Life at Sea Cruises faces allegations of fraud as 78 devastated passengers seek justice

A promising three-year cruise, marketed as the journey of a lifetime by Life at Sea Cruises, has left a group of devastated passengers calling for a criminal investigation. The cruise, covering 130,000 miles, 135 countries, and 375 ports, was abruptly cancelled by Miray Cruises, the company in charge, just two weeks before setting sail. Passengers, some of whom sold their homes to finance the $38,500-per-person trip, are now left without the adventure they were promised.

Originally scheduled to depart from Amsterdam on November 11, the voyage faced prior postponements, eventually rescheduling to depart from Turkey on November 30. Miray Cruises cited the lack of an available ship as the reason for the cancellation, leaving passengers stranded in Istanbul without the promised once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The company, as a gesture, offered to cover flights and accommodation until December 1 for those affected. However, the promised refunds, set to begin in mid-December, have yet to materialize, according to claims by the 78 affected passengers.

In a collective effort, the passengers have written a letter to Markenzy Lapointe, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, urging a criminal fraud investigation into Miray Cruises. The letter alleges that Miray Cruises accepted approximately $16 million from customers, intending to use the funds as a ship deposit—a ship that the company ultimately failed to acquire.

The passengers contend that they were assured their money wouldn’t be used for upfront payments, raising suspicions of fraudulent activities within the cruise company.

One passenger, Keri Whitman, a marketing executive, shared her heartbreaking story of selling her home to fund the cruise. She envisioned a unique opportunity to travel the world without flying, all while working remotely. Another passenger, Kimberly Arizzi, withdrew from the plans after detecting internal company issues. Despite receiving a $5,000 refund, Arizzi remains among the passengers seeking justice.