Norwegian Cruise Line Warns Cruise Guests of Costly Scam

As scammers get more creative, it has become extra important for cruise guests to stay extra aware to protect their identities and their wallets.

Though new schemes pop up all the time, the latest scam to make it to the internet cost a Norwegian Cruise Line guest nearly $20,000 – and the NCL customer representative she spoke to is now trying to warn others before they meet the same fate.

“This guest had received a call from a 301 area code from someone claiming to work in our air department. She offered to help book the guest’s large group of travelers on specific flights,” the guest services agent shared on Reddit.

“The guest split the payment across two cards. Several days later, both cards were compromised,” they continued.

Norwegian Cruise Line is based in Miami, Florida – and the woman thought the phone call was legitimate because she mistook the 301 area code, which applies to Maryland, as a Miami area code.

According to the employee, the area codes for all NCL employees’ direct lines – including those that work remotely – is always 305. The only exception is that “some folks in our Sawgrass office have a 954 number for Broward County.” 

Making matters worse, the woman fell for the same scam a month later – likely after already having to go through the hassle of reporting her credit cards as stolen.

“A month later, the scammer called them back to say good news, the price went down. Just give me your new card numbers, I’ll book the lower price for you and then refund the original charge. This poor guest is now out close to twenty grand,” the employee added.

As the charge was not actually connected to the cruise line, there was, unfortunately, not much the employee could do to help other than to commiserate and offer advice. The cruise guest will have to turn to her bank to report the fraud and try to recoup her losses.

Stay Protected From Scams

The NCL employee left the forum with a couple key tips about how to stay safe from scams – as they didn’t want to receive a similar call from anyone else.

First, they wanted cruisers to know that they will not get in trouble or lose their booking if they challenge any representative calling them as the cruise line to ensure the person on the other end of the line is who they say.

The cruise expert advised: “If anyone claiming to be from the cruise line contacts you directly, don’t be afraid to push back. Ask them security questions that they should be able to answer easily. “I forget, what’s my balance due? When’s my final payment?”

But when you ask security questions, do not volunteer private information if the caller cannot provide it – as their inability to verify your booking should be clocked as a red flag.

“If it doesn’t feel right, hang up and dial us directly. The extra few minutes is worth it,” they continued.

Make sure to call only legitimate phone numbers from the cruise line’s website – as there have been instances of fake ads promoting fraudulent phone numbers that connect callers directly to scammers who pretend to work for the mainstream brands.

Additionally, do not share any details of your booking publicly – as you could be making things simply too easy for those with malicious intentions.

“Do not share details of your cruise reservation in ANY public forum. Yes, even here. Saying you’ll be on a particular sailing is usually safe, but make sure your name, number in your traveling party, and other identifying details are not included,” they advised.

One TikToker learned this lesson the hard way one year ago – in May of 2024 – after she shared her booking ID and cabin number on social media. Someone who saw her post cancelled her $12,000 sailing one day before embarkation.