People Spent Thousands To Go On A Cruise With Glenn Beck. Now They Can't Get Their Money Back.

[douglas9]

Last June, Jeff and Jennifer Welliver heard about a cruise around the Mediterranean to be hosted by conservative radio host Glenn Beck and featuring other right-wing luminaries like Bill O’Reilly. Jeff, 68, a retired pharmacist, and Jennifer, 66, had never been on a cruise before. But they’re conservatives, and “this was Glenn Beck– and Bill O'Reilly–sponsored. And we thought it would be nice to be around like-minded people and not have to worry about political conversation or any innuendos.”

“This was going to be our big fling,” Jeff said. “And then it turned out to be a nightmare.”

The Wellivers are among the roughly 2,000 people who registered for Beck’s “Cruise Thru History” that was scheduled to take place this spring. The cruise was to stop in Italy, Croatia, Israel, and Greece, with tours along the way. “What better way could there be to let your family embrace the faith, culture and values that you cherish than to let them experience it for themselves in the places where it actually happened: Jerusalem, Athens or Venice?” reads the website for the cruise. Guests were to disembark from Venice on March 25, and the cruise would return on April 5. The ship, Costa Cruise Lines’ Costa Luminosa, had space for 2,260 guests and “every creature comfort imaginable.” The most basic cabins started at $5,395 with airfare and going up to $9,395 for a “Grand Suite.” Guests could pay an extra $4,999 per person for the “Inner Circle” package with access to a cocktail hour with Beck and other hosts, exclusive onstage access to a show with Beck and O’Reilly, and “2 nights dining with Glenn Beck.”

But the cruise is now indefinitely postponed because of the coronavirus, and people who booked it say they’ve been unable to get their money back even while other cruise customers around the world have been refunded for virus-impeded trips. Multiple passengers told BuzzFeed News they have begged CruiseBuilder, the Utah-based travel agency that handled the bookings, to give them information as far back as February, when the coronavirus outbreak in Italy was becoming severe and as cruise ships were in the news as major vectors of the virus. But they've struggled to get a clear answer on what was to become of the cruise. They’ve since been left in limbo as the company insists the cruise is not canceled, only postponed to sometime in late fall or next spring — and thus refunds aren’t available. A Facebook Group set up by the company to discuss the cruise has become a hotbed of discontent as angry customers have demanded answers. And through it all, Beck has remained almost totally silent about the cruise apart from a short video message in March — until BuzzFeed News reached out to his spokesperson this week.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/glenn-beck-cruise-refund-cruisebuilder-coronavirus?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4

[malaise]

1. Well now there is your free market

with Cons on steroids. I'm betting that not one DUer is on the passenger list

[Wounded Bear]

40. Yep, unbridled capitalism at its finest...nt

[samnsara]

2. whoopsie

[blueinredohio]

3. Thoughts and prayers.

[Luz]

4. Some couples spent $20,000 or more on the

postponed trip.

I'm trying to feel bad for them, but 20k to be around glenn beck?

[Cha]

10. IKR! "..conservative.." is a euphemism for

brainwashed gaslit Con job.

Nice refund policy ya got there, Beck.

[3Hotdogs]

22. I wonder what I would charge for me to see him.

[ProfessorGAC]

48. I'm Not Even Going To Try

Dumb enough to put up serious cash for that cruise?
I don't care if they get their money back.
Not even trying to be sympathetic.

[Lochloosa]

5. Capitalism at its finest. Suck on it

[Laf.La.Dem.]

6. Boy - I missed out - is it too late to send in my deposit?

A Cruise With Glenn Beck - A dream come true

[rurallib]

11. I am sure they would take it

[ResistantAmerican17]

7. I believe Gordon Gekko said it best in "Wall Street"

A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place.

[NCjack]

17. Canada Bill Jones said

"It's immoral to let a sucker keep his money"

[ResistantAmerican17]

24. To which I reply

[dawn5651]

8. that is a lot of money to spend to be around beck and o'liely.....oh well

[Dios Mio]

9. Onward thru the fog suckas.

[hatrack]

12. So, they'll spend $20,000 to avoid any awkward conversations w. strangers?

And voluntarily spend time with Beckkk and O'Really?

Talk about "bubbles".

Sucks to be them.

[MrModerate]

13. Beck and O'Reilly fleecing the sheeple? Say it ain't so, Joe. n/t

[catbyte]

14. Wow, a scam. Who'd a thunk it?

[PCIntern]

15. Who needs the cruise? A bottle of ipecac would do.

[Vogon_Glory]

16. Did they have travel insurance?

This sounds like something that ought to be covered in most travel insurance policies.

I’d like to take a cruise in the Mediterranean next Spring, but (no) thanks to Individual One, Americans are likely to be barred from traveling to Europe even if our Republic sets the trash on the curbside January 20th.

[Blue_playwright]

26. I have a play in London next fall...

I’m hoping life is back to normal so it happens ...

[renate]

59. YOU DO???

Tell us more!!! That’s so cool!!!

[Blue_playwright]

62. Not a huge deal...

Small pub theatre in Clapham run by good folks. We had a nice run of my Unanchored there a couple of years ago with a good review in a paper focused on women’s art. But, small potatoes overall. Lol

[Fullduplexxx]

28. Even people who bought travel insurance have found that their policies don't cover this situation, s

Even people who bought travel insurance have found that their policies don’t cover this situation, since CruiseBuilder is continuing to say that the trip is not canceled, merely postponed.

[Vogon_Glory]

30. Poor sods

I had a costly trip to Skagway and the
Yukon scheduled for mid-September 2001. “What could happen?” I asked myself and put off buying insurance.

Well, I needn’t say what happened. It’s one of many reasons I don’t miss everybody’s favorite dead Saudi.

[North Shore Chicago]

18. Poor little lambs

You can bet their faloofas, foolafas, fasniffles Beck and O'Reilly really don't give a damn.

[onethatcares]

19. "they thought it would be nice

to be around like minded people..........."

Hell, they could save a ton of money and just go to the next white supremacy march in their neighborhood.

I'm having a real hard time finding any concern for their loss.

[tanyev]

20. They're being embraced by the culture and values they cherish. What are they complaining about?

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Libertarians -meet- Libertarianism!

.

Fuck Off and stop your complaining.

.

[musette_sf]

45. + 1

[safeinOhio]

23. Just when Western Europe is ready

to ban Americans. Sucks to be from the USA.

[SamKnause]

25. Good.

This makes me very happy.

It could not have happened to a more vile group of people.

[louzke9]

27. MEANWHILE.....

Beck and O'Reilly will be sitting comfortably at home, COUNTING YOUR MONEY, YOU DOPES!

[Docreed2003]

29. Lol how about those "cherished Conservative values"

I hate they've lost their thousands of dollars, but, I can't say I'm surprised by this in the least.

[maxrandb]

31. and not have to worry about political conversation or any innuendos."

In other words... free to use the "N" word as much as possible.

[The Magistrate]

32. There Is a Pleasant Note To Begin The Day, Sir

[marmar]

33. The Nut Boat, soon won't be making another run.......

[scarytomcat]

34. thank you for your donation to the cause

It would have rained

[brewens]

35. I didn't see when they started selling tickets for that. They were leaving March 25. If it was after

about the middle of February, they were out of their minds booking any cruise. If they get screwed, they have it coming to them.

[Progressive dog]

36. That brightened my day.

Anyone who chooses to pay for a trip with Glenn Beck is begging to be cheated.

[DinahMoeHum]

37. Womp womp, suckers.

#newrostrong

[Arthur_Frain]

38. ''Not have to worry about political conversation"

He meant “Don’t have to listen to anyone have any dissenting opinions at all”.

There Jeff, you’re welcome. I fixed it for you, ya racist, bigoted, intolerant, frightened, ignorant, cowardly, angry, impotent snowflake.

[dreamland]

39. They didn't read the small print... it was a donation

And the cruise was a free gift dependent on the amount you donated. So they don't give money back.

[Renew Deal]

41. They got the full conservative experience without leaving their homes.

False promises, grifting, lies, and a tour through a bunch of socialist countries that outlaw racism and respect privacy.

[JHB]

42. Y'know, folks, this would all be settled if Glenn and Bill just pulled out...

...of this Clown and Crank Cruise. Their contracts have provisions that let them withdraw under certain conditions. Thanks to this indefinite postponement, some of those surely apply, and without the star Clown and Crank it'd have to be cancelled.

You, as individual who have already forked over money, have no clout. Those two do. Will they stick up for you? Or are they okay with the company screwing you?

I just report. You decide.

[doc03]

43. Anyone stupid enough to go on a cruise with Glen Beck deserves to lose thousands nt

[fleur-de-lisa]

44. Ha ha!

Serves you right, ya dumb rubes.

If these folks haven’t yet figured out that Beck is a con artist, they never will.

[dalton99a]

46. Suckers

[Gothmog]

47. Glen Beck is a con artist

[delisen]

49. In Trumpworld they are regarded as losers.

If they continue to complain they will be regarded as confirmed losers.

[Nevilledog]

50. Too. Fucking. Bad.

[Midnight Writer]

51. Next year, we will be seeing ads for Trump Family Cruises. They, too, will be a ripoff.

[Demsrule86]

52. Grifters.

[eppur_se_muova]

53. If you're stupid enough to WANT to go on a cruise w/GB, you deserve to lose everything you own. nt

[BannonsLiver]

54. If I found myself on a cruise with a bunch of Beckian lunatics

I would commandeer one of the life boats in the night and escape.

[Permanut]

55. I nominate this for best post of the day..

Thanks for posting, douglas9!

[Skittles]

56. I know it shouldn't, but this news makes me feel happy

I mean, seriously, fuck those people

[BComplex]

57. NO. REPUBLICAN. CAN. BE. TRUSTED.

When are these people going to finally open their eyes? How much evidence do you need????

[Dem2theMax]

58. I feel so bad.

They really should have been allowed to go ahead with the cruise.

The fact that Covid-19 would run rampant through the ship, and infect the whole bunch of idiots, has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I really wish this cruise had happened.

[Crunchy Frog]

60. Hahahahahahahahaha.

They should just be grateful that it wasn't scheduled for a little earlier in the year, or they might still be there, stuck in their staterooms.