The cruise around the world that is yet to sail

“Throw your current lifestyle overboard!” It boasts an ad for Victoria Cruises Line (VCL), which is mixed as the world’s first affordable residential cruise.

Cabins usually go for $ 3,840 (2858 British pounds) per month for a three -year sailing to 115 countries, and travelers from around the world have the opportunity to make the route as long as they like.

For Australians Dennis and Tarina Wown of Perth, excited by the prospect of a home at sea, Facebook advertising could not come at a better moment as they planned their retirement.

Three years later, the ship has not yet sailed. In fact, they and other potential cruise residents have found that VCL does not even own or have a leasing on the ship that is being advertised.

Wawns are just two of dozens of people waiting for VCL to recover their deposits, the BBC has learned.

Other potential residents told the BBC that they had sold their homes, remodered cats and put their belongings in stock. A woman said she had left her sick dog, believing that she would not have gone for years.

Another couple now had to move to the pension community because of their advanced ages and unsuccessful health. They could no longer engage in a residential cruise that could or never sail.

“The people who put a deposit for this cruise were sold a dream … And it has become nothing but a nightmare,” said Adam Gulzer, who runs a consumer intercession company. “What VCL has done is disgusting.”

The affected have contacted the company, some of them have launched legal cases, while others have filed complaints for government agencies. One even writes to the FBI.

VCL told the BBC that it still needs more customers before a ship can be hired and therefore continues to advertise the cruise.

The company said customers were aware of the state of reservation employment, and the company denied to target or harm someone, adding that it advised some customers not to sell homes to pay deposits.

Many of those who registered have given up the ship’s hope to ever sail or return the money.

64 -year -old Tarina said that in May 2022, she and Dennis began to think about their future and how they might seem when they came across a residential cruise. The couple thinks they have made their diligence.

Tarina said the company had a well -built and detailed website, they also talked to a man from the company “who answered all questions” and joined a Facebook group composed of other cruises “residents”.

“We did some check, we decided that everything was over the board,” she said.

Within a month, they took the step to pay a deposit of $ 10,000 (£ 7,450). Their bank transfer was viewed by the BBC.

But weeks before they have to sail in May 2023, VCL delayed the planning planning date.

In an email viewed by the BBC, VCL said the cruise did not reach approximately 80% employment – something the company said it was necessary to hire a ship.

When VCL postponed twice more, the couple began to think something had happened.

Then the possible resident contacted, saying, “I dug a little further. Get out.”

VCL’s marketing has promised a completely cruised cruise liner that can accommodate 1350 guests with swimming pools, tennis courts and an Italian restaurant.

“We have a beautiful, marine ship, former American Holland American Vendam, now the majestic,” a US representative wrote a VCL representative on the company’s Facebook page.

But the BBC has learned that, after contacting some possible residents, the company that owns the ship denies any connection with VCL.

Although she has not yet rented a ship, the company said it continued to advertise the cruise and collect deposits to reach the required employment rate.

“If we had signed the leasing agreement in early 2024, we would have to pay approximately $ 18 million for nothing,” VCL said in an email to the BBC.

He also admitted that he had 132 cancellation and said he had investigated 38 complaints, but had not found that no justified recovery.

VCL also denied that there were “victims” and said that 38 customers who demanded a refund could not accept that they were not entitled to one.

The company added that the refund was refused for administrative reasons, missing or incorrect banking data, inability to return agreements to administer termination of money laundering and checks.

The VCL cruise was last planned to leave on July 26, 2025, according to its website. But once again he failed to float.

“Despite the delay, in recent weeks we have been encouraged by a surprising influx of a new interest – a strong signal that our shared dream is very alive,” the VCL website said.

Graham Whitaker, a former journalist based in Australia, estimates that VCL has taken the money that goes into the millions.

“It became pollution because we began to find results and estimates more people who had never been recovered, who had asked for their money back, which were lied to,” Whitaker said.

When the passengers pressed more strongly – asking for the refund and conversations with the media on the case – they were threatened with court action. BBC saw dozens of such emails.

“Threats and harassment is becoming serious for some,” Whitaker said.

VCL justified the threat of legal action in its email to the BBC.

“Yes, we will take court action against anyone trying to arrange their complaint on social media,” the statement said.

Company BBC reviews show a web from Shell Business, registered at the same address in Budapest, some are no longer trading.

The company is also registered in Florence, Italy, but as a specialized wholesale food, drink and tobacco merchant.

In Hungary, Viktória Takács -llram is named as a founder while her 79-year-old mother is registered as CEO.

Another company is registered under the same address of Victoria’s son, Marcel Herold, who is listed as Vice President of VCL on his website.

In Hungary, VCL was registered in 2017 under a different name as a company for accounting and taxes.

This changed to VCL in 2022, with “auxiliary services added to transport water” and “rental of water transport”.

In 2023, new activities were added: “rental rent”, “Other machines and equipment”.

As of January 1, 2025, its main activity was referred to as “Passenger Transport by Sea”.

Tax documents show more than $ 253,000 unpaid taxes.

The couple won a case in Hungary by canceling changes to the VCL contract, but the application stopped when VCL transferred its base to Italy.

VCL acknowledged to the BBC that it has changed contracts after signing the clients and that the new conditions will be applied with a back date.

“When they prepare a contract, the lawyers try to include everything. But sometimes there is life and the contract must be amended. This happened in this case,” VCL said.

“These contracts work this way for all delivery companies.”

Another couple filed a complaint in the US state of Utah, with the investigation noting that the place was not reserved on a requested departure date.

He also found that people who think they were employed on the website did not plan to be on the cruise or received job offers.

The investigation decision states that a US representative encourages people to register for a cruise.

The investigation found that she truly believes that the housing cruise would float, but she agreed to sign a conformity order that prohibits her from promoting such tourist services in the future.

Nevertheless, VCL continues to advertise its cruise on Facebook and Instagram.

Platform accounts show shiny brochures of ships, menus and cabins.

New “residents” posing on board are shown – many of them are actually commodity images widely available on the Internet.

To encourage long stay, Cruise Company offers huge discounts, sales schemes and flash return.

The alleged casualties say they have repeatedly reported ads, but Meta – who owns Facebook and Instagram – refused to download them.

“It is sustainable that these platforms allow VCL advertising, despite the significant amount of evidence. They must be held accountable for it,” said consumer champion Adam Gulzer.

In a statement, Meta told the BBC that its advertising standards strictly prohibit deceptive or misleading ads, including fraud, but did not find evidence that the page was breaking its policies.

VCL has denied that he is performing fraud, saying that those affected are not able to accept that they are not entitled to recovery.

“Our company has never disappeared, we have answered every email so we are not a phantom company.”

Tarina said the idea of ​​a cruise is not too good to be true – some people who have registered for a VCL cruise are currently traveling around the world with other cruise liners.

However, for her and Dennis, going to another such cruise is no longer something they can afford.

“It was a dream for us, and we really focused on it as a wonderful adventure. It was traumatic.”

Additional reporting from Orsolya Polyacsko