Chasing Summer –

I have no words. No, thats not entirely right. I have many words but mostly I’m just flabbergasted.

This week, while I was getting multiple vaccines and recovering from feeling like poo because of them the rumors and infighting on the Life at Seas Cruises circle have been flying.

We have been patiently (okay maybe some of the people are a little less patient) for news on purchasing a ship to take us on our 3-year cruise. It sounds uncomfortably like the 3-hour tour from Gilligans Island- and let me assure you that several people have made the joke.

First it was reported in a German newspaper, in German that there was speculation of a new buyer for the original vessel that we were told Miray was buying.

https://www-nordsee–zeitung-de.translate.goog/Bremerhaven/Hafenkreise-berichten-Verkauf-der-AIDAaura-ist-in-Sichtweite-173078.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

What could we do but settle in for the naysayers and the opptomists to slug it out on line. Talks of getting lawyers escalated and a few insults flew between residents. But until we get official news there isn’t much to do. November 16th was the deadline for information.

On the morning of November 16th word came in multiple news outlets of the sale of the boat to another company and still no word from Miray or Verdat, the owner. Celestyal Acquires AIDA Cruise Ship Previously Set for Three-Year Cruise (maritime-executive.com) and Celestyal Cruises bags second ship, the former AIDAaura (seatrade-cruise.com). Even YouTubers were getting in on the action, https://youtu.be/G1dGTvvlvmc?si=NrL2eg12MfpHypMC. More chaos erupts in the circle forum. Some super sleuth residents even discovered that the CEO, Kendra Holmes, and the other executive officers of Miray no longer had Miray as their jobs in their LinkedIn profiles.

So yesterday we received a brief message from Kendra that she would give us more information today. So we wait again. She has sent out a 16-minute video apologizing for the utter lack of communication and that she is not representing Miray. She will be taking up a position in a new company HLC – HLC Cruise & Emporium. They are taking up the gauntlet if Miray can’t get anything together by December 1st. Seriously we all know Miray is dead in the water at this point. They have no boat and no executive officers. They’ve already agreed to transfer us to the new company if we agree. There is no earthly way Verdat can pull a miracle out of his but at this point.

https://videopress.com/v/5BmWcqFm?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

So by Monday, she needs at least 60 of us to agree to transfer over or it can’t happen at all. They will charter a smaller boat for 3 months or so while they are purchasing and refurbishing a larger boat. They will also keep our contract the same for everything even though they will make a few changes for new purchasers. So it sounds good, but I’m a little gun-shy right now about paying more money for a promise that may not become a reality. I have a payment due December 1st and she doesn’t take over her new position until that date, so there will not be a boat ready by my payment day. And who do I even pay?