Would-be travellers hope to see refunds promised by trip organizer
KRIS DUBE
SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW
What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation has turned into a financial nightmare for almost 150 people who signed up for multiple cruises promoted at the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 230 in Ridgeway.
According to a group of disappointed patrons who faced varying problems with the recent supposed fundraiser, a woman who co-ordinated a cruise to the Bahamas in January, one to Cuba this April and another to Hawaii in 2018, collected almost $250,000 from Legion members and others who visit the branch socially for events such as fish fry dinners and karaoke nights.
They allege she made away with a large portion of this amount, although she says she will make sure anyone entitled to refunds or reimbursements will receive them, and sent out an email to all involved this week making that promise and asking for receipts so she knows how much is owed to people.
When more than 60 people went on the cruise to the Bahamas, some were told a two-way ticket was not paid for and that getting home from Florida would have to come out of their own pockets.
Niagara Falls residents Erik and Judy Jefferys signed up last August for the trip to Bahamas but only a couple of weeks before their scheduled departure, they decided to cancel, feeling there was something suspicious about the trip when the event co-ordinator sent a mass email saying the cruise had been “compromised” and that they would be switching cruise lines from Norwegian to Royal Caribbean. They were assured they would get their money back, but at the beginning of the week were still out the $1,350 they paid for the trip.
There was also some confusion with emails about the time of the bus departure from Ridgeway. Some people who thought they were going on the trip to the Bahamas showed up at the Legion at 11 a.m. on the day of departure to get their bus to the airport, as specified in an email, only to discover the bus had left at 10 a.m.
Robert Lawson and his wife Wendy are waiting for answers and repayment for two trips they paid for – the one to the Bahamas, which they also cancelled ahead of time, as well as one to Hawaii, for a total cost of $5,000.
“Nothing was booked and nothing has happened,” said Lawson of the Hawaii trip, which he fears now may never happen. He’s tired of waiting, he said. “We’ve been told to be patient… be patient,” he said.
A meeting of those who had booked and encountered problems was held at the legion hall Tuesday. Karen Gushue, the woman who had been organizing the trips, was there, and tried to reassure those who were out money that they would be reimbursed “soon,” said Judy Jefferys, who has little confidence she will see her money again.
Outraged about his own financial losses, Lawson also feels sympathy for the people who followed through with the trip and had to shell out a considerable amount of money they didn’t anticipate spending – just to get home.
“Some of these people were so sad – they’ve never been on a trip before and they were so excited to go,” he said.
John Tippel and his wife Diana were one couple who made it to the Bahamas. Although they encountered some problems on the cruise, the real nightmare was getting home.
First they discovered that although they were told the price of the cruise included a free open bar, as advertised in all-capital, bold letters on the flyer circulated at the Legion branch in Ridgeway since last summer, that was not the case.
John said he had just got comfortable in his lounge chair and asked the waiter for a glass of red wine when he got his first surprise — he was told it would be $13.50.
“It was a hell of a shock,” he said.
But it was an even worse shock when the ship returned to Florida and he learned that it would cost him an additional $1,000 to get home — there was no return flight booked.
Branch 230 president Barbara Hopkins is devastated about what has allegedly occurred but insists it was not a Legion-sanctioned event.
She said she prefers to let the Niagara Regional Police Service conduct its business on this matter before making any further comments on the allegations.
“There’s a lot of stuff I’d like to say but I’m not going to override them while they’re still investigating,” she said.
Local police did confirm the matter is being investigated.
“Several people have come forward about the outcome of their travel plans for the cruise and the planned Hawaii trip. No charges have been laid at this time,” said NRP Const. Virginia Moir, media relations officer.
It is also alleged that a third cruise, one to Cuba, was also being planned by Gushue, which several people have paid $900 for.
Gushue is referring to the recent Bahamas debacle as “the trip from hell” and claims “no money was stolen from anybody.” She told the Times Monday morning she would be sending out an email to everyone who had paid for the cruises, and a refund would be delivered to everyone affected.
At the meeting at the Legion branch last week, Gushue said she attempted to address the concerns of dozens of people.
“I tried to answer their questions but it was impossible — it was like a lynch mob.”
She says she has been working closely with law enforcement on the accusations made against her, and has voluntarily contacted the police four times.
Asked about the reason for all the confusion, Gushue said “quite a few mixups” are to blame.
“We’re working on getting to the bottom of it now,” she said.