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Life at Sea did not immediately respond to additional questions about the guest’s experience. Neither Life at Sea nor Miray responded to requests for comment on Monday. If you’re going to organize a three-year round-the-world cruise, a good first step is probably to acquire a ship. What was once the trip of a lifetime has become the phantom trip from hell.
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Most have spent tens of thousands of dollars on what was meant to be the experience of a lifetime, and now face a wait of at least several months to get their money back. The company has said it will make repayments in monthly installments, starting from mid-December and completing repayments in late February. It has also offered to pay for accommodation until December 1 and flights home for anyone now stranded in Istanbul. Kuther and Feldman recommended travelers purchase travel insurance before sailing, which can help cover those costs. “While we’re in talks to acquire a similar vessel, if the December 1 sail is jeopardized, we offer alternative departure dates or expedited refunds,” said the statement, which went on to describe the refund process.
Thousands of passengers affected as Princess Cruises delays new ship
Plus, the top decks of the ships have some unusual-for-Princess sizzle with the addition of a glass-dome-topped pool area that transforms into a nightspot after the sun goes down. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled more than a dozen cruises for 2025. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment. "They promised so much, and perhaps over-promised," a person who pulled out of the cruise in April previously told Business Insider. "They kept leading us on, making us hold out hope until the very last minute, just days before we were supposed to depart," Kara told The Times. Bayramoglu subsequently met with stranded passengers in Istanbul to help plan their returns home.
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But, some told CNN they don't have a home to return to because they were anticipating being at sea for years. In late October, the original departure date of November 1 was postponed to November 11 and moved from Istanbul to Amsterdam because the company reportedly still didn't have a ship in which to operate the cruise. A three-year cruise with prices starting at almost $100,000 per person that was supposed to set sail this month is now canceled, according to CNN. In a statement to the news outlet, Miray Cruises owner Vedat Ugurlu said the cruise wasn't canceled but postponed until May 2024. Prospective passengers might pause before booking, though, when they see that the voyage was already supposed to set sail on Nov. 1. And they may be more alarmed to learn that the ship, under its original name, the AIDAaura, was acquired in mid-November by Celestyal Cruises, not by Life at Sea.
The sailing was originally going to take place on the MV Gemini ship, but Life at Sea later reportedly set its sights on the larger former AIDA Cruises ship AIDAaura. However, Celestyal Cruises announced earlier this month that it had acquired that vessel. Now, less than two weeks before its maiden voyage, Life at Sea has acknowledged to anxious passengers that there is no ship, and that the once-in-a-lifetime trip has been canceled, CNN reported. The following day, Life at Sea’s former CEO, Kendra Holmes — who had resigned just days before the sale fell through — informed guests that the cruise was canceled.
But after six weeks of uncertainty, during which Life at Sea repeatedly told guests that the sale was taking longer than planned, on November 16 another company, Celestyal Cruises, announced that it had bought the AIDAaura. “Miray is not such a big company to afford to pay 40–50 million for a ship,” said Vedat Ugurlu, owner of Miray, in a message to passengers. Life at Sea Cruises said it will make repayments in monthly installments to passengers from mid-December, but customers who had prepared for the trip of a lifetime are speaking out about the implications of the sudden cancellation. Less than two weeks before its maiden voyage, Life at Sea Cruises announced it had canceled its three-year voyage after delays and logistical challenges, leaving passengers who spent tens of thousands of dollars stranded. Passengers said they were told its most recent sail date was Nov. 30, CNN reported last month, though the brand told the outlet at the time that there was not a confirmed departure date or place.
"Because as you know, three-year cruises is a mega project. The reason for this is our vessel capacity—needed to exceed more than 600 cabins. And right now, we only have 104 cabins." The three-year cruise was initially set to depart from Istanbul, Turkey on November 1. Shortly before that date, it was postponed to November 11 and relocated to Amsterdam, then rescheduled to November 30.
The line has also canceled a 16-night transatlantic sailing from Southampton, England, to Fort Lauderdale scheduled from Oct. 20, 2025, to Nov. 5, 2025. “We are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-out destinations around the world. While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary, enhance the guest experience or accommodate certain circumstances,” a spokesperson said. Life at Sea's website now says that the cruise is set to depart in November 2024, though some of the web pages still list this as fall 2023. The website still lets potential passengers express their interest in the trip, though it's unclear whether Miray intends for it to ever go ahead.
Would-be cruisers – who wanted to remain anonymous until their refunds come through – have told CNN of their shock and dismay that the trip has been canceled. It’s unclear why Holmes was chosen to make the announcement, which was provided to CNN by a passenger. The cruise was originally due to depart Istanbul, Turkey, on November 1, but shortly before that date, departure was postponed to November 11 and relocated to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and then to November 30, again from Amsterdam. But on November 17 – less than two weeks before the third departure date – passengers were informed the cruise was off. The company says it will refund passengers, who put down tens of thousands of dollars on the cruise as deposits. But that money won’t come quickly, as repayments will be made in monthly installments and won’t begin until next month.
In recent weeks, hundreds of passengers have contracted the coronavirus aboard ships. Much of the staff at Villa Vie Residences has come from the now-defunct Life at Sea Cruises, including Petterson and more than 20 employees of Miray International, the parent company of Life at Sea. Petterson said that plans for Villa Vie have been progressing for the past five years and that he left in May to focus on these plans.
This 3-year cruise around the world was going to cost passengers less than the average rent in NYC—now it's canceled - CNBC
This 3-year cruise around the world was going to cost passengers less than the average rent in NYC—now it's canceled.
Posted: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Holmes resigned last week, according to CNN, days before Ugurlu officially announced the cancellation. The cruise was set to make stops in 135 countries on all seven continents. Prices started at $87,000 per year for double occupancy, according to the company’s website. "Because as you know, three year cruises is a mega project. The reason for this is our vessel capacity -- needed to exceed more than 600 cabins. And right now we only have 104 cabins."
But cruise company Life at Sea recently told customers who bought passage on a three-year voyage that rather than visiting 140 countries, their trip was called off. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged travelers to avoid cruises, even after vaccination. The agency raised its Covid-19 warning level for cruise ships to 4, the highest level. Villa Vie is funded through donors and investments, Petterson said, and the operation waited until it purchased a ship before accepting deposits from passengers.
Charging $38,513 to $98,226 per person per year for double occupancy cabins, the entire trip would cost at least $230,000, a relative steal when it comes to cruise prices. The company said its ship, to be called the MV Lara, would have a capacity of 1,266 passengers, and it expected to be 80 percent booked. About a month after Life at Sea Cruises canceled its debut three-year voyage because it couldn’t secure a ship, another company has done just that.
Miray CEO Kendra Holmes also left earlier this month, according to Business Insider. Life at Sea Cruises also stated in the translated statement that any customers who want a refund will receive it, including money spent on acquiring visas and other travel expenses. They also told ABC News that those who have already paid will have a cabin waiting when the ship is ready. In March, Life at Sea Cruises announced it was accepting reservations for its three-year cruise around the world.
Another company bought the ship that was to be rechristened the MV Lara, and Miray Cruises, the parent firm of Life at Sea, couldn’t afford to buy another ship. The company’s website has not been updated as of Monday morning, and still has both a countdown to the start of the cruise and a link allowing people to reserve a cabin via wire transfer or credit card. Life at Sea Cruises initially announced the three-year voyage in March and took on additional passengers in June. But after twice delaying the initial Nov. 1 departure date, it cancelled it altogether on Nov. 17, reports CNN. That’s leaving many passengers without a place to call home and some stuck in Istanbul, from where the cruise was set to depart. He said all passengers would be given full refunds in installments between December and February.
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