A Village of Hemingway couple appears to be out $8,000 after a cruise company went bust.
Carole LaPine received notification by e-mail on Wednesday from Legendary Journeys that the 21-day European cruise package she had booked with them in March was cancelled. The email said that the company needed to restructure blaming employee theft, Cuba and hurricanes. The email promised a 100 percent refund and assurances that Legendary Journeys has plenty of money to cover the refunds which people can expect by Dec. 30.
This close to her December departure La Pine had her booking number and cabin assignment. After repeated attempts to reach Legendary Journeys by phone, La Pine contacted the cruise line directly and was told that her booking had been cancelled along with several others from Legendary Journeys and that no money had been paid to the cruise line. La Pine paid her deposit and final payment by check as required by Legendary Journeys. Currently she is out $8,000 for the cruise she and her husband had been planning to take.
“Their website is down, they are not answering calls and their emails they said will be answered at their convenience,” said La Pine.
La Pine has checked the Better Business Bureau and found out they had many complaints.
“I never had any reason to doubt them, they have a big ad in the paper every Sunday. They were the only ones in the area offering the cruise on the brand new MSC ship,” said La Pine.
This would have been La Pine’s first cruise with Legendary Journeys.
“We checked in with the agent periodically, everything seemed fine,” she said.
“We have been left high and dry. The office is closed, the website is down and phones aren’t being answered.”
“I am upset and want to make some noise because we are still receiving e-mails from Legendary Journeys announcing cruises,” said La Pine. She said that she assumes these are automatically generated as the office website is down, but “wants to make people aware the company is out of business.”
Legendary Journey’s website says it is under construction. The cancellation email sent to clients said that for 20 years Legendary Journeys has been a travel institution in Florida.
