A first-of-its-kind three-year cruise planned by Life at Sea Cruises has been abruptly canceled less than a week before departure. After weeks of uncertainty and postponement of the launch date, the organizers admitted that they did not own the ship and promised to refund passengers who had already registered for the trip.
The cruise was originally scheduled to depart from Istanbul on November 1, but the departure date was later moved to November 11 and changed to a departure from Amsterdam. The launch was later rescheduled for November 30, but on November 17 passengers were notified of the cancellation of the cruise.
The news came as an unexpected disappointment to many passengers, including those who had already sold or leased their homes ahead of the expected long journey. The company is now promising to refund the money in several stages over the coming months and provide flights for those who cannot return home on their own.
The cancellation of the cruise was the result of the organizing company Life at Sea Cruises being unable to purchase the AIDAaura cruise ship due to the rejection of investors who complained about uncertainty and events in the Middle East. The company announced its intention to implement its plan later with another ship. The cruise planned to cover 375 ports in 135 countries on seven continents and promised ideal conditions for digital nomads to work and travel the world.
