was a scam. Glad I had no interest in it.

[@roxannae3]

This is scary stuff. I was recently on a cruise in the Western Caribbean and spent time hunting down the free charms that were offered on our ship. The charms were free, but are cheap in value, to say the least. Also, we had one sales person in one of the jewelry stores that gave us our charms to almost insist that we buy jewelry at the most outrageous prices. Of course, we did not buy anything from them. We just sort of made a game of it, like a scavenger hunt, so we didn't feel like we were wasting our time and we came back with some "free" souvenirs. Thanks for sharing this information about the real scams. They are scary, for sure. By the way, I love your hair!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@roxannae3 thanks for sharing your story & thank you ☺️

[@lynnleipold2617]

Thanks!

[@nathalieparis2932]

The sip & paint one just happened to me on msc page on fb. I have a cruise on October 26th. Someone joined and used the pictures you have posted. People were commenting. She reached out to me on message asking for money to put me on the list. I said not until im on cruise or that I would be contacting them closer to the cruise. Someone else reported the poster and the fb page posted it was a scam. Good thing I didn't fall for it

[@dinnes3375]

Another excellent video. Safe Travels.

[@christinewallick7670]

On our last cruise someone in the “roll call page” was trying to pull the paint scam. The person said it would be on our sea day but we had no sea day. That put a quick end to that post as I pointed out it was a scam without even literally saying it was a scam. Figured that was an easy way to try to prevent others from getting scammed till the moderator could remove the post.

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks for sharing this. It seems to be the newest one going around

[@kittyhurd4207]

You were so nice to say something so other people didn't get taken advantage of. Thank you for being so considerate.

[@gingerhart4755]

I've seen the paint group scam.

[@ijshapiro8385]

never pay for a craft/raffle on a cruise.....

[@TropicLuv]

Very good information! With all of the AI, intelligence and capabilities of scammers, it’s so hard to tell the legitimate from the scam! You have to do your research!

[@Traveler-nu8xc]

Great tips !

[@wb6anp]

I.E the car issue if you have the pushbutton locks on the doors also take out the little card that has the factory lock code on it. They can find your address on your registration, and with that code can access your car later to steal it or steal something out the you keep in there at home.

[@marthagaluszka8888]

Where is this card?

[@brittneybowman6422]

I rented mopeds in a cruise port and when we returned it, they said there was a bunch of bumps and scratches on the moped. So they tried to not give us our deposit back but after a raising voice match, he gave us our money back.

[@edwardranno7119]

I don’t trust anything on Facebook!

[@LifeWellCruised]

Worth watching out for sure

[@tduck828]

Good rule of thumb. Cracks me up when people ask about boarding docs and wrong ...oh so wrong answers are given!

[@simon5005]

And the reasons to never go on any cruise add up! I'm doing Boston/Canada next month, and it will be my last. Between the prices going through the roof, safety issues, and trashy people; I'm done. It's nothing like it was when I went on my first cruise twenty years ago. Thank you Ilana for the information!!!

[@j.m.7056]

You will enjoy that cruise!

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@simon5005 hope you enjoy it! I didn’t find the people on my cruise to be trashy & the quality was good. Hopefully you’ll feel the same

[@simon5005]

@@LifeWellCruised It varies, sometimes good crowd, sometimes bad. But I'm always pleasant to everyone.

[@danaprahl9748]

It is so sad to hear all the greed out there. I'm cruising for the first time to the Mediterranean in Oct and pay all goes well.

[@DianeRoma1]

I run 6 facebook travel groups and have seen folks trying to scam. Because of that, I am picky with who I let in and i have to approve posts. They get creative but me being suspicious by nature, i don’t allow it and ban them.

[@rebelyell57]

We were in Moorea several years ago. We got in a cab and told the driver we wanted to go to the Hilton resort for lunch. He proceeded to convince us to go to his relative's restaurant instead. The restaurant was in a beautiful location but the food was terrible and expensive. Moral of the story: stick to your original plan especially if a local insists you visit the business of his cousin/uncle/brother instead.

[@tonyb0164]

Tow truck drive, or yard worker stole my dog tags hanging on my rear view mirror when I wrecked my car many, many years ago. Dog tags! They were of no use to anyone except to me, for sentimental value.

[@davidhoffman8122]

When we got back in August this year in New Orleans we had already set up a pick up by the cab driver we had used for 2 days in New Orleans. There was a "Taxi" that did his absolute best to get us to use him instead of the other guy He started out at twice the price and worked his way down to the same at the other taxi. Just as he got to that price our taxi arrived.

[@reginarizer5797]

Love your hair

[@SamSitar]

per Here Be Bar you can only summon an uber or Lyft through the their app.

[@pb1963]

Everything related to Facebook is a scam in one way or another.

[@CarolBoshaw]

I’m getting ready to go on a cruise this weekend with my daughter. I was confirming my airline flight only to be told that my flight had been canceled by me last month to say I was upset is an understatement. It cost me over $200 to replace my ticket And whoever canceled my flight got no money out of it whatsoever. I have no idea why someone would do this. Imagine if I had gotten to the airport to find out that I had no ticket.

[@PappyJack]

My wife and I love the new hair style! …and also the cautionary message about scammers! 😊

[@LifeWellCruised]

Thanks so much!

[@debrabessette2699]

We are going to Bermuda next month. We're taking an excursion from the ship, but another day want to go to well known venue on our own. We will use the public bus for that trip. There are a lot of drivers at port trying to get your business

[@nicolewiltsey7793]

@debra, We are also going to Bermuda next month too. They are truly amazing people & its actually the only port that I trust the most 😊 Obviously there’s scams everywhere, but if you’ve never been to Bermuda before I’ll tell you that their modes of transport around the island are great & taxis are very expensive. We are going on NCL & they actually have their own ferry to go to the other end of island for FREE. Enjoy your cruise 💙 We can’t wait!! It’s our 30th anniversary & we’re so excited!!

[@tixximmi1]

Take the bus. It's cheap and it works. And it's better than an "E" ticket at Disneyland.

[@joanneschultz9038]

We ran into the taxi driver’s charge card machine not working in Quebec City. He then asks for cash. Naturally we had used up all our Canadian cash and only had U.S. dollars. They ask for dollar for dollar exchange which works in their favor. They suddenly don’t have change to give you back. As we all know, atms usually dispenses bills in $20 increments and the amount owed is more than an even exchange. Go prepared with different denominations of bills so you are not forced to give an amount more than you planned.

[@QueenSuperJ]

We have definitely been approached multiple times at both the Orlando airport and Miami airport by guys driving around the airport and pulling up trying to give you an unsolicited ride.

[@missapril1956]

We had an unlicensed driver at the NYC cruise terminal area. We had agreed on a price but the driver demanded more money when we got home! Now, we walk to the 8th Ave subway and take the subway home. So much cheaper and not easy, a crosstown bus driver wasn’t thrilled about us rolling in with big suitcases. We do take our local taxi service on our way to the cruise port.

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@missapril1956 wow!

[@ChristineCerulo]

Just saw the sip and paint scam for my cruise coming up in October on the Carnival sunshine.

[@C5gogo]

Yes!! The sip & paint tried to scam me too!! I got a gut feeling it was a scam!!

[@clivemcquire7686]

Common sense dictates that you just don’t send money to anyone you don’t know online.

[@Reneemfenn]

Okay but can we mention how great your hair looks, today?!

[@keeneyb]

We had a problem with Uber canceling (Amsterdam/ embarkation) then a van with taxi sign on top waves at us, indicating he would pick us up. It was double the price and we were all pretty sure it was actually the original Uber. We’ve had several incidents similar to this in foreign countries.

[@harrisdavonyha]

Loving the hairstyle ❤

[@heideleskun1163]

Your hair looks good, not sure what you did. Maybe straighten it? Just watched your NCL Bermuda video. Thanks

[@LifeWellCruised]

@@heideleskun1163 awe thanks so much! Yes I just blew dry it straight

[@FLPeach00]

People are so evil 😡

[@LifeWellCruised]

Most are lovely, but we definitely need to watch out for those who aren’t