A website by a new startup cruise company called Globe Cruises caught our attention today, offering travelers a three-year round-the-world cruise. This voyage sounded very familiar, of a similar startup that left many without their life savings after they paid for a voyage that never happened.
The news of Globe Cruises was first released by Business Insider India, stating that the 1,095-day voyage will depart from Barcelona on April 12, 2025, visiting 413 ports in 171 countries before concluding in Southampton, England, on April 13, 2028.
The startup's COO told Business Insider India, "The voyage was designed to chase warm weather. But according to its itinerary, destinations will stretch as far south to Antarctica and as far north as Longyearbyen, Norway."
We checked the Globe Cruises website, which didn’t inspire much confidence based on the information presented. The website features AI-generated photos of a ship and interiors and does not specify which ship will take the guests on this three-year voyage. But it gets more interesting. It appears that the dream of the three-year world cruise continues with the same executives from Life at Sea Cruises, which, according to Cruise Industry News, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Middle District of Florida a month ago.
Under the leadership section on the Globe Cruises website, you will find short bios presenting their experience in the cruise industry, mentioning their roles at Carnival Cruise Line, NCL, and the "biggest ships in the world." However, all of them somehow forgot to mention their roles at Life at Sea Cruises.
At first, we thought someone was playing a bad joke by creating this website, but after checking out the profiles of the executives on LinkedIn, one of them has already announced the launch of the website and the new cruise company.
Let’s recap what happened with Life at Sea Cruises
In 2023, Life at Sea Cruises gained attention for its ambitious three-year world cruise, but the venture faced multiple delays and was ultimately canceled just two weeks before departure, because they didn't have a ship to sail. Initially scheduled to start the journey on November 1, 2023, the date was pushed to November 11, then November 30, before being canceled on November 17.
The plan to use the MV Gemini was abandoned when the ship proved too small, and a deal to purchase the larger AIDAaura fell through on November 16, leaving passengers stranded in Istanbul. Conflicting communications further complicated the situation, with the former CEO officially canceling the cruise via video message.
This left many of the passengers, who had already arrived in Istanbul for the voyage, realizing that there was no ship. The situation was further muddied by conflicting communications from Life at Sea Cruises. On November 17, the former CEO who had recently left the company for a rival cruise line, informed passengers via video message that the cruise was officially canceled.
