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Woman pays travel agency $1,700 for a cruise that was never booked

Posted at 6:10 PM, Apr 20, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-20 18:10:32-04

NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. -- A West Michigan woman reached out to the FOX 17 Problem Solvers after paying a travel agency more than $1,700 for what she thought would be her dream cruise.

Marvanna Clark dreamed of leaving the country for the very first time aboard a Carnival Cruise ship that would take her to several destinations.  Nearly a year later, her passport has yet to leave her house.

She said her friend, who also paid more than $1,700, booked the cruise for them for this March, and that they both McKinley Travel last April.  However, one week before the cruise, they claim owner Dan Taylor cancelled their trip without warning.

McKinley Travel has closed permanently since Clark and her friend booked their cruise.  She claims Taylor promised her a refund, but is afraid she'll never see it.

"It's been one excuse after another," she said.

FOX 17 spoke to Taylor, who now owns Harbor Theater in Muskegon, over the phone.  He said that he cancelled the trip because Clark's friend still owed him $160 dollars from a different vacation.  He claims he sent out emails warning her about the money she owed and warned her that he would cancel the trip.

However,  according to a statement from Carnival Cruise, he never even booked the trip.

"It's real upsetting 'cause we missed out on the trip and now we're having to fight for our money," Clark said.