Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to CruiseHuddle ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by CruiseConnect LLC. By accessing or using our website at cruisehuddle.com, our mobile applications (iOS and Android), progressive web app (PWA), or any related services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

CruiseHuddle is a cruise community marketplace designed for cruise travelers to connect before, during, and after sailings. The Service operates a dual-mode content system: a default Safe-for-Work (SFW) experience and an optional age-verified Not-Safe-for-Work (NSFW) experience for lifestyle cruisers.

Intended Audience: The Service is primarily intended for users located in the United States. Users outside the United States may access the Service, but do so at their own risk and are responsible for compliance with their local laws.

2. Platform Status and Section 230

CruiseHuddle is an interactive computer service provider as defined under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230). We provide a platform for user-generated content and user-to-user communications. We are not a publisher or speaker of any User Content posted on the Service.

While we may moderate content at our discretion, such moderation does not make us responsible or liable for User Content. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or legality of any User Content, user profiles, or user claims.

CruiseHuddle is a technology platform — not a dating service, matchmaking service, escort service, or event organizer. We facilitate connections but do not participate in, arrange, supervise, or take responsibility for any interactions between users, whether online or in person.

3. Age Requirement and Verification

You must be at least 18 years of age to use CruiseHuddle. By using the Service, you affirm that you are at least 18 years old.

AI Age Verification (Mandatory): All new users are required to complete an AI-powered age verification process. This uses facial age estimation technology provided by our third-party partner, Didit, to confirm you are at least 18. By using the Service, you consent to this biometric age estimation process. CruiseHuddle does not store your selfie image. Didit processes and deletes biometric data according to their privacy and retention policies.

ID Verification (Optional): Users may optionally purchase premium ID Verification, which uses government-issued identification documents processed by Didit. This provides a verified badge on your profile and is separate from mandatory age verification.

We reserve the right to request additional proof of age at any time and may suspend or terminate accounts that cannot provide adequate verification. Parents and guardians should monitor their children's internet usage and ensure minors do not access this Service.

4. Account Registration and Security

To use the Service, you must create an account. You may register using your email address, or through third-party authentication providers including Google, Facebook, or Apple ("OAuth Providers"). By registering via an OAuth Provider, you authorize us to access certain account information (such as your name and email address) as permitted by that provider's terms.

You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Maintain the security of your password and account credentials
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account
• Not create multiple accounts to evade bans, restrictions, or verification requirements

We reserve the right to suspend, deactivate, or terminate any account at our sole discretion, with or without cause, and without liability to you.

5. SFW/NSFW Content Modes

SFW Mode (Default): All new accounts start in Safe-for-Work mode. SFW content is appropriate for general audiences and does not contain mature material. NSFW content is filtered and hidden from SFW users.

NSFW Mode (Optional): Users who have completed age verification may enable NSFW mode, which provides access to mature content. Enabling NSFW mode is entirely voluntary and may be toggled on or off at any time in your account settings.

Mature Content Responsibility: Users who post NSFW content are solely responsible for ensuring that such content is legal in their jurisdiction. CruiseHuddle does not verify the legality of user-posted content in every jurisdiction. Illegal content (including but not limited to content involving minors, non-consensual imagery, or content that violates applicable obscenity laws) is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate account termination and referral to law enforcement.

Users must not attempt to circumvent NSFW content filters or expose SFW users to mature content.

6. User Content and Conduct

You are solely responsible for any content you post, upload, or transmit through the Service, including profile information, photos, listings, messages, Community Huddle posts, and Ship Hub messages ("User Content").

You agree NOT to post User Content that:

• Depicts, promotes, or facilitates illegal activities
• Contains content involving minors in any sexual or exploitative context
• Contains non-consensual intimate imagery or "revenge porn"
• Is harassing, threatening, defamatory, or discriminatory
• Infringes upon intellectual property rights of others
• Contains malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Violates any applicable laws or regulations
• Solicits money, financial information, or promotes unauthorized commercial services
• Is false, misleading, or fraudulent
• Promotes prostitution, escort services, or commercial sexual services

Photo Watermarking: To protect user privacy and prevent misuse, all uploaded photos are automatically watermarked with the CruiseHuddle logo. By uploading photos, you acknowledge and consent to this watermarking process.

7. Intellectual Property and Content License

You retain ownership of your User Content. However, by posting User Content on CruiseHuddle, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and display such content for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving the Service.

All other content on the Service, including text, graphics, logos, icons, software, and design elements, is owned by CruiseConnect LLC or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws.

8. DMCA Copyright Policy

We respect intellectual property rights and respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). If you believe your copyrighted material has been posted on CruiseHuddle without authorization, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice to our designated agent:

Your notice must include: identification of the copyrighted work, identification of the infringing material with sufficient information to locate it, your contact information, a statement of good faith belief that use is unauthorized, a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate, and your physical or electronic signature.

Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

9. Cruise Listings, Ship Hubs, and Community Huddles

No Affiliation with Cruise Lines: CruiseHuddle is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, or any other cruise operator unless explicitly stated. Cruise line names, ship names, and itineraries are used for descriptive purposes only.

Cruise Listings: Users may create listings for upcoming cruises. All listing information must be accurate. CruiseHuddle does not verify listings and is not responsible for any arrangements made through the Service.

Ship Hubs: Ship Hubs are live per-sailing chat rooms. All communications must comply with these Terms and may be monitored for safety.

Community Huddles: Community Huddles are forum-style discussion areas. Posts and reactions are visible to other users and must comply with these Terms.

10. Messaging and Communications

Messaging features require an active subscription or qualifying membership (such as Fan Club). All communications must be respectful and compliant with these Terms.

CruiseHuddle reserves the right to monitor communications for safety and compliance. Messages violating these Terms may result in account suspension or termination. Users may receive automated messages from the CruiseHuddle system.

11. Subscriptions, Payments, and Fan Club

Payment Processing: Subscriptions purchased through the iOS app are processed exclusively through Apple's In-App Purchase system. Web and Progressive Web App (PWA) subscriptions may be processed through Stripe. One-time purchases on web are processed through Stripe or Square.

Subscriptions: Subscription plans (monthly) unlock messaging and premium features. Subscriptions are processed through Stripe and automatically renew unless cancelled by you. It is solely your responsibility to cancel your subscription before your next billing cycle if you no longer wish to be charged. You may manage or cancel your subscription at any time through the billing link on your profile page. Upon cancellation, you retain access until the end of your current billing period. CruiseHuddle does not issue refunds for failure to cancel a subscription before renewal.

One-Time Purchases: Certain plans and features — including Cruise Pass (3-day access), Lifetime access, ID Verification, Username Changes, and Member Type Changes — are one-time purchases processed through Square or Stripe. One-time purchases are final and non-refundable. No refunds will be issued for unused time or features.

Fan Club: The Fan Club is a premium lifetime membership with unlimited messaging and exclusive content. Fan Club membership is non-refundable.

Refunds: Except where required by applicable law, all purchases on CruiseHuddle — including subscription fees, one-time purchases (Cruise Pass, ID Verification, Username Changes, Member Type Changes), and Fan Club membership — are final and non-refundable. No refunds will be issued for unused time, partial billing periods, or features you chose not to use. If you believe you were charged in error, contact [email protected] within 7 days of the charge. Refund requests made after 7 days will not be honored except as required by applicable law.

Chargebacks: We reserve the right to immediately suspend or terminate accounts associated with fraudulent, abusive, or unauthorized chargebacks or payment disputes. If a chargeback is filed, we may provide transaction records to the payment processor to dispute the claim. Accounts terminated due to chargebacks may not be reinstated.

Promotional Codes: Promotional codes are subject to specific terms including expiration dates and plan restrictions. Codes cannot be combined and have no cash value.

12. AI-Powered Features

CruiseHuddle utilizes artificial intelligence in several aspects of the Service:

• Age Estimation: AI-powered facial age estimation for user verification (provided by Didit)
• ID Verification: AI-powered identity document verification (provided by Didit)
• Content Generation: AI may generate certain platform content and automated communications
• Bot Detection: AI systems identify and filter automated or fraudulent accounts
• KYC Scoring: An automated trust scoring system evaluates account authenticity based on verification status, account behavior, and community engagement

AI DISCLAIMER: AI outputs may be inaccurate, incomplete, inappropriate, or misleading. You use AI-generated content and features entirely at your own risk. CruiseHuddle makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or suitability of any AI-generated output. Do not rely on AI outputs for any critical decisions.

By using the Service, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI technologies as described. If you disagree with an automated KYC score or verification decision, you may contact [email protected] to request a manual review.

13. Prohibited Activities

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any applicable law
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation, age, or identity
• Harvest or collect personal information from other users
• Send unsolicited commercial communications or spam
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access the Service
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service, servers, or networks
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service
• Create multiple accounts to evade bans, restrictions, or verification
• Engage in or solicit prostitution, escort services, or commercial sexual services
• Circumvent age verification, content filters, or access controls
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service
• Use the Service to distribute malware or conduct phishing attacks
• Stalk, harass, or threaten any user on or off the platform

14. Safety, Interactions, and Assumption of Risk

IMPORTANT: CruiseHuddle facilitates connections but assumes NO responsibility for in-person or online interactions between users.

No Background Checks: CruiseHuddle does NOT conduct criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks, or any other screening of users. Age verification confirms approximate age only — it does not verify identity, character, intentions, or criminal history.

No Guarantee of Identity: While we require age verification and offer optional ID verification, we cannot guarantee that any user is who they claim to be. Verification badges indicate completion of a verification process only — they do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of any user's identity, character, or intentions.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISKS associated with interactions with other users, whether online or in person, including but not limited to risks of bodily injury, emotional distress, property damage, financial loss, or any other harm.

User-Organized Events: Any meetups, excursions, gatherings, cabin shares, or events organized by users are solely user-created activities and are not operated, supervised, sponsored, or endorsed by CruiseHuddle. CruiseHuddle is not a party to and assumes no responsibility for any agreements, transactions, or arrangements between users.

We strongly encourage these safety precautions:

• Meet in public places on the cruise ship
• Tell someone you trust about your plans
• Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, leave
• Do not share financial information or send money to other users
• Report suspicious behavior immediately

15. Content Moderation and Removal

We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor, review, or remove User Content. We may:

• Remove content without prior notice
• Suspend, deactivate, or permanently terminate accounts with or without cause and without liability
• Revoke verification badges or restrict access to premium features for violations, fraud prevention, safety concerns, or abusive behavior
• Report illegal activities to law enforcement
• Cooperate with law enforcement investigations
• Use automated systems (including AI and community tools like BotHunt) to detect violations

16. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

CruiseConnect LLC does not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• User profiles, listings, verifications, or KYC scores are accurate or truthful
• Any particular result will be obtained from use of the Service
• AI-powered features will produce accurate or appropriate results
• Users are who they represent themselves to be
• In-person meetings or interactions will be safe

WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING THE CONDUCT, IDENTITY, INTENTIONS, LEGITIMACY, OR VERACITY OF ANY USER. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CRUISECONNECT LLC AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, PERSONAL INJURY, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER USERS. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO CRUISEHUDDLE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless CruiseConnect LLC and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service
• Your User Content
• Your violation of these Terms or any applicable law
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Any in-person or online interactions with other users
• Any mature content you post or access

18. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service immediately, with or without cause, with or without notice, and without liability to you. Grounds for termination include but are not limited to violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, chargeback abuse, or any conduct we deem harmful to the Service or other users.

You may deactivate your account at any time through your account settings. Permanent deletion requires contacting [email protected].

Subscription Cancellation Before Deletion: You are solely responsible for cancelling any active subscriptions before requesting account deletion. Active subscriptions can be managed through the billing link on your profile page, or directly through your Stripe customer portal. CruiseHuddle will not issue refunds for subscription charges incurred after account deletion if you failed to cancel your subscription beforehand.

Upon account deletion, personal information will be deleted or anonymized within 90 days, except where legally required.

19. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Arbitration: Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Douglas County, Colorado, administered under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court.

CLASS ACTION WAIVER: YOU AND CRUISECONNECT LLC AGREE THAT EACH PARTY MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. IF THIS WAIVER IS FOUND UNENFORCEABLE, THE ENTIRE ARBITRATION PROVISION SHALL BE VOID.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of the arbitration and class action waiver provisions by sending written notice to [email protected] within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, username, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out. If you opt out, all other provisions of these Terms remain in effect, and disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts of Douglas County, Colorado.

20. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.

21. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by posting updated Terms with a new "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate, by email notification. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

22. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms: