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Vantage Travel is bankrupt. Here’s what customers need to know

Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman

July 16, 2023

Vantage Deluxe World Travel finally pulled the plug on itself and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 29. This move was no surprise to anyone following the troubling situation at the once well-respected tour operator. 

What did come as a surprise was the true debt the company amassed before increasing negative publicity about its operations forced it to shut down. The legal team of Vantage Travel revealed that shocking figure in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proposal.

All told, Vantage Travel owes customers, vendors, contractors, and other creditors over 170 million dollars.

The value of the assets of the company is a mere fraction of that number. 

Vantage Travel’s legal team says the company’s primary asset is its customer database, which it’s hoping to sell. But that list contains disgruntled and distraught would-be travelers, to whom Vantage collectively owes nearly 110 million dollars. 

With figures like those in the bankruptcy proposal, it’s hard to imagine the customer list of Vantage Travel holds any value. But apparently it does.  

In the follow-up bankruptcy hearing on July 5, which I attended via Zoom, not one but two companies stepped forward in the courtroom to express a desire to buy the remnants of Vantage Deluxe World Travel for one million dollars.

Today, thousands of Vantage Travel customers want to know what all this means. They’ve been waiting for months and, in many cases, years for promised refunds. Those refunds, if the bankruptcy court approves the current proposal, will likely never materialize.

If you’re one of those thousands of Vantage Travel customers , here’s what you need to know. 

What should Vantage Travel customers do right now ?

According to court records, the database Vantage intends to sell to United Travel Pte. Ltd includes customers’ credit card information and passport numbers, among other personal details.

Update: During the sale auction held on Aug. 7 and 8, 2023, Pacific Travel Partners , a subsidiary of Aurora Expeditions, won the bidding. On Aug. 14, 2023, Judge Janet Bostwick in U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved the sale.

This proposal doesn’t sit well with thousands of Vantage Travel customers who already consider themselves victims of the company. They view the sale of their private data to the highest bidder as yet another betrayal by the tour operator to whom they gave their loyal business.

• Update : On July 20, 2023, the Consumer Privacy Ombudsman (John Loughnane) appointed by the the U.S. Trustee published his first report on the Vantage Travel bankruptcy case. In this document, he explained that in response to the ongoing complaints about the company’s intention to include personal credit card and passport details in the customer list, Vantage has adjusted those plans. The legal team of Vantage now says that those details will not be transferred to the buyer and the encrypted data will be destroyed before the sale is concluded.

There are a number of things Vantage Travel customers can do now to make sure the bankruptcy court hears their opinions.

1. File Form 410 (Notice of Claim)

Vantage Travel customers owed a refund or have a future trip scheduled should file an official proof of claim. Here’s how to do that:

• Fill out Form 410 Proof of Claim .
• Print out the the form.
• Mail it to the following address: Vantage Travel Service, Inc. Claims Processing c/o Stretto 410 Exchange, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92602

Update : The deadline to file a form 410 Notice of Claim is Dec. 1, 2023 . A number of customers have asked me if they need to file the 410 in the bankruptcy court if they’ve already received their notification of future credits with Pacific Travel. The answer is “Yes.” No one knows what the future will bring and should any funds be made available to the unsecured creditors down the road, you’ll want to be on the official list for a cash distribution. So if Vantage Deluxe World Travel owes you a refund, make sure you put yourself on that list.

2. Contact the U.S. Trustee’s office

The U.S. Trustee Program at the Department of Justice is the bankruptcy proceeding’s watchdog.

These are the key team members (and their contact information) working on the Vantage Travel bankruptcy case:

• Eric Bradford (Lead attorney, U.S. Department of Justice)
• John Loughnane (Consumer Privacy Ombudsman)
• Jason Longton (Paralegal Specialist)

The U.S. Trustee’s team is inviting Vantage customers to submit their questions and concerns to Jason Longton.

Consumers who wish to become part of the unsecured creditors’ committee should send a message to Longton indicating that intention. Those customers will receive a request for more detailed information from the Department of Justice.

Note: The Section 341 meeting of unsecured creditors is scheduled for Aug. 1 at 1:30 p.m. Customers can attend that meeting remotely.

3. Subscribe to receive Vantage bankruptcy updates

Things are happening unusually fast in this bankruptcy case. In the hearing on July 5, the lawyers for Vantage and the potential buyer mentioned the “Need for speed” here. They argued Vantage Travel’s value plummets further each time a new unfavorable article appears in the media.

To keep up with the rapidly evolving case, customers can subscribe to the Vantage bankruptcy updates on Stretto . Stretto publishes all the official documents and transcripts.

4. Attend the hearings in person

The Vantage bankruptcy proceedings are public. That means anyone can attend the hearings at the United States Bankruptcy Court in Boston. Keep your eye on updates in Stretto to find out when the next hearing will be.

5. Attend the hearings via Zoom

As most of the unsecured creditors (customers) are not located in Massachusetts, the court has agreed to a remote broadcast. To participate, you’ll need to create a free Zoom account . Interested consumers can email the court deputy prior to each hearing and request a link to join.

* Note : Make sure to turn off your video camera and microphone if you intend to participate via Zoom. Otherwise, the court and everyone else can see and hear you — even if you aren’t aware of it!

Only turn on your camera and microphone if Judge Bostwick asks for comments and you wish to speak. During the first hearing, she did ask Zoom participants if they had questions.

6. Join our Vantage Travel Customer Support Facebook group (not affiliated with Vantage Travel)

So far, no court has required Vantage to alert its entire customer list of the bankruptcy filing. As a result, many customers who aren’t on the internet have remained in the dark about the situation. I continue to receive emails and phone calls from surprised Vantage customers who come across one of my articles and only just now are hearing the bad news about the company.

To combat this lack of transparency, we established a private Facebook group . We dedicated this space to providing reliable information, guidance, and friendly emotional support to everyone troubled by the Vantage bankruptcy. Our group has become known as a trusted source of factual information that Vantage doesn’t necessarily want to be publicized.

This private group includes thousands of Vantage customers, employees, vendors, and suppliers. Additionally, you’ll find notable journalists, TV newspeople, public relations executives, and of course, consumer advocates.

Will Vantage Travel customers receive refunds?

When cruise lines or tour operators go bankrupt , it often hits the consumers the hardest.

The harsh reality is that it is unlikely that Vantage Travel customers will get their money back. Certainly, it will not happen as a result of the bankruptcy proceedings. 

Vantage Travel is over 170 million dollars in debt with no real assets. Secured creditors and the lawyers involved in bankruptcy proceedings stand at the front of the payout line if there are any proceeds at the conclusion of the case. Unsecured creditors (customers) always get the short end of the stick when a company goes belly-up holding their funds (See: How to get a refund if your cruise line goes bankrupt ). 

But there is one exception to this rule in the Vantage case.

What about trips booked just before Vantage Travel declared bankruptcy?*

Customers who purchased new tours on May 12, 2023, or later will likely receive all their money back. Here’s why: (Please see update below)

Even after it was clear that Vantage was heading to bankruptcy court and had no chance of operating future trips, it continued to market and sell phantom tours to customers who hadn’t yet heard about the company’s dire situation. 

The sales team at Vantage Travel was one of the last departments to be let go. Right up until June 20 (the day they were all fired), these employees, who received commissions based on their sales, continued to cheerfully hype future tours to unaware, mostly elderly customers who were willing to pay with a bank transfer. 

The good news for these customers is that Vantage put all of that group’s cash in a separate account. According to the bankruptcy proposal, there are 2.1 million dollars in a separate account that represents all sales from May 12, 2023. 

If the court approves the sale of Vantage Travel, that money will transfer to the new company. If the new owner is unable to operate the tours as scheduled for those customers, they will be eligible for a cash refund.

*Update* : Because of multiple objections to this part of the sale agreement, it was removed from the final document that was approved on Aug. 14, 2023. The 2.1 million dollars will now remain as part of the bankruptcy estate of Vantage Travel, and customers who purchased new trips after May 11, 2023, will not receive special treatment. They will file a Form 410 as the rest of the Vantage customers .

What about the 1.2 million dollars the Attorney General retrieved?

Last month, in response to growing inquiries from media outlets in Boston, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office released a memo announcing it had retrieved 1.2 million dollars from Vantage for customers. 

Unfortunately, that statement set off a new wave of confusion among Vantage customers, who assumed that now there was a pile of money to share for those in line for a refund.

The truth is that the Massachusetts Attorney General has received nearly 1,200 complaints from Vantage customers since 2020. The 1.2 million dollars cited in the press release is the total amount the office has negotiated in refunds for Vantage customers during the entire three years. Vantage did not send money to the Attorney General, and no cash is waiting for disbursement.

If you consider that Vantage Travel sold luxury tours that on average cost around $15,000, it’s not hard to figure out that the vast majority of customers who contacted the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (or any other advocate) have not received a refund.

Will the new owner honor our Vantage Travel trip or refund?

If you are a Vantage customer and  have a future trip scheduled , you can assume it’s canceled. Your contract is with Vantage Deluxe World Travel, and at the end of the bankruptcy proceedings, that company will no longer exist.

In the bankruptcy filing, there are no provisions for cash refunds for customers.

If the bankruptcy proposal proceeds as is, customers who are owed refunds will only receive a small future trip credit from the new company. The value of the credit will be equal to 20 percent of the refund that Vantage Travel owed to the customer.

* August Update : Pacific Travel Partners, a subsidiary of Aurora Expeditions, became the winning bidder for the remnants of Vantage Travel. Under the sale agreement, Vantage customers who are owed refunds will receive future travel credits equal to 100% of the value of what was owed to them at the time of the bankruptcy (with limitations). This is a much better outcome compared to what the customers would receive had the competing company United Travel won the bankruptcy auction.

Can I file a credit card dispute against Vantage?

The Fair Credit Billing Act protects credit card-using consumers from merchants who do not provide the purchased goods or services as described. It also protects consumers against fraud. 

Customers who paid for their Vantage Travel tour with a credit card should contact their credit card company to ask about filing a chargeback based on services not received as promised. 

If your credit card company accepts your dispute, you will receive a temporary credit, and Vantage will have 30 days to respond to the chargeback. At the end of those 30 days, if Vantage has not responded, the temporary credit will become permanent. 

Note: If you made your payment many months or even years ago, you may need to remind your credit card company that the deadline for filing a dispute is based on the expected date of service, not the date you first made a payment. If the front-line customer service agent doesn’t accept your request, ask to speak to a supervisor who will likely be more familiar with the Fair Credit Billing Act.

Strange update: There’s been a strange turn of events for customers who have filed valid credit card disputes against Vantage Deluxe World Travel . Who is contesting those credit card chargebacks?

Could my bank reverse the payment I made to Vantage?

Unfortunately, most Vantage customers did not use a credit card to pay for their trip. Instead, they were enticed by the small discount Vantage offered when a customer would pay with an instant bank transfer.

In general, bank transfers are not reversible – especially ones that were authorized by the consumer. However, that should not prevent you from asking your bank about this possibility.

In some cases, if the bank transfer has been initiated in the last 30-60 days, your bank may decide to pursue the reversal with the receiving bank. 

Will the Travel Protection sold by Vantage help?

The Vantage Travel Protection is of no use to its customers now that the company has ceased to operate and is bankrupt. 

The product was highly problematic because Vantage was self-insuring Part A of that policy (pre-departure cancellations) – with no underwriter.

And Vantage ran out of money… a long time ago. 

Today, Vantage owes around 5 million dollars to customers who have approved claims via its “travel protection” that, in the end, provided no protection at all to those travelers.

What about that Allianz policy?

Travel insurance can be confusing to consumers. There is no doubt about it. For that reason, the industry offers a 10-14 day (depending on the company) look-over period during which travel insurance purchasers can carefully review the entire policy. After that time, the policy becomes nonrefundable and legally binding.

The travel insurance industry is highly regulated and so consumers can be confident that an insurance company will provide all the protection described in their policy. The opposite is also true. By thoroughly reading the document during the look-over period, travelers can be certain of what is and isn’t covered by the travel insurance policy.

Unfortunately, many travelers do not read those travel insurance policies.

As a consumer advocate, that fact has never been more clear to me than in the past three months. During that time, my email box and message center have been flooded with questions and misunderstandings about the responsibility Allianz and TripMate have to Vantage customers.

The Vantage Deluxe World Travel Protection Plan came with a 10-day look-over period. But the mass confusion about this policy proves that most customers didn’t read the document — until now.

In the Vantage case, Allianz and TripMate were only providing post-departure travel insurance. That means that all customers who bought that policy from Vantage had full post-departure medical coverage, trip interruption and delay protection, evacuation benefits, lost luggage coverage and more. It was a valuable, comprehensive travel insurance product that many Vantage customers who completed their trips utilized.

Of course, that part of the policy had no value if Vantage didn’t actually operate the tour. 

Will travel insurance ever pay when a tour company cancels?

Desperate Vantage customers are looking for any alternative way to recoup the money that Vantage owes to them. I’ve received a plethora of requests from customers asking me to ask TripMate and Allianz to provide the refunds that Vantage owes them.

These requests indicate a basic misunderstanding of the Vantage Travel Protection Plan at its core: it only pertains to customer-initiated cancellations. Neither part of that plan provides any coverage for a cancellation initiated by Vantage.

Fact: When a tour operator cancels a customer’s trip, it owes the refund — not the travel insurance company. The only exception to this rule, is if the tour operator goes bankrupt AND the customer purchased a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes an insolvency clause.

For a more detailed explanation of the difference between a travel protection product and a true travel insurance policy, you can read Consumer Rescue’s guide on the topic.

Will the new company give Vantage customers a free trip as a gesture of goodwill?

No. This is a suggestion that lands in my email box over and over again. The new company is a for-profit company. They wish to buy the customer data so that they can market to the list and sell new trips. None of the companies vying to buy that list are offering to absorb the enormous debt that Vantage has accrued.

The bottom line: A 110 million dollar goodwill gesture isn’t going to happen.

I’m sorry I don’t have better news to report for Vantage customers. I will continue to update our readers via Facebook , in the Consumer Rescue newsletter and in our Facebook group. Stay tuned…

*Update 8/20/23: Vantage Travel is sold. Here’s what that means to customers

Update 11/27/23: The deadline to submit a notice of claim (410) to the bankruptcy court is Dec. 1, 2023. Make sure to file electronically via Stretto before that date if you were owed a refund at the time Vantage Travel filed for bankruptcy.

Update: 12/1/23: The deadline to file a notice of claim has passed but if you are a Vantage Travel customer who is owed a refund from the bankrupt company, you should contact the new company Vantage Explorations. You may be able to receive future travel credits with VE. Here’s how to contact their team: [email protected] (Note: Only one E in the middle of that email address.)

Related: Good news: Here’s how Consumer Rescue helped return nearly $100,000 to Vantage Travel bankruptcy victims as we ended 2023.

Update: 1/21/24: Why are so many former customers of Vantage Travel opting out of their credits with the new company? Is there any way to reverse what looks like bankruptcy claimant confusion? ( Michelle Couch-Friedman , reporting for Consumer Rescue)

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New management of bankrupt Vantage Travel to reimburse customers who had trips canceled 100% in travel credits

Jilted customers will receive full credit on future trips.

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Jilted customers of Vantage Travel , the luxury cruise line that went bankrupt in June and canceled trips worth thousands of dollars, will receive 100% reimbursement to put toward future travel thanks to new buyer Pacific Travel.

According to details of an agreement outlined in federal bankruptcy court Wednesday, customers will have until Nov. 30, 2028, to book travel with the new company, and caps will be imposed for how much value can be applied to individual services.

A cruise ship is seen off Port Douglas in Cairns, Australia, in 2012. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

Oceangoing travel credits will be capped at 50% of the trip's cost, while credits toward river cruises and land travel, like safaris, will be capped at 20%. Credits can be applied toward either a deposit or later payment but cannot be used toward airfare, according to the agreement.

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Credits are also transferrable to friends or family and be spread across multiple trips .

The embattled Boston-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June. (Vantage Cruise Lines / Fox News)

The news comes after Boston, Massachusetts-based Vantage Travel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy June 29, had agreed to be acquired by United Travel Pte. Ltd., an affiliate of Nordic Hamburg and Heritage Expeditions. Last week, however, Pacific Travel of Aurora Expeditions in Australia, placed a $2 million bid to assume Vantage's assets, WFXT Boston 25 reported .

In the bankruptcy filing, Vantage admitted that customers lost $108 million for trips they had paid for, but never got to take.

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"Vantage has sought customary relief from the court to preserve the status quo pending completion of the sale," the company wrote in a statement. "Vantage has sought approval to complete the sale promptly, subject to any higher and better offers that may be submitted through the court-supervised sale process."

Vantage Travel has been under fire for months after hundreds of consumers complained about a lack of refunds for canceled or postponed trips. (iStock / iStock)

Boston 25 reported that the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office said it received more than 1,120 consumer complaints against Vantage since Jan. 1, 2020. 

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The customers complained that they did not receive any refund after their luxury cruise was unexpectedly canceled.

Vantage Travel did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

A final ruling on the purchase will take place Monday.

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Customers of Vantage Travel, who lost trips worth thousands of dollars when the Boston-based luxury cruise line abruptly shut down, will be able to apply the value of their canceled trips to future travel according to details of an agreement outlined in federal bankruptcy court.

The proposed sale of Vantage to Pacific Travel Partners follows an auction that lasted two days. Details are being divulged in a hearing in front of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Janet E. Bostwick, who is overseeing the sale of the company’s assets.

The winning bidder is Pacific Travel Partners, a subsidiary of Australia-based Aurora Expeditions, which runs similar tours to those offered by Vantage. The cash price of the proposed sale is $2 million, but the winning bid also brings a better-than-expected opportunity for customers to recoup the value of their lost trips.

In the bankruptcy filing , Vantage admitted that customers lost $108 million for trips they had paid for but never got to take.

Under previous proposals, Vantage customers would only have received 20% off a single future trip, and the credits were not transferable. Customers objected to that detail of the plan and sought to block the sale. (Video below)

However, the deal announced Wednesday will allow customers to use 100% of their claim against Vantage toward future trips with the new company.

Customers will have until Nov. 30, 2028, to book travel with the new company, and caps will be imposed for how much value can be applied to individual services. Oceangoing travel credits will be capped at 50% of the trip's cost, while credits toward river cruises and land travel, like safaris, will be capped at 20%. Credits can be applied toward either a deposit or later payment but cannot be used toward airfare.

Credits can be spread across multiple trips and transferred to friends or family but customers using the credits will be required to obtain travel insurance from a third-party provider.

Because the auction ran late on Tuesday night, attorneys have not submitted the terms of the sale in writing, and Judge Bostwick indicated she likely won’t approve it until a new hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

Vantage lays off employees weeks after announcing it was up for sale

Vantage Travel, a longtime Boston cruise and tour company, has laid off an unspecified number of employees, weeks after the company said it was negotiating a sale, according to interviews with multiple laid-off employees and a copy of an internal e-mail.

The former employees said they were informed at a virtual meeting last week that a hoped-for sale of the travel company had not happened, at least not on the expected timetable, leading to the layoffs. It is unknown whether a sale is still possible.

For years, Vantage has come under fierce and sustained criticism from customers for years-long delays in refunds for canceled trips, some dating back to the beginning of the pandemic. In April, Vantage customers began publicly complaining about last-minute cancellations of long-planned — and paid for — trips.

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The former employees said news of the layoffs was delivered on June 20 by top Vantage managers at a virtual meeting of sales and other employees, most of whom worked remotely dealing with customers and prospective customers on the phone as part of the company’s “call center.” About 15 people attended that meeting. The total number of employees laid off could not be determined.

In an e-mail to employees, a Vantage human resources manager said that “as this is a layoff, all are eligible for unemployment benefits,” while covering other issues relating to the layoffs, such as the date of their final paycheck and health care insurance options. Employees were also asked to return laptops.

“I just want to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and patience especially during the last few months,” the manager said. “I wish you the best of luck going forward.”

Former employees interviewed by the Globe asked that their names not be used to avoid possibly negative repercussions during a difficult time as they seek unemployment compensation.

A summary of what the former employees and contractors told the Globe, plus a copy of the internal e-mail, was sent to Vantage executives on Tuesday with a request for comment. The executives did not immediately respond to the request.

Vantage has made little public comment since April, when customers first began contacting the Globe to complain about last-minute cancellation of ocean and river cruises in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Some cancellations came within a few days of scheduled departures.

But on June 9 the company did respond to Globe inquiries by revealing it was in negotiations for the sale of the company.

“At this time, Vantage Deluxe World Travel is engaged in sensitive negotiations for a sale of the company,” Rossella Mercuri, Vantage general counsel, said in the e-mail.

Mercuri declined to comment further, citing “confidentiality agreements governing our negotiations.”

It was a stunning revelation for a company that has been a travel mainstay in Boston for 40 years, apparently prompted by the leak of a purported internal memo saying scheduled trips were suspended for at least 90 days “in light of our impending transaction.”

What it meant was that Vantage, after years of unflattering publicity, apparently had decided it was time to get what it could in a sale and let new owners step in.

The purported memo said Vantage had decided to dock two of its ships — “the Ocean Vessels” — in Caen, France, “until we have a better idea of the timeline for restarting operations.”

The purported internal memo had surfaced on June 2 on Consumer Rescue , a consumer advocacy website. Michelle Couch-Friedman, who operates the website, sent a copy of the five-sentence memo to the Globe, which sent it with questions to Vantage.

Couch-Friedman also recently reported about layoffs at Vantage, saying that as of June 20 she began “receiving messages from Vantage employees who attended a meeting … and were informed that the entire team was being laid off.”

Vantage could owe customers millions of dollars in refunds, based on the more than 800 complaints that have piled up at the office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. That office has mediated on behalf of about 80 Massachusetts residents, recovering more than $1.2 million in refunds. (The office accepts complaints from out-of-state consumers but urges them to contact their own state’s attorney general for assistance.)

Most demands for refunds are for $10,000 or more, meaning Vantage could owe millions of dollars, based on the number of complaints filed with the attorney general’s office.

Vantage could also owe money to suppliers and vendors. One contractor who works overseas setting up trips said in an interview that his contract was abruptly canceled last week. He said he is owed thousands of dollars.

Vantage, founded in 1983 by Hank Lewis, is small in comparison to such industry behemoths as Carnival and Royal Caribbean, which operate enormous ships capable of carrying many thousands of travelers. Vantage’s most popular ships are outfitted for fewer than 180 passengers, and its ocean and river cruises, and land expeditions emphasize cultural exploration for “discerning travelers,” according to its website. It also caters to women traveling solo.

In late 2021, Vantage marked a hopeful milestone when it celebrated with a champagne christening the launch of the $70 million Ocean Explorer in Boston Harbor. (One year later, it launched Ocean Explorer’s sister ship, Ocean Odyssey. Vantage has long-term leases on the ships.)

But the glitzy launch exposed another side of the Vantage story. It caught the attention of two local couples who had been fighting for about 18 months for $46,000 owed to them by Vantage for a canceled safari to Africa. After the Globe asked questions , on their behalf, Vantage refunded the couples’ money.

Aruni Soni can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @AruniSoni .

Potential Vantage Travel Sale Would Include Customer Credits

• June 30, 2023

Vantage Travel saw its tour revenue decline from $132 million in 2019 to just over $10 million in 2020,  leading to its June Chapter 11 filing and proposed sale.

Of note, the company has taken in $80,300,000 in amounts paid by customers in advance of trips that have yet to take place, as well as $23 million in refunds owed to customers, and another $5.4 million in travel protection claims that may need to be paid.

In addition are millions of dollars owed to vessel management companies and various suppliers.

United Travel’s proposed offer is for $1 million, to acquire Vantage, its assets and customer lists. United Travel will also help provide financing to run Vantage in the interim.

Vantage customers will get a credit if they book a tour with United Travel based on the amount paid to Vantage, according to a court filing.

“The amount of the credit will be equal to the lesser of the amount paid by such Future Customer, and 20 percent of the price of the trip purchased from the Debtor, provided further that the credit may not exceed 20% of the price of the trip purchased from the Purchaser,” the court filing said. “Thus, Future Customers who book travel arrangements from the Purchaser will be able to maximize the value of their credit to the extent that they purchase a trip of value equivalent to the trip they purchased from the Debtor. “

Court filings suggest other bidders may submit offers through early August, and an auction could take place if needed.

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Beleaguered Vantage Travel Reportedly Looking to Sell

Photo: Vantage Travel's Ocean Explorer

Boston-based Vantage Deluxe World Travel, the company that most recently canceled at least four cruises within days of departure in April , is looking to sell.

The Boston Globe is reporting this week that Vantage, which was also the victim of a data security incident this year , is currently engaged in negotiations for a possible sale. Potential buyers and the timeline for the sale are currently not known. 

Vantage is currently not operating two of its ocean cruise ships, Ocean Explorer and Ocean Odyssey, both of which now remain on pause at shipyards in France. River Splendor, one of its river cruise ships, is reportedly moored just outside of Amsterdam, a place it has sat since the beginning of the year. 

According to an internal memo published by the consumer watchdog website Consumer Rescue , none of the ships are expected to sail with guests until at least Aug. 28, if at all.

Vantage has a history of run-ins with the law and leaving customers hanging. As cited by the Boston Globe, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office reports more than 800 complaints from Massachusetts residents, mostly for their inability to get refunds for trips canceled during the pandemic. It was also the subject of a Boston Globe story about a couple who had been trying for about 18 months to get $46,000 owed to them by Vantage for a canceled safari to Africa

Vantage is not a member of the USTOA, so customers are not protected by the Association's $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program. Additionally, Vantage Deluxe World Travel encourages customers to bypass travel advisors and book direct, giving them no one to advocate on their behalf.

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Vantage Travel says it’s up for sale, employees say they’re not getting paid

BOSTON — Embattled cruise company Vantage Deluxe World Travel says it’s looking for a new owner.

The Boston-based business has been under fire for months after hundreds of consumers complained about a lack of refunds for cancelled or postponed trips. The company quietly told its employees last week that all trips through Aug. 28 are postponed, according to an internal memo obtained by Consumer Rescue .

“We are currently engaged in sensitive negotiations for a sale of the company. Our primary goal is to obtain the best outcome for our customers. Confidentiality agreements governing our negotiations prevent us from commenting further at this time,” Vantage General Counsel Rossella Mercuri said in an email to Boston 25.

The Mass. Attorney General’s Office says it received at least 793 complaints against Vantage since Jan. 1, 2020, including 156 complaints filed in 2023.

According to a Boston 25 tipster, Vantage employees recently lost their healthcare coverage and are having trouble getting paid. That person sent several internal memos detailing timecard issues and the loss of benefits-provider Insperity.

“No deductions will be made for Medical/Dental/Vision/Transit/FSA/HSA,” a June 8 employee memo said. “We are working on securing alternate benefits and will update once confirmed.”

Consumer Rescue founder Michelle Couch-Friedman said she’s been in contact with Vantage employees who are concerned about their jobs and the way Vantage is conducting business. She said an employee told her workers did not receive their anticipated paychecks Friday.

“They are as distraught as the customers,” Couch-Friedman said. “What I’m hearing are stressed-out employees who are bearing the brunt of whatever’s happening at Vantage.”

Mercuri said the company is paying its employees.

“Vantage has timely paid and will timely pay all amounts due to employees,” she said in a statement.

Mercuri did not respond to a subsequent email with follow-up questions. The AG’s Office said most of the consumer complaints against Vantage come from outside Massachusetts. At least 70 of the complaints are from Bay State residents. An AG spokesperson encourages consumers to file complaints with the Mass. AG’s Office.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Vantage Travel says it’s up for sale, employees say they’re not getting paid

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Would-be travelers out thousands of dollars after last-minute cancellations. What to do

A dream cruise cancelled at the last minute. problems getting a refund of the thousands they paid. it happens. what can consumers do to avoid a frustrating and costly situation.

Settled in the Delta Sky Lounge at Tampa International Airport in late March, Lynne Schrum and her husband, David Hall, were ready to head out on their two-and-a-half-week vacation to Western Europe.

This wasn’t the original trip the couple had booked as first-time customers of Boston-based cruise company Vantage Deluxe World Travel. In January 2021, the St. Petersburg couple had reserved an Aegean Sea cruise that was set to sail 15 months later. But that cruise was subsequently postponed to October 2022, which did not work for them. 

Vantage instead gave the couple the option to go on their “tulips” cruise, which would take them to Brussels for a few days before an eight-day cruise in the Netherlands, with an excursion to Paris to round out their time abroad.

“We’re sitting there, congratulating ourselves, getting excited,” Schrum said. “Then the phone rang.”

It was a representative from Vantage, warning them not to get on the plane and to collect their baggage. Their trip had been canceled.

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“My husband is sitting there, watching my face. He was pretty sure someone in our family had died,” she said. 

She tried to reason with the man on the other line. She thought about all the things they had booked, the tickets they had to the opera and a trip to Giverny to see Monet’s gardens, and figured they could still go, even if they wouldn’t be going on the cruise. But five minutes later, she said, their seats on the plane were canceled.

“At first, we were just shocked. Now we’re angry,” said Schrum, who had paid $33,000 for the trip. “It’s all of the people who are so distressed about it.”

Schrum said she was told a refund would take 14 business days. Now it’s been more than 40.

“They’ve had this money for a very, very, very long time. We’re retired. We are not young,” said Schrum, who is 76. “It’s inconceivable that this amount of money would be gone from our savings.”

The couple's plight is due to issues with Vantage, but everyday travelers and vacationers run into problems with vacation bookings for any number of reasons.

In the weeks following the couple’s cancelled cruise, Vantage faced a ransomware attack that left customers without a way to contact the company for at least a week. It had also canceled at least five other cruises.

So what can consumers do to avoid a frustrating and costly situation with a trip? What should they do if they find themselves in a similar position? The Palm Beach Post asked travel experts for their advice.

Pay with a credit card when you make that initial travel booking

Vantage Travel offered customers discounts for paying with an eCheck or directly through their checking account. Both couples who spoke with The Post had paid by check. But travel experts say there’s no level of protection by doing this, and consumers should instead book travel with a credit card.

“The credit card company is going to give you protection against financial insolvency,” said Dan Meister, who owns Boca-Raton based Top Group Travel.

At least when paying via credit card, you can try to dispute a charge if you paid for a service that did not come to fruition and attempts to get a reimbursement directly from the company have been exhausted.

“As soon as they cancel, they’re good at getting the money back,” said Laurence Gore, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who specializes in travel and tourism law.

Research a company before you agree to be their customer

Before putting down that credit card, though, do your research. 

“If you’re thinking of booking through a tour company, see the cancellations or comments,” Gore said. But be wary of the timing of those complaints. “If you find problems during the pandemic, that doesn’t necessarily mean the company has a problem now.”

Look up reviews on search engines and social media or through the Better Business Bureau. 

You can also consider booking with travel companies that have certain certifications or proven financial stability, such as members of the U.S. Tour Operators Associations who put up $1 million in collateral in the event something happens, or suppliers listed with Trusted FIT Services, said Jeffrey Ment, a travel industry lawyer from Hartford, Conn. These companies can give travelers some extra peace of mind.

Consider a travel agency. It may be old school, but they can vet travel companies for you.

With Airbnb and direct-to-consumer companies like Vantage being the more popular way to travel, consumers these days tend to handle their own travel plans. But licensed, bonded and insured travel agencies, albeit old school, can offer customers options with vetted companies or tell you if a company has caused issues in the past. Additionally, agents can provide support to customers if a cancellation occurs.

“We can elevate (an issue) within our network where they have more leverage with these suppliers,” said Kurt Crowl, president of Travel Leaders of the Palm Beaches. “If you don’t book with a travel agent, you don’t have that leverage.”

Added consultant Phyllis Horodner: “Without a travel agent, you’re on your own.”

Keep good records of travel plans and communications with companies you are working with

You should always keep a paper trail of your travel plans. That means making sure you have a record of expenditures and receipts, tickets and correspondence with the company. On the company’s end, customer service calls are typically recorded and kept on file. It’s not a bad idea after such a phone call to write down what was discussed and email it to the company to confirm as another form of records.

Get travel insurance (but read the terms and conditions closely)

Getting travel insurance can help in the event you get sick or have an accident, but depending on the policy, it could also help if the company files for bankruptcy or is otherwise “not able to meet their obligations,” Meister said. The travel company will offer their own insurance, but it’s possible to get insurance through a travel agent or other provider. Meister said it’s better to get a policy around the time of your first deposit for the trip, but it can also be purchased right up until the start of the trip.

It’s important to read the fine print, both of the travel insurance as well as the company’s refund and cancellation policies. 

Think carefully about your options once a problem has surfaced

Experts suggest sending letters to the attorneys general of your home state and that where the company operates, submitting comments to the Better Business Bureau and filing a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission.

If all else fails, you might want to consider the legal route and hire an attorney who knows travel law, such as one with the International Forum of Tourism and Travel Advocates, experts said. Even if you win in small claims court, because of the limitations you may not get back all your money.

Unclear how many people's travel plans disrupted by Vantage, but the company cited reasons for canceling trips

It's unclear precisely how many people were impacted by these cancellations. The Post sent inquiries to one of the company's executive vice presidents as well as the former outside communications firm, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. A month-old Facebook group dedicated to those who had been spurned has almost 300 members. Nevertheless, some Vantage customers are waiting on reimbursements in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The reasons trips were thwarted are varied, as Vantage's founder and chairman Henry Lewis wrote in two letters to consumers published to the website. On April 28, Lewis said four trips to the Netherlands had been canceled “due to the ship’s readiness,” and two trips to Egypt were canceled over safety concerns. 

“With the recent U.S. State Department Sudan travel advisory, given the proximity, we are closely monitoring our trips to Egypt until further notice for the safety of our guests,” the letter from Lewis reads.

Furthermore, the message says that a ransomware attack discovered on April 20 affected Vantage’s call center, website, email and “other internal systems” for at least eight days, but none of the trips had been affected specifically by this incident.

Dozens of complaints have been filed with the Better Business Bureau. And those who are trying to get their money back say they’re getting unclear timelines from the company.

One couple canceled by Vantage said they will now look elsewhere for booking travel

Charles and Lea Moskowitz, both 75 of Daytona Beach, are also waiting for a refund of more than $20,000 after their “tulips” trip was canceled. The couple had traveled with Vantage for more than two decades, visiting all seven continents over 28 incident-free trips.

The couple’s first trip in the summer of 2000 took them to Scandinavia, the Baltics and part of Russia. This past April, they were looking forward to their 29th trip to the “Stans,” as Charles called it, traveling through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for the first time.

Two weeks prior to the voyage, Vantage notified them the trip had been rescheduled for later that year, he said. That wasn’t going to work with their schedule, so the couple opted to go on a cruise they had done before, but didn’t mind.

Then, a voicemail message popped up on their answering machine. “There’s some bad news,” the Vantage representative said, according to the recording shared with The Post. The ship was not ready, the representative said, who then asked to call an 800 number to review their options.

“We’ve never had an issue like this before,” Charles Moskowitz said.

Despite the company's previously blemish-free track record with Moskowitz and his wife, he'll book future travel elsewhere.

Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Drop a line at  [email protected] , call 561-820-4833 or follow her on Twitter  @mannahhorse .

Vantage Travel is back — or, at least, its name is

Vantage is sailing again, with new owners and a name that trades on its past glory while ignoring its inglorious ending.

Last year, troubled Vantage Travel abruptly went bankrupt amid punishing publicity that it failed to refund more than $100 million to customers who paid upfront for ocean and river cruises that never happened.

Thousands of bitter consumers deluged the attorneys general offices in Massachusetts and other states with complaints against the decades-old Boston-based company.

Vantage Travel was also pilloried on two newly created Facebook group pages as customers who lost as much as $50,000 vented their anger at the company and its founder and owner, Hank Lewis .

But now Vantage Explorations, a new company created out of the ashes of the bankrupt company, is embracing its Vantage Travel roots to sell tours around the world, while conspicuously ignoring the bankruptcy and the lost $100 million.

Already, Vantage Explorations, owned by a company based in Australia, is sailing guests on polar expeditions of Antarctica and has new cruises scheduled to Latin America and Scotland in the spring and to the Mediterranean next year.

In one recent email sent to prospective customers (as well as this Globe reporter), Vantage Explorations extols the virtues of Vantage Travel, a company that indisputably stiffed almost 10,000 customers, including many seniors.

The email, festooned with an array of color photos of alluring tourist destinations, begins, “For nearly 40 years, Vantage Travel has curated extraordinary experiences, leading over half a million travelers on unforgettable river and small ocean ship cruises, small-group land adventures, and safaris across all seven continents.”

But nowhere in its five-paragraph email does Vantage Explorations mention that its predecessor company went bankrupt at the expense of customers.

The email makes only the most oblique reference, saying Vantage Travel’s “assets found a new home” in 2023 with Pacific Travel Partners, which operates Vantage Explorations and is owned by Australia-based Aurora Expeditions. The company spent $2 million at a bankruptcy auction for what amounted to Vantage’s only asset: its extensive list of customers. It also got the right to use its name.

“Today, we proudly operate as Vantage Explorations, continuing our legacy of delivering unparalleled journeys and exploration to passionate travelers like you,” the email reads.

“There was a lot of surprise that the new owners are using the Vantage brand at all, given how tarnished it is, let alone touting its 40-year history,” said Marnie Brown, who helps administer a Facebook group of unhappy former Vantage Travel customers. “All you have to do is make a quick search online to see about the bankruptcy.”

“I think that email will be off-putting to a lot of people,” said Michelle Couch-Friedman, a consumer advocate who is closely tracking the Vantage Travel saga.

“But I’m sure the idea is to court the customers on Vantage Travel’s contact list,” she said.

Asked about his company’s omission of references to the bankruptcy, Michael Heath, chief executive of Aurora, repeated the kind of praise for Vantage Travel that is contained in the company’s marketing email. “So far the reaction to Vantage Explorations has been very positive,” he added.

Andrew N. Smith, a marketing professor at Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Business, said it’s understandable why Vantage Explorations would gloss over the Vantage Travel bankruptcy.

“I can understand its apprehension about mentioning bankruptcy,” he said. “From a marketing standpoint, there is no benefit of introducing this negative meaning into the equation. [Vantage Explorations] needs to communicate the change in corporate structure and then shift to a more customer-focused message about the romance of travel.”

Tobe Berkovitz, a veteran media consultant and professor emeritus at Boston University, said Aurora is pursuing a smart strategy, especially by blasting out emails to its voluminous customer list.

“It’s a great contact list of people who have actually traveled with Vantage Travel or have shown interest in them,” he said. “It’s gold.”

For those who lost money in the bankruptcy, the email may “stick in their craw,” Berkovitz said. “But if you’re not one of them, you may well be very interested in Vantage Explorations.”

The Vantage Travel bankruptcy case is ongoing, with a bankruptcy estate trustee searching for additional assets that may belong to the bankrupted company for possible distribution to creditors like the jilted customers.

Judge Janet E. Bostwick of US Bankruptcy Court in Boston approved the sale of Vantage Travel’s name and contact list to Aurora, along with a provision that gives Vantage Travel customers whose trips were canceled a limited number of credits toward traveling with Vantage Explorations. Customers can use credits to pay for up to one-half on ocean trips and up to 20 percent on river trips. The credits will expire after five years.

While there’s little expectation that Vantage Travel will provide any significant refunds to former customers, there may be some hope that Lewis, the company owner, will be held responsible.

The attorneys general in New York and Pennsylvania have sued him personally in an effort to recoup some of the millions owed to customers.

“By virtue of the conduct alleged … [Lewis and Vantage] have engaged in repeated and persistent fraudulent conduct,” according to the suit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Asked for an update, a spokesperson for the New York attorney general’s office said “Lewis has retained counsel and the litigation is ongoing.”

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry last year filed a similar suit that accuses Lewis personally (and Vantage corporately) of engaging in unlawful “deceptive and unfair business practices.”

A spokesperson for that office said the suit is ongoing.

The office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell supports the efforts of the New York and Pennsylvania attorneys general and is in regular contact with them, according to a spokesperson.

Multiple emails seeking comment on behalf of Lewis were sent to Lewis’s bankruptcy attorneys, who were listed in filings in the New York lawsuit, but were not answered. An email to Lewis at his former Vantage address “could not be delivered,” and there was no response to emails to other Vantage executives seeking comment on Lewis’s behalf.

Rob Hert, who last year paid Vantage Travel $30,000 for a now-canceled safari he planned to take with his 81-year-old mother, said he continues to closely follow the bankruptcy case and litigation against Lewis.

But he said he has no real problem with Vantage Explorations’ marketing campaign.

“It’s very crafty, not getting into the weeds about the bankruptcy,” he said. “But Vantage Explorations is not the enemy. They’re acting in their best business interest. I understand. What we want is justice from Vantage Travel and Hank Lewis.”