Why Do I Get Spam Texts from Cruise Companies?

Consumers are being inundated with an ever-growing number of spam texts. Recently, the number of spam texts from cruise companies in particular has risen rapidly for many people across the country, causing a great deal of frustration.

Unfortunately, spam texts from cruise companies may be more than just annoying—they are often attempts to get you to reveal your personal information. For instance, a spam text might offer a free gift or promotion, but in order to claim it, you need to give them information like your credit card number, your annual salary, or even your Social Security number. It’s important to note that this information is never something you want to give out over the phone to a source that isn’t trusted.

Spam texts may include links that, if clicked, will lead to malware that affects your phone and collects your information. This may be used by marketers in order to target you more directly, but it can also be used by identity thieves.

Spam texts are illegal unless they meet certain conditions. In order for these promotional texts from companies to be considered legal, the company must first have received prior express written consent to be contacted in this manner. Another exception is if the communication is transactional—that is, you have already entered into a business relationship with the company, and they’re sending you statements, warranty information, or the like.

The last major exception is non-commercial messages like political surveys or fundraising messages, which do not constitute spam messaging under Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules.

How Do I Stop Spam Texts?

First, remember not to engage with these texts. Do not click any links or reply with any information.

In order to put a stop to spam texts from cruise companies and other businesses, there are a few steps you can take. Make sure you place your cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry.

Some major mobile service companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer ways to report spam texts by forwarding the spam text to 7726 (SPAM) for free.

These steps are great, but are often not enough to stop less reputable businesses or spammers from attempting to contact you. You may want to file a complaint with the FTC or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which both accept complaints about spam texting issues.

Can I File a Spam Texts Lawsuit?

In one man’s class action lawsuit from 2017 filed against several major cruise companies, he alleged a slew of spam texts were sent without his prior express written consent. The lawsuit has ended in a settlement agreement, which has required the cruise company defendants to create a settlement fund of between $7 million and $12.5 million, depending on the number of class members that end up filing claims.

If you are one of the many receiving unwanted spam texts from cruise companies, you may be able to pursue litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which is meant to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing. Reporting TCPA violations not only helps to enforce the rules, but can also result in an award of between $500 and $1,500 per individual violation.

Join a Free Florida Travel Company TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you live in Florida and received a robocall, pre-recorded message, or unwanted text message to your cell phone from a travel company without first giving your consent to the company, you may qualify to file a TCPA class action lawsuit.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.