The trip that was billed as the cruise with no end might not even have a launch.
A proposed three-year cruise that is scheduled to depart on November 1 still doesn’t have a ship. It sounds like a great idea, and the trip of a lifetime. But now some people are feeling like they are living out a scam.
“I’ve not wanted to tell anyone,” said one person who asked for anonymity. “I’m embarrassed, I’m ashamed that I fell for it. I should have listened to my gut.” The man added that he has already paid out about $100,000.
The trip is being organized by a company called Life at Sea, which is owned by a group called Miray Cruises. It is scheduled to depart from Istanbul in less than a month for an around the world journey.
A spokesperson for Miray Cruises said company officials went to the German shipyard in September to pick up the vessel, but the sale was not formalized.
“It would have been impractical for the seller to continue accommodating the crew onboard without the finalized transaction, so the team voluntarily disembarked while they sorted out the details,” the spokesperson said.
Although Miray never disclosed which ship it was planning to purchase for the around the world cruise, CNN reported that it is believed to be the AIDAAura, from AIDA Cruises, a German subsidiary of Carnival.
The ship is 20 years old and has taken more than 800 voyages.
AIDA Cruises did not respond to requests for comment.
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