In a email sent to customers and supporters who have booked the Asia's first all-gay cruise event, the organisers of Sanctuary Cruise has expressed, with deepest regret, the cancellation of the 6-day cruise set to sail on Mar 27, 2008 from Hong Kong. Sanctuary Cruise Vacations has given assurance of a full refund to all customers.
Sanctuary Cruise was scheduled to take aboard thousands of gay travellers on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas ocean liner on a voyage to Okinawa (Japan), Xiamen (China) before making a return to Hong Kong on April 1, 2008. Cabin rates on the cruise have been available for booking with prices ranging from US$759 to US$7,502 (from US$139 to US$1,399 per night). Renowned international DJ Tony Moran was slated to make his first Asian appearance since Nation VI at the onboard party.
Sanctuary Cruise said in the statement that they were "devastated" when they learnt of the withdrawal of support in financing, which was contractually agreed upon previously.
"Our intention was to give our community in Asia, a Sanctuary of our own. Unfortunately, we are now forced to cancel the event. We apologize for the inconvenience caused," said Sanctuary Cruise Vacations, "we took a risk in bringing a new concept to Asia and you took a risk in supporting our venture. We are eternally grateful for your support".
In the same statement, Sanctuary Cruise has assured all supporters that their deposits are held in trust and will be fully refunded once they finalised records on Feb 1, 2008.
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Reader's Comments
come to sydney mardi gras instead then:P
1, expense/person
2, room rate /room......not per person as they did ......this limited only for double and group travellers and stop single traveller to join this party
then any single people who like to go gonna ask MORE friends to go with them to share the room,it will work like Domino..as gay peoples decide to go somewhere by words of mouth,domino effected called...but this case no domino work......gay going to party it expand by single or few numberstart ..he like to go and ask more friends to go with him,,,it does not innitiate by whole group 2500 peoples at the first time !! it growth by small amount of people and expand to their group
Kevin Bangkok
Expense/PERSON and room rate per ROOM(as hotel room quote...more familiar to us)..more choise for us to choose and combine by ourself...and do more promotion through www.Fridae or Fridae member...it might work well..
Contact "Will" at email: adventuresh@hotmail.com
See also: www.adventureshanghai.com
Cruise Asia Events Pte Ltd
33,Mohamed Sultan Road, #02-10 Singapore 238977.
Tel:(65)67326026
Mob: (65) 97661801
Email: cliffordyap@cruiseasiaevents.com
Website:www.cruiseasiaevnts.com
Website: www.sanctuary-cruise.com
Bear in mind that, the web still activate since cancellation in Feb, so fellow gay community may still made payment online if they don't know the real scenario.So, that's considered as scam. I learnt a lesson to b a wiser pink dollar consumer now & u may cautious towards any credibility of ad/party that put up in Fridae.com for future reference.
some update:
Company Name: Cruise Asia Events Pte Ltd
Registration No: 200612392K
Status: Live
But it's evidence that the exact add in Singapore already closed down the bznes. So, b aware! Somemore, the web still active, meant others could still made online-payment. SCAM!
For u who r in Singapore, go tohttp://www.case.org.sg/ to file a report & c whether can get refund. If u did, let me know the outcome as I couldn't do any in HK.
However, that does not mean that Cruise Asia Events Pte Ltd is the company behind this.
Where did the money go?
Gordon.
I have just set up a Yahoo Group for people to centrally store "evidence" and to discuss their refund efforts. You can join this group by going to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SanctuaryRefund/
If you follow the link and it does not work. Remove everything after the "SanctuaryRefund"
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