Florida couple arrested over Royal Caribbean cruise scam
If someone offers to book a discounted cruise for you through a friend who works for a cruise line, it's probably too good to be true. That's what friends of one Miami couple found out after trusting their cruise booking to a friend who wasn't even a travel agent.
Working with a travel agent to book a cruise can help you get the best price for your cruise and have the best vacation experience possible, as long as you make sure that you're working with a real, reputable travel advisor.
Come Cruise With Me's travel agent partner, PostCard Travel, recommends verifying travel agent credentials with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) before authorize a travel agent to make a booking on your behalf.
A good travel agent can help you avoid potential travel problems and get your cruise vacation back on track if something goes wrong like a flight delay or a mix-up on board the ship. They should never create problems for you or leave you in the dark about your booking details like alleged scammers in Miami did to victims who paid them thousands for a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Doug Parker shared more details on the Royal Caribbean cruise scam, and more cruise news, on the April 9 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Miami couple faces charges for $200K Royal Caribbean cruise and luxury watch scam
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Thursday, April 9th.
A Miami couple is facing felony charges in a cruise-related fraud scheme that investigators say totaled more than $200,000. Authorities allege that Maria and Antonio Diaz collected money from victims for cruises and luxury items that were never delivered.
Related: Why you should book your cruise through a travel agent
In one case, victims paid more than $44,000 for a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas, but that never happened. Investigators say the suspects blamed the issue on a cruise line employee, but the bookings, well, they were never made.
The scheme reportedly lasted nearly three years and also involved the sales of fake watches. If convicted, the couple could face up to 30 years in prison.
Celebrity Cruises faces lawsuit over slip and fall accident
And a passenger has filed a lawsuit against Celebrity Cruises after an alleged injury on board. The incident happened on board the Celebrity Reflection during a cruise in January of last year.
The passenger claims that she tripped over a speaker on the dance floor, resulting in a fractured foot. The lawsuit accuses the cruise line of failing to maintain a safe environment and not warning guests of hazards.
Celebrity does not comment on pending litigation.
Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas getting major upgrades
And Harmony of the Seas is in dry dock for a major refurbishment. The Oasis-class ship arrived in Spain earlier this month and will undergo a six-week overhaul as part of Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplified program.
Upgrades include a redesigned pool deck, new dining venues, and additional bars. The ship is also expected to add around 100 new staterooms.
Harmony of the Seas is scheduled to return to service in late May for a Med season before repositioning to Port Canaveral for Caribbean sailings.
Related: Three Royal Caribbean cruise ships undergoing major upgrades
And cruise stocks were up Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: up 11%, 28.03. Royal Caribbean: up 4%, 279.26. Norwegian: up 7%, 20.16. And Viking: up 9%, 77.89. I
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In this week's Cruise Radio podcast, a review of Carnival Radiance - where you listen to your favorite podcast.
I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday.
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This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 10:11 AM.