‘Consult an attorney’: Family books $4,000 Royal Caribbean cruise because it’s their autistic son’s dream vacation. After check-in, the company says their booking was canceled. Now they can’t get their money back

A family’s dream cruise to the Bahamas ended at the terminal after Royal Caribbean employees allegedly denied them boarding despite fully paid reservations. The situation has left them out almost $4,000 and unable to get answers from the cruise line.

That’s according to TikToker Linda (@lindanotlistening), who shared her version of events in a 22-minute video. The video has more than 8,000 views, with commenters expressing outrage and urging the family to lawyer up.

A special vacation

According to Linda, the trip was supposed to be special.

“The reason we really wanted to go on this cruise is one of my brothers, he has severe autism, he really wanted to go on a cruise with his family. Like, he kept bringing it up,” she explains.

The family booked a cruise from Orlando to the Bahamas for the Martin Luther King Day weekend, Jan. 15-19, directly through Royal Caribbean’s website. The booking included two rooms for five family members totaling $3,779.15.

A troubling email, and a terminal denial

On Jan. 14, less than 24 hours before departure, her father received a cancellation email claiming one of the rooms was canceled due to a bank issue. But Chase confirmed the payment had gone through, according to Linda.

The family called Royal Caribbean repeatedly and says they were reassured the reservation was valid. “They said, it’s not canceled. When you get there, if there’s issues, call us back,” she says.

On Jan. 15, the family arrived early, paid $107 for parking, went through security, and checked luggage. The first room scanned fine. The second triggered a problem leading to hours of phone calls. She says Royal Caribbean customer service confirmed the reservation was valid and added internal notes stating it was fully paid.

But when she returned to the terminal desk, she says an employee delivered a final decision: “All five of you are no sale. You need to leave.”

“I don’t care”

The most painful moment, Linda says, came when she tried to explain her brother’s situation to the employee.

“I said, ‘please, like, my brother has special needs. He has severe autism. He’s very excited for this cruise’,” she recalls. “And she was like, ‘I don’t care. That’s not my problem.’”

When she asked to speak with the supervisor, she was told he had already boarded the cruise.

“My brother, he’s just like mumbling to himself. He was like, ‘we’re getting kicked out’,” she says. “He looked so sad.”

A suspicious invoice?

The family drove home and spent the day making more calls. Linda says she recorded conversations in which representatives said the reservation should not have been canceled.

Three weeks later, Royal Caribbean sent what Linda calls a “faulty invoice” showing a cancellation date of Jan. 18—the third day of a cruise they never boarded.

“How does that make sense? The trip is January 15th to January 19th. And you said we canceled it the 18th,” she says.

In a pinned comment, she clarified: “We have NOT gotten a refund as of now. Chase currently put the payments and interest on hold for dispute.”

Credit card chargebacks can help travelers in cruise disputes. The Federal Maritime Commission maintains cruise line refund policies and contact information for passengers seeking resolution.

Royal Caribbean’s track record

This may be surprising from the company that industry data shows is the largest cruise line by revenue. But boarding denials  have occurred on Royal Caribbean sailings before. In November 2023, USA Today reported passengers on a Quantum of the Seas sailing were denied boarding when the cruise was oversold.

The brand has encountered other previous controversies, including Environmental Protection Agency fines, a failure to repatriate laid-off crew during the COVID-19 pandemic, on-board fatalities, and the deaths of dozens of passengers in a volcano in New Zealand in 2019.

Commenters urge family: “Lawyer up!”

The comment section filled with sympathy and suggestions to escalate.

“I would consult an attorney,” wrote Jewels. DoobonicPlague agreed: “Speak to a lawyer; that in itself is evidence of deceit and fraud.”

Passengers considering legal action face unique challenges. Cruise ticket contracts typically require lawsuits to be filed within a year, which is shorter than most other civil statutes of limitations, and written notice within six months. Contracts also mandate filing in federal court in Miami.

“People do not understand how autistic people hyperfocus on a subject. I would spend $4k no problem to let my autistic son live out his dream,” wrote CJ.

User Ginger Lee speculated: “I almost wonder if your seats were given away. Like was the boss on the cruise in your cabin?”

What’s next?

The family used their Disney annual passes to take Linda’s brother to Hollywood Studios the next day. Linda says she has sent multiple emails to Royal Caribbean’s guest relations with no response, and the Chase dispute over the charges is ongoing.

Boarding Area reached out to Royal Caribbean and Linda via email for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.

@lindanotlistening 🚨PLEASE SHARE OR COMMENT TO BRING ATTENTION TO ROYAL CARRIBBEAN🚨Making this is out of my comfort zone but I want them to resolve this and stop ignoring us. @Royal Caribbean #scammers #royalcaribbean #travelscam #cruisetok #travelnightmare ♬ original sound – Lindanotlistening