Life at Sea passengers demand criminal investigation, $26m refunds

The Life at Sea cruise was to set sail on the world’s first three-year cruise aboard the MV Lara from Istanbul in November.

Passengers who had sold houses and belongings to fund a three-year ‘Life at Sea’ cruise are calling for a criminal probe after the trip was cancelled last minute, leaving plans and savings at sea.

A collective of 78 passengers, booked on to the ship due to depart Istanbul last November, say they were left $26 million out of pocket. Last week they submitted a request to US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where the operator Miray International is based, demanding a criminal fraud investigation.

“The majority of the residents are seniors over 65; collectively we have been defrauded out of millions of dollars,” the letter claimed.

It detailed how Miray had taken US$16m ($26.3) in customer funds for a deposit on a ship that was never bought. Claiming to have been finalising the purchase of the MV Lara, a 1400 passenger ship then named MV AIDAaura, passengers only found out later on November 17 that Miray was outbid by Greek liner Celestyal Cruises.

Having already sold 111 cabins one month before the planned departure of the three-year, round-the-world itinerary, they were without a ship.

Following confusion, several delays and a previous failed attempt to secure a ship, passengers were told that the Life at Sea was cancelled. Having postponed the departure to December 1, some passengers were already in Turkey waiting for the cruise to start.

Many of those booked to travel on the $38,500 a year itinerary had sold houses to take part in the record-breaking voyage.

“In almost all cases (including mine) it was a life-changing amount. Some people literally sold their homes to afford the Life At Sea trip, and are now struggling to even find a place to live and to find money to pay living expenses,” said would-be passenger Andy Garrison, who set up a travel blog hoping to document the 400 city itinerary.

In December Garrison claimed passengers had been told to expect refunds by February 2024, but for many this was not soon enough.

He said the treatment had left other travellers “emotionally torn up”.

Seventy-six-year-old widower and retired lawyer Dean Purcell told the New York Times he had sold his house and car to take part in the Life at Sea sailing.

Another passenger, Adam Pers from the UK, was left near destitute after the trip failed to materialise. Still waiting on the refunds, a GoFundMe was set up in his name to recover some of the costs for unpaid bills.

“Adam is left with no job, little to no possessions, and has lost tens of thousands of dollars from his unrefuned payments,” it claims.

Life at Sea and Miray Cruises were contacted for comment.