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Houston - Nurses from across the country say a Houston-based travel agency turned their dream vacation into a nightmare. They say they paid for excursions and amenities that they didn't receive, and the agency has now shut its doors.
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"I'm going to relax, I'm going to enjoy myself, just to find out we have been bamboozled," said nurse Anna Boyd.
These nurses say they were on a Mediterranean cruise in May with 100 other nurses booked through Nurses Travel Network based in Humble, Texas.
"It was brought to our attention from Virgin Voyages cruise members that the excursions were in fact canceled due to non-payment," said nurse Monae Shead.
The nurses say they were told excursions, drinks, and amenities they paid hundreds of dollars for were canceled.
They say Nurses Travel Network owner, Karissa Littlejohn, first sent them a note blaming Virgin Voyages, then sent a note saying she was "processing refunds and credits."
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Houston travel agency turns vacation into "nightmare"
Nurses from across the country say a Houston-based travel agency turned their dream vacation into a nightmare.
Virgin Voyages tells us, "Multiple attempts were made to receive payment from the organizer for the shore excursions, but after failing to do so, inventory for these excursions was released per company policy."
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One nurse we talked to says she received a partial refund, but others are worried they won't receive any after getting a note that says, "NTN has decided to close our operations permanently," and to contact bankruptcy law firm Tran Singh LLC. Tran Singh tells us no bankruptcy has been filed.
We sent several emails and left phone messages for Littlejohn. We have not heard back.
We did speak with attorney Cheron Wardlaw in Pennsylvania who says she represents three of the nurses.
"The claims we’re going to be pursuing are for the money back for the trip and there are also going to be claims for some damages," said Wardlaw.
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FOX 26 Legal Analyst Chris Tritico says if there is a bankruptcy, it could be hard to collect.
"Does she have liability insurance? Because then regardless of whether she files for bankruptcy, they may be able to some measure of relief," suggested Tritico.
"I did not enjoy the trip from the beginning. I felt like there was something going on," said Boyd.
Nurses Travel Network had advertised future trips on its website, so Wardlaw says more travelers may be impacted.
To protect yourself when booking travel, use a credit card that offers fraud protection. Some nurses say they are trying to get refunds through their credit cards, but are having trouble getting some of the documentation needed.
Here is the full statement from Virgin Voyages:
"Virgin Voyages assigned a dedicated team to this group and worked closely with their voyage organizer to arrange shore excursions for this voyage as we wanted to provide Nurses Travel Network with excellent service and an unforgettable experience aboard.
Multiple attempts were made to receive payment from the organizer for the shore excursions, but after failing to do so, inventory for these excursions was released per company policy. Additionally, because some of the bookings were made in 2023 while our company was running a Bar Tab promotion, only some of the attendees received this perk. Prior to sailing, the organizer worked to include this add-on for other attendees, but after failure to pay, the amenities were also removed."