Key Largo, 1999
Author: Terry P

Most of my dive trips are based on the recommendations of bulletin boards and dive reports. I am attaching this report of my experience with Seafarer in Key Largo to hopefully keep other divers from going through the same bad experience.

Booked accommodations with Seafarar Fish and Dive Resort for August 12,13,14,15, and 16. Paid deposit of $30 per day in advance. When we arrived on Thursday August 12,1999 we paid the remaining balance of $186.88. We discussed with Ludwig (Owner/manager) the possibility that we may check out a day early and asked what would happen to our pre-payment. He advised us that we were responsible for the entire amount unless they were able to sell the room, in which case we would be reimbursed. After we were shown to our room, we noticed that the bathroom sink drained very slow and there was a sewer smell in the room. When we flushed the toilet the water level rose in the bowl and it would not flush properly. We went to the office and talked to Ludwig and he came to the room with a plunger and some Draino. He verified that the problem existed and plunged the toilet and poured Draino in the sink. After plunging the toilet, he put the plunger in the sink and started plunging it to clear it. After clearing the sink, he rinsed the sink out with plain water and used one of our towels to wipe the toilet and floor and left the dirty towel on the floor. He never bothered to disinfect the sink after using the toilet plunger or take the dirty towel with him. This discussed us both. The toilet and sink worked fine after that but there was still a bad smell in the bathroom that smelled like sewer. The plunger marks remained in the toilet during our stay. The floors in the bathroom and bedroom looked like they had never been mopped. The next day we bought some disinfectant and cleaned the bathroom ourselves. There was mold on the baseboards and peeling paint on the walls from moisture (we took pictures). The floor tiles squished up water when you walked on them from having water under them. On Saturday August 14, we discovered that evening around 7:30 p.m. that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom so we went to the office to ask for a roll. We rang the bell repeatedly but no one would answer. We could see them through the window so we know they were there. Other guest needed services also but were unsuccessful. We ended up going to the store to buy a roll. On Sunday morning, August 22, 1999 we went to the office at 9:15 a.m. and asked the manager (Ludwig) if we could check out on Monday August 23 instead of Tuesday August 24. He said we could check out early but would be responsible for the room charge unless he could sell the room. The following morning, Monday, August 23, 1999 at 9:15 a.m. we went to the office to check out. We talked with Gabriel, Ludwig's daughter. We filled her in on the situation of leaving a day early and she affirmed that we would be able to get a refund for the last day if the room sold. She said that there was only one room available and there was a good chance that it would sell. I asked her when we would know and she told me we could call and check later. That evening at 6:30 p.m. I called the Seafarar and Gabriel answered the phone. I asked her if they had any vacancies and she advised me that she only had one studio available for $75 (not our room). I then told her who I was and said, "so you sold our room and we will be getting credited for our room?" She said yes, our room was sold and we would be getting a credit. I asked her if there was anything else I needed to do and she said no. On Friday August 20, 1999, I checked my account activity on Yahoo Visa and saw the I was never credited for the $70 for our cancelled day. I called the Seafarar and talked to Ludwig and he referred me to another lady that I never talked to before. I told her about my conversation with Gabriel and about her assuring me that our room was sold and about getting a credit. This lady said she checked the books and that the room remained in our name and was not sold. She said we would not get a credit and that Gabriel could have make a mistake. I asked her if I could speak to Gabriel and she told me she would not be back until next Wednesday (August 25, 1999). Well, now I am 2000 miles away from there and its their word against mine. I told her that I would be filing a dispute for the charge and she was very uncooperative and cut me off and hung up on me. There was no doubt when I talked to Gabriel on the phone that the room had been sold. I feel that we have been cheated out of $70 for a room that they sold to someone else.

Last edited on June 29, 2002