A woman who went viral after revealing how she was allegedly scammed out of a $15,000 Carnival Cruise has provided an update on the fallout -- and the company's response.
Tiffany Banks, from Kentucky, shared her upsetting experience after discovering her meticulously planned vacation was abruptly canceled just a day before departure.
According to Banks, Carnival Cruise Line failed to notify her, leaving her family in a lurch after paying in full for the $12,000 Excel Presidential Suite aboard the Carnival Celebration. On top of this, her family also paid thousands of dollars for excursions.
However, in a series of emotional TikToks, Banks recounted how her dream vacation turned into a nightmare when she learned her trip had been canceled after receiving a confirmation email regarding an off-ship excursion, which prompted her to investigate further.
To her dismay, she found out that her entire booking had been canceled via Carnival's online system, allegedly without her consent or knowledge.
Despite her protests, Carnival reportedly offered Banks two interior rooms as an alternative, which she deemed unacceptable. Adding to her frustration, the cruise line refused to issue a full refund, citing their policy that no refunds are provided within 15 days of the cruise date, per the New York Post.
Undeterred, Banks and her family traveled to Miami hoping for a resolution at the last minute, only to watch their ship sail away without them.
In a subsequent video, Banks tearfully shared Carnival's explanation that her booking was canceled due to a form of identity theft. She revealed that she inadvertently shared her booking reference number on Facebook, leading to someone allegedly using it to access and cancel her reservation.
According to Banks, Carnival informed her that the perpetrator's IP address traced back to British Columbia, but they were unable to identify the individual behind the fraudulent act.
.jpg_gVxx8V?tr=w-1024,cr-0.0.1024.686&config=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)
In an effort to appease her, Carnival offered future cruise credit amounting to $10,404, contingent upon Banks posting a social media statement acknowledging resolution of the issue.
However, Banks declined the offer and expressed skepticism over Carnival's security measures, questioning how easily her booking could be compromised without proper verification procedures.
“We’re not sailing with Carnival ever again,” she said in an emotional video.
However, many social media users have placed the blame with Banks for sharing her booking number - alongside her full name - on social media.
The incident has drawn attention beyond social media, with Banks claiming that the Florida attorney general has reached out to her.
She is considering legal action against Carnival, not just for herself but for others who may have faced similar situations. Banks expressed a desire for broader policy changes within Carnival to prevent such incidents in the future.
In response to queries from media outlets, a Carnival representative emphasized the company's commitment to guest safety and reminded travelers to take precautions to safeguard their bookings during the busy summer travel season.
While the company stated that they "refuse to comment on any specific guest complaint or incident," they did add: "It is never a good idea to post personal information about your travel plans, including a confirmation number for a booking, which could allow a bad actor or [idenity thief] to use that information in inappropriate or even illegal ways."
However, Banks claims that the company has updated its website to clearly state: "Never share booking and personal information," as part of their "Summer Travel Tips".
The message is at the top of the Carnival website at the time of this writing.
Banks believes that this is an admission of guilt, and is now no longer speaking out just for her family, but for others.
"This is no longer just about me," she says in a new video. "This is me now wanting to really make a company change their policies and do what is right.
"I would love for this to be a class action because big corporations should not be allowed to just take people’s money.”
A rep from the cruise company told The Post: "With a busy summer travel season underway, we are reminding our guests about several things to make their travel go smoothly."
