There's something in the water, and, for once, it's not sharks. But it'll probably leave the same trail of destruction, desperation, and broken hearts, at least for the dozens of wannabe cruise passengers who signed up – and sold their homes and businesses – for what was meant to be a record-breaking three-year cruise around the world.
Life at Sea, the inaugural cruise of newly founded cruise liner Life at Sea Cruises, has been called off, just a mere two weeks (give or take a few days) before it was supposed to set sail and following a handful of delays already.
The fact that Life at Sea was supposed to last three years and the short interval between confirmation and the scheduled departure date, along with conflicting statements from representatives of parent company Miray Cruises, turn the story into a potentially explosive scandal. If not, at least it's a cautionary tale on how not all that glitters is gold – or floats.
Life at Sea, initially scheduled to set sail on November 1, 2023, was rescheduled for November 11 and then for November 30. On November 17, after word had already transpired within the Life at Sea community that the departure had been called off, passengers were informed that the ship would, in fact, not set sail – neither then nor never.
Life at Sea was sold at the most incredible, once-in-a-lifetime cruise experience, with a little something for everyone involved. It would be a record breaker, too, spanning the course of three years and including visits to seven continents, 135 countries, and 375 ports.
As its name says, it would be more than a cruise. It would be a taste of life at sea, so suitable for anyone from passionate, regular cruise passengers to digital nomads and bored millionaires and everyone else in between.
Life at Sea would be a home at sea, but at a much more affordable price point since you could hop onboard for as little as $30,000 a year per person, including food, access to most amenities, and the drinks with your dinner. It would offer a top-notch wellness area, pools, entertainment spaces, conference rooms, high-speed internet, libraries, and a mobile hospital, so the gamut of necessary items and luxury amenities to make those three years feel like an endless vacation.
Photo: Life at Sea
Everything was carefully planned, every detail curated and duly advertised online. Christmas in Brazil and New Year's in Argentina. Free visits for friends and family, and three years of the most delicious mix of leisure and sports for the most unforgettable experience.
Life at Sea was a dream come true. Like most dreams, it was also unattainable or, at least, it proved to be so as the deadline for the departure approached.
A ship-less dream
The plan was to make the inaugural journey on MV Gemini, a ship whose provenience or build Life at Sea Cruises never got into that much. That one proved too small for the kind of experience planned, so it was replaced by MV Lara, which would offer a generous 42,289 GT of interior volume and 627 cabins for 1,266 passengers that would be occupied by as much as 80% to avoid overcrowding.
Life at Sea Cruises engaged in negotiations for the purchase of AIDAaura, a retired ship from AIDA Cruises, which would be converted into MV Lara. Talks fell through, and AIDAAura was purchased by Celestyal Cruises on November 16.
Photo: Life at Sea
This was just one day before the second scheduled departure when many of those who had bought cabins for Life at Sea had arrived in Istanbul, where the ship was supposed to set sail from. The realization dawned on them: if the future MV Lara had just been sold off to another company, that meant they had no ship to sail off into the sunset on.
And they were right, though Life at Sea Cruises took longer to put it into words.
Sorry, no go
On November 17, former CEO Kendra Holmes, who had left Life at Sea weeks before to move to a rival cruise liner, recorded a message for passengers, informing them that Life at Sea had been canceled. On the bright side, she was now in a position to sell them a new dream, this time onboard a ship from the rival company.
Two days later, Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of parent company Miray Cruises, confirmed that Life at Sea had been canceled for lack of a ship. He blamed an investor backing out for the mishap, saying that Miray was "not such a big company to afford to pay 40-50 million for a ship." He promised refunds and, almost in the same breath, the possibility to "to sail on another departure date," hinting that they weren't exactly canceling Life at Sea as much as postponing it.
Photo: Life at Sea
Whoever got their hopes up at that had them shattered within hours, this time by Chief Operating Officer Ethem Bayramoglu. "In case we weren’t clear, the Life at Sea cruise trip is canceled," he wrote, offering instructions for those who had already arranged "pods" of belongings to arrive in the port city.
As of this writing, Miray Cruises is again walking back on the cancellation news. In a post on social media, they cite unfounded rumors about Ugurlu and vaguely threaten legal action. Then, there's this: "Life at Sea has been POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE simply because the number of passengers is below expectations." The lack of a ship apparently had nothing to do with it.
We reached out to Miray Cruises for clarification on that and will update the story when and if we hear back.
Stranded without having set sail
Not that this verbal back and forth can bring any consolation to the dozens of people who uprooted their lives for the chance to experience Life at Sea. Some of them are already talking to the media, terrified at the prospect of months of waiting to get their money back – while a cabin could be reserved with a $5,000 deposit, a $45,000 payment was required by May to secure the room for the three years.
Photo: Life at Sea
Some of these people sold their homes, their businesses, or their belongings at the thought they'd start a new life at sea, and most rented out their homes as they made their way to Turkey, where they were supposed to set sail from.
Many of them found themselves stranded in Istanbul, without a flight home and without a house to call home, and while Miray Cruises is saying they will be taken care of, there's that bitter taste of disappointment that lingers. It'll probably persist long after the dust settles, regardless of the way in which it does it.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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