I provided a 10 trip business loan to WJBC for the Le Mer project at a cost of $14,950. I used 6 of the trips on other Windjammer ships. WJBC therefore defaulted on 40% of that loan or $5980. Not to mention various airline change fees, fuel surcharges collected but never reimbursed, and hotel charges due to cancelled trips. The total amount that I would claim from WJBC would be approximately $10,265.
I would appreciate being contacted by the person who posted the article about the DHS looking into it.
I purchased a 10 cruise timeshare with Windjammer for 15000.00 I only used 3 cruises and was therefore defrauded out of 10500.00. Plus other incidental expenses like the maintenance fees, transfer fees, and other incidentals for cancelled cruises in which I was unable to use my timeshare...and have documenation of all items.
Any assistance you could provide throwing the Burkes in jail would be MOST EXCELLENT - since we all know we are not getting our money back!
In the fall of 2004, I provided what I consider to be a business loan to Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, Miami Fl. in the amount of $15K for them to purchase and re-build a new deluxe sailing ship to add to the fleet.. They (WJBFC) were to pay me back in 10 annual "Cruises for two on their fleet of ships". I was able to collect on 4 of the repayments. As of January 2008, on which another annual re-payment of a cruise was due to me, Windjammer folded their business and left hundreds, if not thousands of investors, as well as a few hundred crew stranded and unable to collect on their debts.
That leaves a balance due to me of $9K,
Please contact me for any other information needed.
I wasn't connected with either the LaMer or Sail5/Sail10; however, I did lose $1900.00. My funds were in the Salt-It-Away Program to be used against further cruises. Please have the DHS person contact me.
I am fortunate enough not to have lost a lot of money, however, being retired and disabled any amount is a great loss. I bought 3 cruise specials ($399.00 ea), got reimbursed by Discover Card for 1 booking, but not from VISA for the other two (2) in the amount of $798.00
In 2003 and again in 2004, I purchased a total of 20 Pre Paid Vacation weeks on the future Windjammer La Mer or a right to use on any other existing ship in the Windjammer Fleet for a total of $19,350...
In 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 I used 14 of the vacation weeks. With Windjammer going out of Business I am left with 6 prepaid unused weeks as follows...
It's not the loss of the funds that hurts as much as the irrsponsible way the Burkes walked away from their responsibility to their investors, suppliers, loyal customers, loyal crews and loyal office staff..Plus the total distruction of the company that Capt Mike Burke and his wife June built up over 50 years of hard work...No children should ever treat their parents legacy this way.
I lost $5480 (including the worthless travel insurance WJBC sold me) - 4 passengers when the Poly stopped sailing in July of 2007. Was promised 2 for 1 sailings - which never happened, then promised a cash refund that never happend.
In November 2005 I provided a business loan to Windjammer Barefoot Cruises intended to support their renovation of the ship LaMer in the amount of $9000, which was to be returned to me in the form of ten weeks of cruises. The LaMer was never completed, I was able to collect two of the cruise weeks on another vessel in the fleet before Windjammer and all of its ships stopped sailing, therefore Windjammer owes me $7200.
I had paid in full for the Costa Rica trip that promised to be the big come-back under Joey's direction. Too much time had past for Discover to protect me from losing my money.
I lost $1,588.00 and would appreciate someone contacting me for some sort of compensation.
I lost $550 in Windjammers Salt Away program. They quite taking my calls and would not respond to my e-mails when I requested the status of the company.
Bought into the LaMer deal here to the tune of about $13,500 for an admirals suite. I have a nice archived email exchange with the negotiations on that too. I did manage to use 3 of the weeks before Windjammer vanished. So I am out about $9500.
An amazing display of organizing a blitz about WJ here. Almost all posts are the OP's first post.
" Hey, I know, lets all go to CM and post out losses"
While I agree many were taken by the crooks at WJ, this thread is obvious.
Phil & Liz
Phil and Liz,
The tone of your post leaves me "almost" speechless.
The request to post over here was solicited by C/M. I am sure any person (even you) that was defrauded by WJBFC or any cruise line would like to have an avenue to recoup their losses. Through CruiseMates, We now have the name of the Government Agent that is requesting this information. Thank you for that Paul! I am sure you won't be bothered by us much longer.
BTW, I had been a member here for a number of years under another screen name, but I stopped visiting because after sailing on six Foo-Foo's I found that I preferred smaller Sailing Ships to the Big Cruisers.
Have a nice day!
PS: I will refer you the Cruise News article for your reading pleasure:
The request to post over here was solicited by C/M.
Tom
You are correct. I was "out of the loop" on that.
My apologies.
The end of the article shows..." Article continues below "...is there any more to it beyond "The federal government is the last hope of many people who lost money to the Burkes of Windjammer."
Phil & Liz
__________________
The Original Phil & Liz
The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money. Margaret Thatcher
Never take an idiot travelling, you can always pick one up when you get there. Billy Connolly
I Didn't Come here and I ain't Leaving.
Willie Nelson
9/01/2013 Carnival Legend
2/16/2014 BC 7
Bill Murray
20 years ago we had Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Steve Jobs. Now we have no Cash, no Hope and no Jobs. Please don't let Kevin Bacon die.
Hello,
I purchased a Sail10 and only used 4 cruises. Purchase price was approximatly $6000.
What hurt the most was sucking a friend in to join us on a 2 week, back to back cruise from Costa Rica with the Joey Burke Revival Tour. My friend is out approximately $1,800. I will have him post on this site as well.
Please contact me if you need more info.
Steve H.
I too was defrauded by WJ through the LaMer project. I invested approximatly $15,000. in September 2005 for a ten cruise plan. I used five of those cruises before WJ closed their doors, so I have lost about $7,500.
An amazing display of organizing a blitz about WJ here. Almost all posts are the OP's first post.
" Hey, I know, lets all go to CM and post out losses"
While I agree many were taken by the crooks at WJ, this thread is obvious.
Phil & Liz
Phil & Liz, what experience if any do you have with WJBFC? By this post I'm guessing NONE. Many of us are out thousands of dollars and this would appear to be our last chance to recover anything from this. Unbelievable that you would chime in on something like this that does not involve you or concern you.
Dpt of Homeland Security looking for Windjammer Victims
Purchased 10 La Mer cruises for 5455.00, used 6, which leaves 2182.00 plus the "maintenance fees" of 370.00 for a total of 2552.00. Please contact me for any other information.
We lost the $500.00 deposit for a Yankee Clipper cruise in March 2008.
Since the air was already booked we went to Grenada and had a great vacation. Let's all keep digging and maybe someday the Burke family will finally have to pay.
Connect with Facebook
Dpt of Homeland Security looking for Windjammer Victims
Any ideas?
A
Linear Mode
