Art Auction Bait and Switch Leaves Royal Caribbean Guests Upset
Cruise ships offer more than endless buffets, high-flying entertainment, and battles to find lounge chairs near swimming pools.
For some, visiting a ship’s shops, galleries, and art houses is part of the full experience.
But what was supposed to be a celebratory moment at an art auction aboard a Royal Caribbean sailing turned sour for one family.
During a Park West Gallery art auction held on the 4,515-passenger Freedom of the Seas, the family bid on and supposedly won a piece of art for $650.
Although the auctioneer’s gavel confirmed the sale, when finalizing the purchase later, the family was informed that due to a pricing error, the artwork’s price would be $2,700 and not the $650 initially agreed upon.
Currently sailing on an 8-night roundtrip voyage from Fort Lauderdale to the Eastern Caribbean, the father reached out to fellow passengers on social media about his shock and dismay.
“My wife and I (and two kids) attended their art auction and the whole family were drawn to a piece of art,” he wrote. “Someone came over to assist us, and really continued to ‘sell it.’ He provided us the ‘reserve’ lowest price, and we decided to bid on it.”
The then-thrilled-turned-shocked family was informed they had won the auction, but when meeting with Park West Gallery representatives, the digital copy of the artwork did not look the same.
That’s when they were told the piece they purchased was “sold out” and also wrongly priced.
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“I feel like it was a scam, announcing one price to the crowd, but then, later, in private, backing out,” continued the passenger.
He said Royal Caribbean’s Guest Services told him Park West is a separate company and they are not responsible for its business dealings.
The passenger doesn’t condone the partnership, saying, “I feel like Royal [Caribbean] should make sure they do what they said they would do – sell the auctioned painting at the auctioned price they agreed to in a room full of people – as they operate on their ship and under their banner.”
Park West Stirs Controversy
Park West Gallery can be found on nearly 100 cruise ships, including vessels in Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises fleets.
Says the company, “Whether you are an avid art collector or just starting your collection, the Park West Gallery cruise experience is one that is incomparable to anywhere else in the art collecting industry.”
But not all cruisers are enamored by Park West, with many telling the family they should be thankful they just saved themselves $650 and to avoid the gallery in the future.
“I’ve heard for years Park West is a scam. If I and others know it then I assure you RCL [Royal Caribbean] knows it,” replied another. “How much of a cut, if any, is RCL getting from Park West? RCL should ban them.”
While it is true that Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines lease space to galleries and shops found onboard – meaning it earns money from renting the space but doesn’t earn a cut of its sales – it is not responsible for any wrongdoing of its tenets.
Just as any shopper needs to be aware of who they are buying with, cruise passengers may want to turn to reviews to get a good sense of where their money is going.
On TrustPilot, a popular online review platform, Park West Gallery is rated 1.7 stars of 5, with over 100 reviews complaining about its ethics.
The company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit that promotes trust based on their ethical practices and customer interactions.
Art Auction Bait and Switch Leaves Royal Caribbean Guests Upset