Complain about a product or service

Bahamas Florida Express

Beth of Fairfax VA (4/26/04):
I would like to lodge a complaint regarding a travel experience my family had on a recent vacation to the Grand Bahama Island. We traveled aboard the Bahama Florida Express (aka the CAT) from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. I purchased our tickets via phone on February 6, 2004. The tickets were for two adults, one child (3 years or older) and one infant (under the age of 3.) The total price charged to our credit card was $447.00. The reservation agent was aware of the ages of our children as their birthdates were required for international travel documentation.

On the afternoon of March 9th, we arrived at the boat dock as instructed at 1:30pm. We noticed that there were a significant number of college students also waiting to board. We have since learned that actual number of students aboard the CAT that afternoon was approximately 500. As soon as the boat was three miles from the US coastline, the drinking age turned from 21 to 18. The college kids were legal to drink alcohol and became very rowdy and loud. The atmosphere aboard this boat was appalling. No one from the ship tried to stop them or even reprimanded them for their behavior. From the actions of the ship’s employees, I can only assume that they are used to this behavior and find it acceptable.

I began to feel concern for our safety. If anything had happened aboard that ferry as we were well out of sight of land, the consequences would have been disastrous. As the parent of two small children, I was distraught at the situation in which we found ourselves. For another two hours, the partying was non-stop. The students were screaming chants and swearing very loudly. They spilled beer and drinks on the floor making it very slippery and impossible for us to pass or use the concession stand and bathrooms. My daughter sobbed uncontrollably for most of the time we were aboard the boat. My son was agitated and scared and just kept asking to get off the boat.

I think the employees aboard the ship should have made every effort to control the drinking of the students both for the comfort of everyone else aboard and for the safety of the students themselves. Additionally, I feel it was incumbent upon the reservation agent to inform me of that this ferry is a Spring Break party boat. Since the ship was 95% students and no employee tried to stop the horrible behavior, I can only assume that the trip is a “booze cruise.” Even if someone had told me while we were in the terminal that the students would be allowed to drink legally once we were in international waters, I would have changed my travel plans knowing that so many students would be impossible to control.

Upon arrival on the island, I contacted the management of the CAT to inform them of the situation we had just endured. I asked the manager to guarantee that the students would not be allowed to get rowdy on our return trip the following week. She was unwilling to provide that guarantee therefore I did not even consider returning on the CAT as I deemed it a safety risk for my family as well as a traumatic experience for my children. I requested a refund for the amount of our return trip but was immediately and summarily denied that refund. We ended up having to pay $600 for the four of us to fly back to Fort Lauderdale in order to avoid riding the CAT.

Despite the fact that their advertising pitches this trip as a family fun adventure, it is not and obviously they would rather take our money than inform us that the ferry during spring break is not appropriate for young children.

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