2023-11-24 19:51:00
It’s a lifelong dream that has just come to an end for many Life at Sea Cruises guests. It was a unique project: an endless cruise. The concept was simple: as long as passengers were able to pay 36,000 euros per year (for a minimum of three years on board), they could stay on the ship as long as they wanted. A cruise for a lifetime, a revolutionary idea. The initial objective was to cruise for a minimum of three years, passing through 7 continents, 140 countries and 382 ports. This idea gained momentum when the company decided to make this duration indefinite.
The boat was due to leave the port of Istanbul on November 1, which was already compromised since the Life at Sea company still did not have a boat available in October. This departure was therefore postponed to November 11, and the departure moved to the port of Amsterdam. Then it was pushed back to November 30, still from Amsterdam.
From worried to annoyed, customers are now completely disappointed. On Friday, November 17, the news came: the cruise was canceled. Among the passengers, some are still in Istanbul, others have managed to reach the new port of departure.
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“I no longer have a home to return to”
The biggest tragedy, for many passengers, is the loss of their home. Indeed, to be able to afford this incredible experience, several clients have decided to sell or rent their house, get rid of their belongings, sell their business,… only to now find themselves with nothing. “I had the next three years of my life planned out, ready to live an extraordinary life, and now I have nothing. I’m having a hard time moving on,” one customer told CNN. “I never imagined finding myself in this position as a senior,” laments another. “I don’t know what direction my life is going to take,” adds another client.
Now, Life at Sea Cruises passengers are facing significant wait times to receive refunds, with the company announcing it will implement monthly payments beginning in December and ending in February. The company also offered to pay for accommodation for customers still stuck in Istanbul.
A boat too expensive?
The company was supposed to purchase AIDAaura. This ship withdrawn this summer by AIDA Cruises was to be renamed MV Lara and bought back at the end of September. The company then planned to renovate the ship before sailing to Istanbul. But despite Life at Sea’s intentions, the sale of the ship was announced on November 16. However, the buyer was not Life at Sea but Celestyal Cruises.
The company’s former CEO then posted an explanatory video, followed shortly after by a message from the owner of Miray Cruises, the owner of Life at Sea. The latter confirmed the cancellation of the departure by admitting that they did not have the means to acquire the ship. In addition, its investors would have withdrawn despite an initial payment already made. They thus “refused to support us further due to the unrest in the Middle East.”
But the company has not abandoned its project: “If we cannot leave on December 1, we will offer to leave on another date or to reimburse all payments according to a short schedule,” she said. announcement.
Life at Sea also explained that the cruise could have gone with a smaller ship but it was apparently too small for the company.
The company left one last hope, undoubtedly poorly received by passengers, in its message to confirm the cancellation of the cruise. “While we are all disappointed and frustrated that we were unable to sail this time, it is important to us that you are satisfied with your experience with us,” it reads. The message also stated “hoping to have an option to offer soon.”
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