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The MV Lara has room for up to 1,250 passengers, but Life at Sea is capping capacity at 85%, as was the plan with the Gemini. “With the invaluable support of our partners, The Dive Place and SDI, we aspire to cultivate a community of environmentally conscious divers devoted to the safeguarding of our marine ecosystems,” she added. “We are elated to introduce the ‘Dive Around the World’ program, inviting our residents to explore the world’s oceans while actively contributing to their conservation,” Holmes said. According to CNN, some Life at Sea Cruises team members left the company in May as part of a dispute about the ship and other matters, which raised customer concerns. Now, Miray Cruises may have alleviated some of those with the purchase of an alternative ship. Explorethe latest travel news, advice, updates, upcoming exclusive deals and more.
Celestyal Discovery ship related cruise news
Travelers will have the luxury of multiple days at each port of call, allowing for leisurely exploration and the freedom to embark on their own unique adventures. Miray Cruises (Turkey) has announced the launch of MV Lara (fka AIDAaura), a remarkable ship designed to revolutionize extended voyages. Due to the overwhelming demand following the initial release of "Life at Sea Cruises", Miray International has acquired a larger and more advanced vessel - MV Lara, to cater to the unprecedented enthusiasm of adventurous individuals worldwide.
Experience the Best of Both Worlds
Instead, the company said the voyage is postponed — and it blamed a lack of enough passenger bookings, rather than problems finding an appropriate ship. Warning flags went up earlier this year, when the company changed course from its initial plan to refit one of its ships, the MV Gemini. For the lengthy worldwide voyage, it planned to deploy the larger "MV Lara" — a ship that never materialized. Terms of the deal help illuminate the would-be passengers' financial and logistical plight.
year-long World Cruise delayed weeks before departure due to AIDAaura's failed sale
But it seems that it was the company's focus, not the public's, that was the problem. And rather than portioning the cruise for sale in smaller stages, the company required customers to commit to the full three years. The cheapest packages started at $196,000 for a single traveler, and $231,000 for couples, according to the company's website. Those customers are now scrambling to make new plans for where they will live for the next three years — and to extract refunds from the cruise line. The intense fallout is drawing comparisons to infamous debacles such as the Fyre Festival — the "luxury" music festival that was more like a "disaster relief area."
Celestyal Cruises adds Celestyal Discovery (fka AIDAaura) to its fleet
In July 2023, Miray Cruises changed the "world cruise ship" to AIDAaura/MV Lara. But cruise company Life at Sea recently told customers who bought passage on a three-year voyage that rather than visiting 140 countries, their trip was called off. "Our residents are changing their lives for this opportunity, and we are honored to be a part of their personal journeys," Holmes said in June. They would spend roughly 300 days at sea, 795 days at port and have 413 overnight port stays, Chief Operating Officer Ethem Bayramoglu of Miray Cruises, the Turkish parent company of Life at Sea, said in that online session. Passengers will spend the trip aboard the MV Lara, which was built in 2003 and currently operates under a different name for a different cruise line.
Life at Sea Cruises, the Miray Cruises’ brand that will soon begin a 3-year cruise ship residency voyage, announced it has partnered with professional scuba diving groups that will offer dive instruction to guests. Since there is no U.S. embarkation port, it appears Miray Cruises will no longer be required to post a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) performance bond. The FMC bond protects the passenger deposits of guests embarking in the U.S. in the case of cruise operator non-performance. Kendra Holmes told TravelAwaits the MV Lara has 42,289 gross tons, 634 staterooms, and space for 1,268 passengers, although Miray Cruises will only book the ship to 85 percent capacity.
In May, around 22 team members handling the voyage quit Miray Cruises over concerns about the ship. Those who left included Mikael Petterson, the former managing director, as well as the chief technology officer and the director of sales and marketing. But others balked at the idea, and the hurdles that Miray Cruises, which operates Life at Sea Cruises, faced in the months after announcing the trip drove some initial enthusiasts away. Now, after some setbacks, the trip is officially back on schedule, with the company settling on a larger ship that will set sail on November 1. The cruise line has marketed the voyage as ideal for cruisers who can work remotely from the ship, which will feature a business center and Starlink internet service.
Pool deck's activities also include bingo evenings, nightly pool parties, laser shows. AIDAaura entertainment facilities included Das Theater - the ship's largest venue, and the huge AIDA Bar & Anytime Disco. The ship has five bars and lounges, including Star Bar (Deck 8), Ocean Bar (Deck 7), AFTer Bar & Club (Deck 10) and Cafe Nation (Deck 9). Cafe Nation is an Italian coffee bar & lounge via an exclusive partnership with illy.
Life at Sea never-ending cruise could be cancelled with no ship - Business Insider
Life at Sea never-ending cruise could be cancelled with no ship.
Posted: Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
According to the voyage’s brochure, Life at Sea also plans to set up tee times and transportation to golf courses in many ports. The ship will launch on November 1, 2023 and will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Republic. ISTANBUL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Miray Cruises announced today the introduction of MV Lara, an extraordinary new world cruise ship that will redefine the realm of extended voyages. After the overwhelming demand received from the initial launch of Life at Sea Cruises, Miray Cruises has now acquired a newer, larger vessel to accommodate the unprecedented enthusiasm from adventurous souls worldwide. “Our fleet is expanding due to the unprecedented demand for our long-duration circumnavigation voyages to responsibly explore every corner of our planet. Our residents are changing their lives for this opportunity, and we are honored to be a part of their personal journeys,” she added.
Additionally, there will be a 24-hour on-call hospital with complimentary medical visits, educational lectures, and opportunities for residents to participate in volunteer and philanthropic initiatives. Over the course of the 3-year journey, spanning 130,000 mi, MV Lara will visit 382 ports, 7 continents, and 148 countries. The 42,289-gross-ton Lara, which was built in 1988, will offer redesigned staterooms, a business center with offices, a cigar and wine bar, and other onboard destinations. A 24-hour on-call hospital with medical visits included in the cruise fare also will be available. Passengers enjoy cruising’s highly-inclusive travel style and fares on Life at Sea’s 3-year voyage cover much of the cruise experience. Cruise prices include meals in all dining venues, alcohol with dinner, high-speed internet, entertainment and performances, enrichment lectures and programming, port fees and taxes, housekeeping and laundry services, and business center access.
Guests can avail themselves of learning and enrichment lectures onboard, and can join volunteer and philanthropic initiatives during the cruise, which will travel some 130,000 miles and call at 382 ports. Like all AIDA ships, Aura carried its own fleet of complimentary bicycles for passengers to use in call ports during the voyage. The onboard language was German as most AIDA customers are German-speaking Europeans (Germans, Austrians, Swiss), the majority of whom are young and active; since older Germans gravitate to more traditional brands on the German-speaking market. AIDAaura itinerary program was based on South Africa roundtrips (from homeport Cape Town) and Iceland-Greenland and Northern European voyages from Germany (homeports Hamburg and Bremerhaven). The inaugural program was based on the "Iconic Aegean" itineraries which are in length days. Roundtrip departures are offered from two homeports - Piraeus-Athens (Greece) and Kusadasi-Ephesus (Turkey).
The voyage was attractive to working professionals, as the ship was to provide remote work facilities. Turkish line Miray Cruises has altered its controversial three-year world voyage by replacing the ship that originally was intended to operate the sailing. In recent months, the company had battled public perceptions that the vessel was not deemed seaworthy. There is no charge for additional guests staying in your cabin, however family and friends are responsible for paying the local port taxes and fees($33 Per-day).
The ship will also feature a spa and wellness center, pool and sun deck, bars and lounges, and a business center. Since residents will be sailing on MV Lara for 3 years, living spaces are an important aspect of life on board. The ship’s public venues are being redesigned for long-term residence so that passengers will feel at home. Very few images of MV Lara’s cabins and living spaces are currently publicly available. Miray Cruises made waves when it announced the 3-year Life at Sea Cruises world voyage on February 27, 2023. In an era of highly sought-after world cruises, this news created a tsunami of excitement and subsequent booking requests.
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