Cruise Email Scams and How to Spot Them
Free cruises you never entered for, urgent booking problems and other fakes, with the FTC’s advice.
Get Free Cruise QuotesCruise Email Scams: What They Look Like
Cruise email scams borrow the excitement of a real offer. They promise a free or nearly free cruise, an urgent refund, or a problem with a booking you may or may not have made. Their goal is the same every time: get you to pay a fee, hand over card details or click a link that installs something harmful.
The “you’ve won a cruise” email
A prize you never entered, which you can claim once you pay “taxes” or “port fees”. The FTC is blunt: if you have to pay to get your prize, it is a scam.
The fake booking problem
A message that looks like it comes from a cruise line, warning that your cabin will be released unless you confirm your card details today.
The too-good fare
A luxury cruise at a fraction of the usual price, with no ship name, no dates and payment only by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
The survey reward
A “thank you for sailing” survey that ends by asking for your card number to pay shipping on a gift.
Warning Signs the FTC Lists
The FTC’s phishing guidance describes messages that seem to come from a company you know, claim there is a problem with your account or ask you to confirm personal or payment information, and push you to click a link or open an attachment. It also notes that legitimate companies will not email or text you a link to update your payment information.
For prize offers, FTC advice on prize scams adds three tests: paying to get a prize, paying to improve your odds and being asked for financial or personal information are all signs of a scam.
What to Do With a Suspicious Cruise Email
- Do not click, reply or call the number in the message.
- Check independently. Visit the cruise line’s website by typing its address yourself, or ask the advisor who booked your cruise.
- Report it. Forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org, forward texts to 7726, and file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Delete it once reported.
- If you paid or shared details, contact your bank or card issuer straight away.
Our own list is easy to recognise: you only receive the Mister Cruise Special Offers newsletter if you signed up for it on the Mister Cruise website, and every email carries a way to unsubscribe. We never ask for payment details by email. Real quotes from our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise come after you ask for one.
Cruise Email Scams: FAQ
I received an email saying I won a free cruise. Is it real?
Be very careful. The FTC’s rule of thumb for prizes is simple: if you have to pay to get your prize, it is a scam. You also cannot win a contest you never entered.
Where do I report a fake cruise email?
The FTC says to forward phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org, forward phishing texts to 7726 (SPAM), and report the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
I clicked a link in a fake cruise email. What now?
The FTC suggests updating your security software and running a scan. If you shared personal or payment details, it points to IdentityTheft.gov for next steps, and you should contact your card issuer.
Not Sure an Offer Is Real?
Send us the details through our quote form and our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will tell you whether a genuine version of that cruise exists, and what it costs.
Ask Us to Check