Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park is all about water. This unique national park features stunning glaciers and icy waters.
12.02.2024 - 20:39 / insider.com
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Adam, a British man in his 50s, who is among the dozens of people who signed up for a three-year cruise with Life at Sea — an around-the-world voyage that was canceled two weeks before it was supposed to set sail. He wanted to be identified by first name only for privacy reasons; his full name is known by Business Insider. He and 77 other would-be passengers who have yet to receive refunds are asking the US Attorney in Southern Florida to investigate Life at Sea's parent company, Miray Cruise Lines, LLC, for fraud.
Business Insider has viewed documents confirming Adam purchased a cabin on the ship and that he was diagnosed with cancer in Autumn 2023.
When I first heard about Life at Sea Cruises, it sounded too good to be true.
I had just been diagnosed with massive blood clots, which make it difficult to fly. These sorts of life-threatening things give you a bit of a jolt in your life. You think: I'd better go out and do something with my life.
This cruise would have allowed me to see the world without flying.
I wasn't sure about it at first, so I tried to do some checking. I spoke with several Miray Cruises executives, and I even checked with my bank to make sure they were a legitimate company. I needed to feel trust if I was going to part with my life savings.
My girlfriend thought it was a brilliant idea, as well. She was going to join me on various legs of the cruise. Imagine traveling around the world, and your girlfriend can join you regularly. You can see the allure of it.
A couple of destinations really excited me. One was Alaska. The other was Antarctica. If you were going to book a trip to just Antarctica, you would spend $10,000 to $15,000. So, you can see the benefit of the cost of the cruise.
I paid the full amount of the cruise up front in June 2023. I was sold on the fact that if I paid the full amount to start, I would get a large discount.
Obviously, this so-called discount is now a moot point.
[Editor's note: Adam did not want to disclose how much he paid. However, the cheapest interior cabins started at a little over $115,500 per person for all three years.]
I gave up my job. I had someone lined up to rent my property.
I started to clear out my house and sell my possessions. I was packing things away and putting stuff in storage.
I went through about three months of vaccinations; I got visas for several destinations; I did a round of goodbye dinners with friends and family I was leaving behind.
There are other costs we arranged as well. My daughter and girlfriend were going to meet me in various places around the world. We pre-booked flights and hotels in certain destinations.
But by August, things started to get
Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park is all about water. This unique national park features stunning glaciers and icy waters.
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