Around the world three-year cruise in crisis
When Life at Sea Cruises announced their record-breaking three-year voyage around the world, eager travellers raced to book their cabins onboard.
Marketed as the "world's first – and only three year cruise", demand for rooms was “unprecedented”, with some travel enthusiasts moving out of their homes and selling their possessions in preparation for the trip of a lifetime.
Despite the demand for a spot on board the MV Gemini, the future of the voyage is now in jeopardy, with Life at Sea Cruises, a subsidiary of Miray Cruises, being inundated with demands for refunds just months after the bookings opened.
The entire team at Life at Sea Cruises, which was set up specifically for the record-breaking project, has parted ways with Miray Cruises after an apparent breakdown in communication over the suitability of the ship.
Mike Petterson, the now former managing director for Life at Sea Cruises confirmed to CNN Travel on Wednesday that he and the rest of the founding team have "stepped away" from the project.
Despite the team breakdown, Kendra Holmes, director of business development and commercial operations at Miray International, insisted that the voyage will still go ahead.
"This cruise is not cancelled," Holmes said. "We are moving ahead. It is departing November 1st as planned. So I just want to make sure to clear that up right now. We are not cancelling this."
However, it's still unclear whether the voyage will go ahead on board MV Gemini, or a different ship.
"Currently the name of the ship is Gemini," Holmes added, before explaining that she was not able to discuss a new ship at present.
"I wish that we didn't have these kinds of situations," said Fuat G., hotel director at Miray Cruises. "We are moving forward. Whatever we have to do to finish that project. And [we will] go to a second, third, fourth and fifth ship. Whatever it is."
A press release announcing the project back in March stated that the MV Gemini would be "overhauled" for the voyage.
However, according to Irina Strembitsky, former director of sales and marketing of Life at Sea Cruises, the ship, which has capacity for up to 1,074 passengers, was deemed "unseaworthy" by an engineer, who also expressed doubt that it would be able to complete a three-year journey.
Understandably, the news of the uncertainty that the trip will go ahead has caused major concern for passengers, with some demanding a refund.
One traveller who voiced her concerns is retired teacher Sharon Lane, who booked a ticket for the entire three-year journey and planned to sell most of her belongings before setting off.
Lane says that regardless of how things turn out, she will not be going on the journey, which was due to visit 135 countries and seven continents.
"Life at Sea says the trip is cancelled. Miray says it's still a go, but without the entire Life at Sea management team," she told CNN.
"I don't really care who is right or wrong. I'm allergic to chaos. Going was a huge calculated risk to begin with. Now, it's far too risky for my liking."
"It's very sad," she said.
"I was all in. It will take me some time to undo what I have already set in place, but at least I'm not one of those who has already sold a house and all of my belongings. My heart aches for them."
Image credits: Life at Sea Cruises