Gold Coast family holiday dreams crushed in business collapse of Travel and Cruise Centre Runaway Bay

GOLD Coast holiday-makers have been left reeling after paying tens of thousands of dollars towards overseas cruises — only to find out two weeks later the business has collapsed.

A GOLD Coast travel agency’s shock liquidation has left at least 16 people fearing that their cruise holiday dreams have been shipwrecked.

The clients of the Travel and Cruise Centre Runaway Bay claim the money they gave the agency for their holidays never made it to the cruise companies.

For Alex Hoskins, this means his party of seven have lost about $25,000 which was supposed to be spent on a cruise around Japan.

This Runaway Bay Travel agent went bust — taking their holiday money with it. Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Hoskins personally spent $5,000. He has receipts for a $1000 deposit on February 22, and a further $4000 payment on May 30.

GOLD COAST DISCOUNT TRAVEL AGENCY GOES BUST

Mr Hoskins found out the agency was closed the week after he, his wife and his neighbours had all paid for their holidays.

He rang Norwegian Cruise Liners and was told the company had not received their advance payments.

These pensioners will not get to go on their holiday as they cannot afford it anymore. Picture Mike Batterham

A fortnight later the business was put into liquidation, he said.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission confirmed liquidators RSM Australia Partners were appointed on June 27.

“We have lost all of this money and we have also forfeited the cruise as well,” Mr Hoskins said.

“We can’t afford to just pay for the whole holiday again.”

Alex Hosking, Valerie Hosking, Wendy Garner and Roger Garner are devastated. Picture Mike Batterham

Lexie Ciolek was supposed to go on a cruise with her husband, two daughters, a son-in-law and four grandchildren.

That too looks like it won’t happen despite them paying a combined $10,000 by June 11.

She said she contacted Carnivale Cruise Liners but they didn’t have the reference number she was given by the agency.

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“If they were in financial trouble they shouldn’t have taken our money,” she said.

“We are pensioners and we can’t afford to just pay for another holiday.”

The Bulletin tried to contact the director of the business but the phone lines were disconnected.

The Bulletin’s attempts to speak with the liquidator yesterday were unsuccessful.