TAMPA, Fla. — It was billed as the first-of-its-kind trip, a cruise where your dog could come along for the ride and get VIP treatment. The all-inclusive trip was set to sail out of Tampa, offering perks like puppy massages and a personal butler dedicated to your dog. It got attention from local influencers and landed headlines in national publications. Then the ship never sailed.
Jerry Enget reached out to Tampa Bay 28 for help. He said he paid $7,000 to book a spot on the cruise for himself, his wife and their Pomeranian, Sprinkles.
"Why not she would have loved it," Enget said.
The trip was announced in 2024 by a company, Cruise Tails, marketing what it called the first-ever dog-friendly cruise sailing on a Margaritaville at Sea ship. It promised a 6-night voyage with stops including Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. The cost per person ranged from $1,700 to more than $6,000.
The concept made a splash far beyond Tampa, earning coverage in People magazine, USA Today, Travel Weekly, and The Points Guy.
"We thought it's legit," Enget said. "It was supposed to sail November of 2025 so we booked it almost a year in advance.”
But the cruise never left the dock.
Enget said the Cruise Tails first told customers it had to push back the departure date.
"They said they were having issues with the cruise ships and the ports so they had to change things up. We're going to set said early 2026," Enget said. "Some of the other passengers were just like nope I'm out, I want my money back some of them got refunds.”
Enget and his wife decided to wait. A few months later, they got a message from Cruise Tails saying the trip was canceled and there would be no refunds.
"How can you not give us the money back that we spent on this cruise that never happened?" Enget said. "This was on them, so 100 percent they should have refunded our money.”
When he tried contacting Cruise Tails, Enget said he met dead ends.
"I've tried to contact Cruise Tails, but they don't respond to any phone calls or emails," Enget said.
Tampa Bay 28 did some digging and found Cruise Tails is registered as a business in Wyoming, and the main address listed is for a Wyoming lawyer’s office. Steve Matzke is quoted in published articles as Cruise Tails' founder. According to his LinkedIn page, he currently works at a Sarasota-based real estate company. When Tampa Bay 28 Consumer Investigator Susan El Khoury reached out to the office, two employees said they were unaware of an employee by that name.
One of the partners who teamed up with Cruise Tails for the trip is Dawn Von Graff, a franchisee who owns Expedia Cruises of West Orlando. Von Graff did not respond to requests for comment.
Margaritaville at Sea responded with a statement saying it was a third party and did not take any money from guests.
“This was an independently operated third-party charter. Margaritaville at Sea did not manage reservations, collect guest payments or oversee customer transactions for the sailing. As with charter cruises across the industry, questions regarding refunds or reservations should be directed to the charter operator (Cruise Tails), which is responsible for those matters." -Spokesperson, Margaritaville at Sea
Tampa Bay 28 found Cruise Tails posted its terms and conditions on its website. One section states that Cruise Tails could "cancel all or any portion of this Agreement at any time," but that if that happens, guests would receive a "refund or future cruise credit."
Attorney Charles Gallagher said customers who aren't getting their money back have limited options.
"They're [Cruise Tails] in breach of contract and seek some help with the courts," Gallagher said. "There's no such thing as a self-executing contract where someone can be made to comply outside of court involvement.”
Gallagher sees the situation as a cautionary tale about first-of-its-kind ventures.
"Maybe wait for that first cruise to go with another crew out there and see how it works, if it's a successful process," Gallagher added.
He also drew a comparison to one of the most infamous events that never was in recent memory, a luxury music festival in the Bahamas where guests flew in to find FEMA tents instead of glamping and concerts that never happened.
"Sounds kind of like the Fyre music festival too, a lot of money retained by people and nothing happened," Gallagher said.
Enget attempted to dispute the charge with his credit card company but said he was told the charge would not be refunded because it was considered a legitimate transaction. Cruise Tails also required him to purchase travel insurance, but his insurance denied the claim, saying he was not covered if Cruise Tails canceled.
"I can't believe someone can just take $7000 from you," Enget said.
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