Table Of Content
- Trump hush money trial: Judge sets opening statements for Monday
- 'We found out while we were flying': Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling
- Joe Lewis’ $250 million superyacht, ranked among the world’s 25-most valuable, sets sail after he pays US fine
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- year cruise canceled weeks before setting sail, prompting passenger backlash
- Savannah Chrisley talks about the fate of her parents Todd and Julie
"Having a like-minded community of people that all were interested in travel at the ready was really appealing to me," she said. Witman, who owns a marketing agency named Clever Lucy, was planning to work remotely aboard the ship, using its Starlink internet service. And as a single woman, she had been looking forward to exploring the world with a group. Along the way, they would explore wonders of the world, visit UNESCO World Heritage sites and have plentiful chances to go diving and snorkeling, the company said.
Trump hush money trial: Judge sets opening statements for Monday
A cruise that intended to take its passengers from Europe to Asia to Africa and back over the course of a few years has been canceled, leaving those who had already bought tickets for the journey in limbo, CNN reported on Friday. The Life at Sea Cruises’ voyage was called off because the company wasn’t able to acquire a ship to carry its customers, despite initial plans to set sail on November 1. 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.
3-Year World Cruise Canceled 2 Weeks Before Departure Date - PEOPLE
3-Year World Cruise Canceled 2 Weeks Before Departure Date.
Posted: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
'We found out while we were flying': Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling
“We’re at a complete loss as to what to do or where to go without having our money,” he said. “We both wanted to see the world, and this seemed like a cheap way to do this,” he said. Prices started at just under $30,000 per year for each guest based on double occupancy when the cruise was announced earlier this year, including meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and more. During a webinar on Sept. 6, 2023, former CEO Kendra Holmes said, "What percent of cabins have been sold? We're right around 50% right now so we're making good pace for where we want to be at this point in time. Meredith Shay, a retired flight attendant who had been preparing for the adventure, told "Good Morning America" she was on a payment plan of $35,000 per month to stay in one of the biggest rooms on the ship.
Joe Lewis’ $250 million superyacht, ranked among the world’s 25-most valuable, sets sail after he pays US fine
Life at Sea had promised customers a renovated vessel with “world-class” amenities, including a business centre, a library, a 24-hour on-call hospital with free medical visits and education classes for adults. There were also promises of a state-of-the-art wellness centre, multiple dining options and philanthropic initiatives that guests could register for. “While we’re in talks to acquire a similar vessel, if the December 1st sail is jeopardized, we offer alternative departure dates or expedited refunds,” Ugurlu wrote, according to Cruise Industry News. 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.
The cruise, which was originally scheduled to depart from Istanbul on Nov. 1 and visit nearly 400 ports, was scrapped earlier this month. One passenger told USA TODAY he and his wife were notified of the cancellation on Nov. 17, after they had already arrived in Istanbul with plans to board the ship on Nov. 11. The guest asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from the company. Life at Sea Cruises had promised passengers of its inaugural three-year voyage the trip of a lifetime — they were supposed to set sail on Nov. 30, travelling to 382 ports across 140 countries over the span of three years. 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.
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The cheapest cabins cost about $115,500 a person in a double-occupancy cabin for the three-year voyage, rising to nearly $300,000 for a room with a balcony. The price included meals, drinks, entertainment, seminars, and medical consultations, Miray said. A couple who sold almost everything they owned to go on the three-year Life at Sea cruise have been living in a hotel room in Istanbul, Turkey for the past month after its operators failed to find a ship. The main issue seems to be the company, a division of Miray Cruises, didn't have sufficient funds to be able to buy a ship. A memo to customers obtained by Business Insider said they were "facing challenges" due to investor withdrawals. Miray and Life at Sea cruises are also offering customers who bought into the original cruise a separate, shorter free cruise next summer.
CNN reports that passengers faced “weeks of silence” from Life at Sea Cruises and at least two postponements since the beginning of the month. The big ship was originally scheduled to leave port on Nov. 1, which was first postponed to Nov. 11 and then Nov. 30. Some passengers had already made their way to Istanbul, per CNN, and were waiting to see what would happen. 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.
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. The company said that anyone requesting a refund will get one, and that it will reimburse travel expenses related to the cruise. On Sunday, Miray Cruises issued a statement in Turkish, denying that the cruise is canceled. Instead, the company said the voyage is postponed — and it blamed a lack of enough passenger bookings, rather than problems finding an appropriate ship. They would spend roughly 300 days at sea, 795 days at port and have 413 overnight port stays, Chief Operating Officer Ethem Bayramoglu of Miray Cruises, the Turkish parent company of Life at Sea, said in that online session. “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.
That’s leaving many passengers without a place to call home and some stuck in Istanbul, from where the cruise was set to depart. The would-be passengers are understandably upset with the cruise company. More than 100 cabins had been sold, and some travelers had given up their homes and other possessions with the understanding that they’d be at sea for three years. Others are still in Istanbul, where the cruise was originally supposed to depart from.
Some would-be cruise passengers were in Istanbul, where the ship was originally scheduled to depart from, when they received news of the cancellation, per CNN. Vedat Ugurlu, CEO of Life at Sea’s parent company Miray Cruises, said the cruise was facing “challenges due to investor withdrawal” in a statement shared with USA TODAY. 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."
The ship was scheduled to set sail on November 30, with the original November 1 departure date having been rescheduled several times. Many are stuck in a tough position, having spent tens of thousands of dollars on the now-canceled voyage that may take months to get reimbursed — and, in some cases, having sold or rented out their houses ahead of the cruise. In his message, Ugurlu also confirmed that the cruise was canceled because the company could not afford the ship. He said all passengers would be given full refunds in installments between December and February. Hotel accommodations in Istanbul will also be covered until Dec. 1, and “subsequent travel expenses to your chosen destination will be reimbursed,” Ugurlu said in his statement.
On Nov. 20, in another update from Miray Cruises owner Vedat Ugurlu to passengers, he said the Life at Sea Cruise trip was canceled. Despite the setback, Witman says she's been able to form connections with other would-be passengers, who have been keeping in touch via apps and group texts. Warning flags went up earlier this year, when the company changed course from its initial plan to refit one of its ships, the MV Gemini.
"I have received nothing yet, but I did not expect to," Mary Rader, a retired social worker from New York, told The Times. She said she had taken $80,000 out of her retirement savings to fund the trip. "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. That, however, is little solace to those who sold or rented out their homes and ditched a bunch of their possessions ahead of the cruise.
