The planned 3-year cruise journey to all seven continents has been canceled.

The highly anticipated three-year cruise designed to take passengers to 135 countries across all seven continents has been abruptly canceled. Life at Sea Cruises, the company behind the ambitious journey, admitted it had no ship, according to a report by CNN. The cruise, which began accepting reservations earlier this year with cabin prices starting at $29,999 per year, was initially scheduled to set sail from Istanbul on November 1. However, the departure date was postponed to November 11, with the start port changed to Amsterdam, and then delayed once again to November 30.

On November 17, passengers who had signed up for the extended voyage were informed that the cruise was canceled. Life at Sea Cruises allegedly pledged to refund travelers, with some individuals expected to receive refunds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Despite numerous efforts to salvage the voyage, including plans to purchase a retired AIDA Cruises ship, Life at Sea Cruises faced a setback when the intended vessel was acquired by Celestyal Cruises, as reported by CNN. Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of Miray Cruises, the parent company of Life at Sea, later communicated to passengers that the company could not afford to purchase the ship and expressed profound apologies for the inconvenience.

Initially marketed as a three-year journey with stops at 375 ports of call covering 130,000 miles, the cruise was intended to offer passengers a unique experience on a ship equipped with spacious cabins, diverse dining options, entertainment facilities, a wellness center, a pool, and workspaces such as a business center. Unfortunately, the cancellation of the ambitious venture has left travelers seeking alternative around-the-world voyages, with options like Silversea’s 2026 trip visiting 37 countries and Azamara’s 155-day cruise exploring all seven new wonders of the world.

A representative for Life at Sea Cruises did not provide an immediate response to Travel + Leisure’s request for comment. The cancellation has undoubtedly disappointed travelers who were eager to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise adventure spanning multiple continents and diverse ports of call. The cruise industry, known for offering unique and immersive travel experiences, continues to navigate challenges, including unexpected cancellations, requiring both companies and passengers to adapt to changing circumstances.

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