Ohio woman finds herself homeless after selling her house for a three-year, $200,000 around-the-world cruise, but it’s canceled just days before departure

An Ohio woman has been left homeless after selling her home for a three-year around-the-world cruise that was canceled just days before departure.

Keri Witman, from Cincinnati, sold her four-bedroom home and gave away her belongings to make a down payment for a $185,000 ticket to go on the Life At Sea adventure trip.

She first saw an advertisement for the cruise in April, which promised to visit all seven continents, 140 countries and 382 ports. The trip would start in Istanbul on November 1.

About 1,000 passengers were due to board the 627-cabin MV Lara, but just weeks before departure, Life At Sea said they had not yet actually purchased the ship and were postponing the launch date.

The company said they are “actively working to create alternative plans for the future.”

Witman, who is now staying in a temporary rental apartment, told the newspaper Daily telegram: “It’s a good job, I’m a glass half full person, but it’s definitely been a challenging time.

“But I’m not the only person who sold their house to go on the cruise; many of us have done that. I mean, why wouldn’t you if you were going away for three years?

‘Others rented out their property, some took early retirement… Everyone has their own story.

‘I had fantasized about a big trip. The route was crazy; we would start in Istanbul and then go to Spain, across the Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas, to South America, Antarctica, on the other side to Central America, the US and Asia.

“We wouldn’t have reached the West Coast until next fall; it would have taken almost a year to get there.”

Witman, who runs a marketing agency, said she spoke to her financial advisor, who encouraged her to pay the $3,000 deposit and the $29,000 first payment if she wanted to do so.

For couples sharing a cabin, the trip cost $231,000 – or $115,500 per person.

Her belongings intended for the cruise are now in storage and she lives in a rented apartment. Despite the ordeal, she has remained optimistic.

Rather than being bitter about the delays, she told the newspaper: ‘I feel light – I had a three-storey house with a basement, and all those rooms were full of stuff, it all just put pressure on me.

‘Although I do miss my recipe books, and I just bought a new winter coat because I lost them all.

“The goal for this year was to shake things up, and I certainly did that. Yes, it didn’t go to plan, but the plan now is to enjoy Christmas and find other opportunities to travel next year.

“Honestly, this feels like the beginning of my adventure – not the end.

“I had my knee replacement done and sold the house. I’d been thinking about it for a while, and it’s a very popular market, so I was happy.”

Not all hopeful passengers were as positive as Witman. Some irate customers who had already sold or shipped their belongings have been told they will only get their money back in monthly instalments.

“There are a lot of people with nowhere to go right now, and some need their money to even plan a destination. It’s not good right now,” one passenger said.

Others spoke of feeling ‘betrayed’ after being promised ‘a three-year ultimate bucket list world cruise’.

“The company doesn’t seem concerned about what they’ve done to our lives,” said one passenger. “I never thought I would be in this position as a senior.”

Another added: ‘I’m in a state of disbelief that they did this to us.

“I can’t even understand the disappointment of missing this opportunity.

“I don’t think they’ll ever understand how much damage they’ve done to us.”

More than 110 people had registered for the trip and were only told on November 17 that it would not take place.

Former Life at Sea CEO Kendra Holmes told the 111 customers that the trip had been canceled and that any customers who had sent their belongings ahead should make sure they returned.

She resigned just days before making the announcement.

Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of Miray Cruises, which owns Life at Sea, sent a similar message two days later, saying he is “extremely sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Miray is not a big company that can afford to pay €40 to €50 million for a ship,” he said, before claiming that unrest in the Middle East meant its investors “refused to support us further ‘.

The trip collapsed after the company failed to secure financing for the MV Lara, the proposed ship for the trip, and customers were initially told there were only delays in sales.

The chic 666-foot liner features 627 cabins with space for up to 1,266 passengers.

Future cruisers were promised “spacious living spaces and modern amenities, redesigned specifically for extended stays and a luxurious feel.”

The ship features a bar, restaurants, spa, gym, sundeck and swimming pool. The advertised activities include dancing, karaoke, yoga and golf.

However, on November 16, it emerged that the Greek company Celestyal Cruises had taken over the ship to add it to its own fleet.

Life at Sea had previously proposed another Miray ship, the MV Gemini, but found it too small.

“If we are unable to sail on December 1, we will offer to sail on another departure date or refund all payments within a short time frame,” Ugurlu wrote in an email to customers.

‘We have done everything we can to make your dreams come true and we will continue to do so.’