THREE-YEAR CRUISE CANCELED; PASSENGERS PISSED

The sales pitch was that you could spend three years traveling the world from the comfort of a cruise ship, at prices that matched regular living expenses. But now, the passengers who’d signed up for Life at Sea Cruises’ inaugural three-year voyage are cast away to the sea after the company admitted that it has no ship, and has canceled the cruise. The cruise was originally due to depart Istanbul, Turkey, on November 1. According to CNN, the departure date was pushed back multiple times and passengers said they were told its most recent sail date was Nov. 30. But on November 17, passengers were informed the cruise was off. Some of the passengers are still in Istanbul. Others say they have nowhere to return to, having sold or rented out their homes in anticipation of the round-the-world voyage, as well as selling off their possessions. The company has vowed to refund the money, but even if they do passengers now face a wait of at least several months to get their money back. Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of Life at Sea Cruises, has said he is “extremely sorry for the inconvenience.”
* If you want your money back, remember that name: Veenot Urdu…Vila Uguru… Vino—- oh, people, you are so screwed.
* He’s also offering each customer a complimentary stomach virus.
* Would you settle for a duck boat ride around Lake Tuzla?
* This idea was all wet.
* Sorry, folks, there just is no escaping the hell of everyday normal life here on Earth.