LOSING, NOT CRUISING
A GOLD Coast travel agency’s shock collapse has left at least 16 people fearing that their cruise holiday dreams have been shipwrecked.
Clients of the Travel and Cruise Centre Runaway Bay claim the money they gave the agency for their holidays never made it to the cruise companies.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission have confirmed liquidators RSM Australia Partners were appointed to the agency on June 27.
A GOLD Coast travel agency’s shock collapse has left at least 16 people fearing that their cruise holiday dreams have been shipwrecked.
The clients of the Travel and Cruise Centre Runaway Bay claim the money they gave the agency for their holidays never made it to the cruise companies.
For Alex Hoskins, this means his party of seven have lost about $25,000 taken for a cruise around Japan.
Mr Hoskins personally spent $5000. He has receipts for a $1000 deposit taken on February 22, and a further $4000 payment on May 30.
Mr Hoskins found out the agency was closed the week after he, his wife and his neighbours had paid for their holidays.
He rang Norwegian Cruise Liners and was told the company had not received their advance payments.
A fortnight later the business was put into liquidation, he said.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission confirmed liquidators RSM Australia Partners were appointed on June 27.
“We have lost all of this money and we have also forfeited the cruise as well,” Mr Hoskins said.
“We can’t afford to just pay for the whole holiday again.”
Lexie Ciolek was supposed to go on a cruise with her husband, two daughters, a son-in-law and four grandchildren.
That too looks like it won’t happen despite them paying a combined $10,0000 by June 11.
She said she contacted Carnivale Cruise Liners but they didn’t have the reference number she was given by the agency.
“If they were in financial trouble they shouldn’t have taken our money,” she said.
“We are pensioners and we can’t afford to just pay for another holiday.”
The Bulletin tried to contact the director of the business but the phone numbers have been disconnected.
The Bulletin’s attempts to speak with the liquidator yesterday were unsuccessful.
WE ARE PENSIONERS AND WE CAN’T AFFORD TO JUST PAY FOR ANOTHER HOLIDAY LEXIE CIOLEK