Joystar Calls Royal Caribbean Decision “Misguided”

Joystar, a host agency, is one of three companies with which Royal Caribbean Cruises will no longer do business because the cruise company considers it a card mill.

Joystar President Larry Fishkin adamantly insisted in an interview that his company has been mischaracterized, and he said that he and other Joystar executives met with Royal Caribbean’s top management on October 16 to try to convince the cruise company to reinstate Joystar.

“The only thing they would say to us is that we have philosophical differences,” Fishkin said. “I think they’re misguided and misinformed. I haven’t heard any rational explanation for why they’re doing it.”

Fishkin said his company is not a card mill, which is generally defined as a company that sells consumers access to benefits designed for travel agents. Joystar has “crushed” any sales targets that Royal Caribbean has set, he said.

Al Anolik, a travel law specialist and counsel for Joystar, said that Royal Caribbean’s actions interfered with Joystar’s contractual relationships with its agents. He contended that Royal Caribbean was trying to steer agents from Joystar to its own Web site or to other host agencies.

Last week, YTB International acknowledged that it was one of the three businesses that Royal Caribbean contacted to cease a business relationship because the cruise company deemed YTB a card mill.