People sold their homes, they got rid of their belongings because they wanted to be on board the world’s first three-year cruise. An adventure announced by Life at Sea Cruises in February of this year. Customers are now demanding refunds after questions regarding the ship’s suitability for the journey have come to light.
Life at Sea Cruises, a subsidiary of Miray Cruises, has also decided to pull out of the project. In the 800-member Facebook group for the Life at Sea community, Mike Petterson, Life at Sea’s former managing director, wrote that his company issued refunds after a split with Miray with some of the main concerns being linked to the suitability of the ship. According to Irina Strembitsky, former employee at Life at Sea Cruises, the ship has capacity for up to 1,074 passengers, and Gemini MV was considered “unseaworthy” by an engineer.
Miray does not agree with the engineer’s comments and has expressed its dissent. “Unseaworthy is a very specific term that relates to the safety of a vessel (that a vessel has enough lifeboats / LSA’s, decks that are skid proof, among other requirements to ensure its safety),” Kendra Holmes, director of business development and commercial operations at Miray International, wrote in the email to CNN. “With that said, every cruise ship must have a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate issued by the class society that the ship belongs to, evidencing that the vessel complies with the requirements of SOLAS 1974 in order to be able to sail with passengers. Gemini has this certificate, and it will be renewed again at the end of July 2023.”
I just want to make sure to clear that up right now. We are not canceling this.
Kendra Holmes, director of commercial operations at Miray
The company has restated its original position and says the ship will sail as planned. “This cruise is not canceled,” Holmes said on a Webinar, as reported by CNN. “We are moving ahead. It is departing November 1 as planned. So I just want to make sure to clear that up right now. We are not canceling this.” It has not been determined whether MV Gemini will be the chosen ship or not. “Currently the name of the ship is Gemini,” Holmes said, as quoted by CNN. She went on to say that she was currently not able to provide any further details at this point.
The departure of the Life at Sea team has triggered a wave of uncertainty for those who had already made deposits to secure their places on the ship. “I know a lot of you have concerns,” Holmes told passengers during the webinar, as reported by CNN. “We are trying to do everything we can to help eliminate those concerns.”
The cruise, which was announced in late February of this year, was tagged as a three-year getaway option for a relatively affordable price of US$30,000 per person per year. Some of the highlights along the route included Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue and India’s Taj Mahal, to Mexico’s Chichen Itza, the pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China.
According to Miray, the ship is still expected to set sail from Istanbul on November 1st, 2023, and visit 375 ports around the world, in 135 countries and all seven continents. It even includes voyages to 103 tropical islands. Of those 375 ports, 208 will be overnight calls, giving passengers additional time at the destination.
The MV Gemini features 400 staterooms ranging from four-square-meter “Virtual Inside” cabins to balcony suites. In addition to traditional cruise ship amenities, dining and entertainment, the Gemini will also be equipped with remote work facilities.
The company promises a full-scale business center complete with meeting rooms, 14 offices, a business library and lounge, and complimentary access. “Professionals need connectivity, the right amenities and the functionality to perform their jobs,” Mikael Petterson, Life at Sea Cruises’s managing director, said in a statement.
Beyond the business center, there will be plenty more to keep you busy: a sundeck and pool, a wellness center, an auditorium and “multiple dining options.” There will also be instructors on board available to teach dance and music, and there will even be others for those traveling alone. In addition, there will be a gym and lounge on board.
Cabin pricing starts at US$29,999 per person per year, rising to US$179,994 for the three-year, two-person voyage. Passengers must sign up for all three years, although the company is launching a pairing scheme, where passengers will be able to “share” a cabin with another person, moving in and out of the itinerary.
