Cruise Bruise Blog
April 11, 2009
April 11, 2009
Carnival Crew Member Alleges Deceit On CDC Inspection Day

As reported March 24, 2009, a crew member who worked on both Disney and Princess cruises ships, sent us alleged photographs and video of kitchenware being hidden around the ship when the CDC inspection team was due to board the ship for the semi-annual inspection. At the time, I wondered about the main lines both RCCL and Carnival.

Another alleged crew member has now come forward to Cruise Bruise, saying that he worked for Carnival Cruise Lines for many years, on many of their ships, and reportedly they did the same thing as the alleged Disney and Princess report indicates, hiding kitchenware that was not up to muster.

However, this crew member goes into some details never before told about the alleged CDC inspection deception taking place. Read the rest of the story here.

April 11, 2009
Scammed Young Dancers Find Cruise Ship Doesn't Exist

Several eager young adults were scammed by con artists with the lure of working on a cruise ship. Had the victims been web-savvy they would have known that the cruise ship they were traveling abroad to work on, hadn't sailed the seas in years.

Lizzy Dillon, 24, a professional dancer from Mossley Hill in the United Kingdom was one of several victims in this particular scam. Euro Entertainments had been the original contact for the scam. They said that they had also been conned by the Italian con men and had received no money for recruiting the dancers.

The young adults were told by an Italian agent that they would be working aboard the cruise ship Monterey II owned by San Marino Shipping. San Marino Shipping does not exist and Monterey II was decommissioned in 2005.

The victims bought new clothes and costumes, each paid the company £900 in cash for a safety certificate and paid for airline tickets to embark at Naples, Italy.

When the time came to depart, the group was told that the itinerary had changed for the ship and they were leaving from St Tropez, France instead.

This meant the group had to travel 24 hours, taking six different trains, at their own expense, and then finally taking a £100 taxi cab ride to reach the coast. Arriving in St. Tropez, the truth comes out and the group is stranded.

Dillion says that she was told the additional £400 for flights and £500 for excess baggage would be reimbursed when we arrived at the ship. She was out almost
£2000 at that point.

April 11, 2009
Cruise Ship Collides With Mooring Buoy

The Dong Song Xanh Joint Stock Company's Greenlines cruise ship suddenly collided with a mooring buoy during its voyage from Vung Tau to Ho Chi Minh City, on April 8, 2009.  The incident left the ship and buoy with a huge gash.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Waterway Police and rescue workers were alerted with all passengers safely evacuated.

April 11, 2009
New Cruise Bruise Series - Booking America

If you have decided that cruising is not for you, why not take a trip to an all-American town, with 100% all-American made goods. Support the American recovery by investing in a peaceful, memorable vacation destination with plenty to do, or to do nothing at all.

Holmes County, Ohio, centrally located in the middle of the U.S. is so charming, one of the towns in the county is named, Charm. Some of the best bed and breakfast accommodations in the world can be found here, including one that made the Top 12 B&B Worldwide list. This area is safer than any cruise ship, cleaner than any cruise ship, with home style comforts and elegant touches.

If you are looking for food, and lots of it, you are in luck. This county is known for their great buffets. In fact, they are the home to the 600 item buffet. But, it is not all about the food.

They have breath-taking views, a 100% home spun flea market of 50+vendors, horse drawn carriages and more culture, entertainment, music and flora that you can enjoy in a weekend. Take a better look here, and leave your money at home, Book America!