Kara Youssef, 36, and her husband Joe find themselves in a precarious situation, stranded in Turkey and facing the looming threat of homelessness. Their dreams were shattered when the highly anticipated three-year cruise they had booked with Life at Sea, an endeavor promoted as a once-in-a-lifetime experience by Miray International Cruises, fell through.
In a heart-wrenching account, Kara shared the couple’s emotional journey with the New York Times. They had eagerly anticipated the voyage, selling off their possessions to finance what was supposed to be a dream come true. However, Life at Sea, the brainchild of Miami entrepreneur Mikael Petterson and Miray owner Vedat Ugurlu, turned into a nightmare.
The cruise, advertised as the “ultimate bucket list world cruise,” came with a hefty price tag, ranging from $90,000 for an inside cabin to a staggering $975,000 for a suite. The demand was so overwhelming that, when bookings opened in March, the team behind the venture struggled to keep up.
As the November 1 launch date approached, concerns arose about the ship designated for the journey, MV Gemini. Despite a $10 million refurbishment by Miray, questions lingered about its suitability for the 1,095-day odyssey. Itinerary planner Robert Dixon, in a voice memo to his team, raised alarm bells, stating that he was denied access to the ship’s engine room. Furthermore, he expressed doubts about the vessel’s ability to hold enough fuel for the Atlantic crossing and the challenges of traversing the South Pacific.
The internal strife escalated when Petterson and Ugurlu clashed over payment collection methods, leading to Petterson’s decision to abandon the project entirely in June.
Now, Kara and Joe Youssef find themselves in limbo, waiting for an $80,000 refund that could determine whether they face homelessness in a foreign land. Their tale is a poignant reminder of the human cost behind grand promises and dashed dreams in the realm of luxury travel.
