World's First Three-Year Cruise Runs Into Rough Waters; Executive Team Parts Ways

(Updated 11:40 a.m. EDT) -- The world's longest cruise may already be on the rocks.

Life at Sea Cruises, a subsidiary of Turkish ship management company Miray International, opened sales in March for the world's first and only three-year-long cruise. The marathon voyage is set to take place aboard the 19,000-gross-ton ship, MV Gemini. However, CNN has reported that the record-breaking voyage has run into difficulties after negotations between Life at Sea Cruise and Miray broke down, resulting in the founding executive team at Life at Sea parting ways with the company.

A former maritime engineer has also raised doubts about MV Gemini, stating the ship could be unsuited for such a voyage, while Miray refuses to name a replacement vessel for those passengers already booked. The company insists the voyage will depart on November 1 as scheduled.

Originally built in 1992, Gemini formerly sailed for Crown Cruise Line as Crown Jewel and for Cunard as Cunard Crown Jewel. The 1,074-passenger vessel also operated as SuperStar Gemini for Star Cruises.

The ship will depart Istanbul on Nov. 1st, with additional pickups in Barcelona and Miami. During the 36-month trek, MV Gemini will cover 130,000 miles, and visit 375 ports across 135 countries and seven continents, including stops in Antarctica's South Shetland Islands. The itinerary, however, does not include visits to Russia, the Middle East or Greenland.

Each stop on the world cruise itinerary plans for multiple days in port, according to Life at Sea Cruises' press release.

MV Gemini features 400 cabins, which range from the 130-square-foot Virtual Inside and Oceanview staterooms to the 260-square-foot Balcony Suites. Fares for Life at Sea's world cruise start at $29,999 per person per year, or a total cost of $89,997 for the entire voyage.

“Life at Sea Cruises offers the ultimate bucket list cruise without having to sacrifice the comforts of home,” says Irina Strembitsky, Director of Sales & Marketing of Life at Sea Cruises. “It’s your home at sea with the world as your backyard.”

Additionally, MV Gemini features onboard entertainment and recreational activities, including a wellness center, sundeck, swimming pool, auditorium and multiple dining options. The ship is also equipped with a business center with meeting rooms, 14 offices and a business library, as well as a 24-hour on-call hospital with free medical visits.

While world cruises are standard in the industry, with most major cruise lines offering one voyage per year, itineraries typically last no more than five months. Unitl now, the world's longest world cruise was offered by Royal Caribbean. The 274-night Ultimate World Cruise is set to sail from Dec. 10, 2023 to Sep. 10, 2024 aboard Serenade of the Seas.

It is not currently known if MV Gemini will operate this cruise as scheduled, or if a replacement vessel will be found. Cruise Critic will update this story as needed.