A woman recently shared her experience of winning a “free” cruise trip, shedding light on some of the hidden details involved.
Every year, millions of travelers choose to embark on cruise vacations. The allure of luxury service combined with the opportunity to explore multiple destinations makes it a favored option. However, the high cost of most cruises makes them inaccessible for many aspiring vacationers.
One individual claimed to have won a complimentary trip with a prominent Asian cruise line, but she discovered that even a “free” trip can come with additional expenses.
She took to Reddit to share a picture of her prize letter from StarDream Cruises.
StarDream Cruises operates routes throughout Asia, linking various countries in Southeast Asia—including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia—with nations in East Asia such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
The prize was a five-night cruise for two, departing from Taiwan aboard the company’s Star Navigator vessel. The winner had until November 2 to claim the prize, but there were several terms and conditions attached.
Seeking advice on the R/Cruise subreddit, the winner wrote: “I recently won a 5-night cruise onboard Star Navigator with StarDream Cruises (Balcony Stateroom for 2). It sounds amazing, but I’m wondering if anyone here has claimed something similar.”
She elaborated on the fine print, stating, “The fine print says: I still have to pay visa fees, port charges, gratuities, etc. Blackout dates apply. I must book at least 1 month ahead. Not transferable or refundable.”
She then asked the community what she should anticipate “in terms of costs or experience.”
One user replied, “Did you enter a contest with this cruise line to win a cruise? If not, it’s tied to something and not worth the hassle,” which became the top-voted response.
Another user added, “As some wise guy said, there is nothing free in this world. If something seems to be too good (like free), it comes with a lot of strings attached.”
Some speculated that the “free” trip might have been the result of attending a timeshare presentation.
“Usually these types of giveaways come after you sit through a timeshare presentation or signed up for a raffle,” one user noted, while another added, “It feels like there should be another catch lingering somewhere like sitting through a timeshare presentation or an expectation of certain levels of casino play if you’ve been offered this based on past gambling, but it’s a legit cruise line and they’re telling you to contact an email address with their domain.”
They suggested, “It could just be that they’re desperate to fill cabins and would rather someone was in it and spending money on board than if it was empty – they’re not losing money on the port fees etc, so it’s not outside the realms of possibility.”
Another user straightforwardly stated, “No idea if this is reputable or not but reputable sweepstakes with a cruise as a prize often require you to pay visa fees, ports fees, and gratuities. Blackout dates is just another way to say there has to be room for you to claim a specific cruise.”
In response, a spokesperson for StarDream Cruises told UNILAD, “The prize winner may contact our Reservations Team directly at [email protected], attaching their prize letter for validation. Our team will be happy to assist to check on the validity of the prize letter, or enquiries on cabin availability, bookings and clarifying any terms outlined in the prize letter. With regards to sitting through a timeshare presentation or something similar, we do not practice that.”