I "won" a cruise. I paid "fees." No cruise.

A robocall said I had been selected for a cruise I did not remember entering; the operator sounded cheerful and emailed a confirmation with a cruise line logo.

We had not had a holiday in years, so I stayed on the line.

They said I only needed to cover port fees, then taxes, then travel insurance, each time promising the cabin was held.

I paid by card until my partner asked why the amounts kept growing; I sent one more “final” fee before I stopped.

Vacation prize scams sell a trip that does not exist or was never booked; every fee is profit.

The number and website vanished when I asked for a booking reference I could verify with the cruise line directly.

Between payments I told myself one more small fee was cheaper than losing the “win” we had already funded.

When I called the cruise line on their public number, reservations had no record of my name or confirmation code—the email graphics had been copied from the real site.

The money was gone and the holiday we imagined never happened; filing with the bank and FTC took evenings I had hoped to spend packing.

Real prizes you did not enter are almost always scams; legitimate cruises do not collect endless prepaid fees by phone.

• Verify any “prize” travel by calling the cruise line or hotel using the number on their official site.
• Report vacation fraud to the FTC (US) or your consumer protection agency.

For more help, see our Report a scam page and Spot and avoid scams guide.