What to know about the 3-year, now-canceled round-the-world cruise: NPR

They promised the world. But cruise company Life at Sea told customers who had bought a ticket on a three-year trip that instead of visiting 140 countries, their trip had been cancelled.

These customers are now scrambling to make new plans for where they’ll live for the next three years — and to get refunds from the cruise line. The severe fallout is drawing comparisons to notorious disasters such as Fyre Festival – the “fancy” music festival that was like a “disaster relief zone”.

Here’s what to know about the canceled round-the-world cruise

What did he promise? the world.

The original itinerary specified 1,095 days of travel, going from Istanbul to Europe and then to South America and the Caribbean. Passengers then pass through the Panama Canal before seeing the west coast of the United States, Hawaii and Alaska and then heading west across the Pacific Ocean.

“We will be following summer the whole time we travel the world,” Kendra Holmes, then CEO of Life at Sea, told potential passengers. Zoom webinar in September.

The travelers had to see seven continents and visit 140 countries. They will spend approximately 300 days at sea, 795 days in port, and 413 nights in port, Ethem Bayramoglu, chief operating officer of Miray Cruises, the Turkish parent company of Life at Sea, said in that online session.

Along the way, they will explore the wonders of the world, visit UNESCO World Heritage sites, and have abundant opportunities for diving and snorkeling, the company said.

The three-year journey was scheduled to begin on November 1, departing from Istanbul. Some passengers reportedly did not learn of the cancellation until after arriving in Turkey.

What do customers say?

When the flight missed its planned departure time, the company promised to resolve the outstanding issues. But after further delays, the flight was cancelled.

“Are you still waiting for my refund. Now you’re tired?” A woman identified herself as a Life at Sea customer he said on the company’s Instagram account. The woman, a retired teacher, did not respond to NPR’s message seeking further comment.

Former flight attendant Meredith Shay was looking forward to the flight as the centerpiece of her retirement.

“How did you feel about that?” Shay said in Interview on ABC Good morning America. “Devastated, frustrated, sad. I packed my bags, put them in storage, and sent four boxes to Miray Cruises.”

It appears that a wide range of passengers have booked cabins.

“The age group is largely divided between 35 and 85 years old, and among the passengers was a large number of Americans,” Holmes said.

How much does a Life at Sea cruise cost?

The cheapest packages start at $196,000 for a single traveler and $231,000 for couples, according to The company’s website. Costs ranged much higher for guests staying in premium rooms.

In return, passengers – or residents, as the company calls them – were promised a long list of amenities, including a hospital and an on-board doctor. Some cabins can host cats. Travelers are also promised high-speed Internet, free dining, laundry service, alcohol and “enrichment seminars.”

The terms of the deal help shed light on the financial and logistical plight of potential passengers. Life at Sea sets the initial deposit at 30% of the total cost. Under the 12-month payment plan, the first withdrawal was made one month before the sailing date.

Instead of dividing the sale into smaller phases, the company asked customers to commit to the full three years.

“Our residents change their lives for this opportunity, and we are honored to be a part of their personal journeys,” Holmes said he said in June.

Did the cruise line already have a ship?

“Within two days, we’ll have this ship,” Life at Sea cruise planner Robert Dixon said It was said in late SeptemberHe was speaking in a promotional video from the bridge of a ship he called “MV Lara.”

But the company was not able to complete this deal, and the ship in question – the 20-year-old Aida Ora — It was sold instead in November to Celestyal, which specializes in Mediterranean cruises.

Mirai’s attempts to buy the ship continued for weeks, eventually stopping after investors balked, according to a letter the company obtained CNN And other ports.

“If you’re focused on the ship, this is not the ride for you,” Holmes said in a webinar in September. But two months later, she left her leadership position at Life at Sea and Miray, as ambitious cruise plans collapsed.

Holmes was trying to allay concerns about the quality of the ship. But the problem seems to be the company’s focus, not the audience.

Warning flags went up earlier this year, when The company changed course From its initial plan to refit one of its ships, MV Gemini. For the long round-the-world voyage, she planned to deploy the larger ship “MV Lara” – a ship that was never realized.

What is the cruise company saying now?

It’s complicated. On Sunday, Miray Cruises released a Statement in TurkishDenying the cancellation of the cruise. Instead, the company said the cruise had been postponed, blaming not enough passenger bookings, rather than problems finding a suitable ship.

But in response to a comment on social media about the same statement, the company sought to clarify that its other operations were not affected – and in doing so, mentioned“The cancellation in question is related to our 3-year world tour project.”

The company said that anyone who requests a refund will receive one, and that it will reimburse travel expenses related to the cruise.

Mireille also said she has begun legal action against what she says are ugly and inaccurate stories about the company and its owner.