Ohio Woman is Now Homeless After 3-Year Cruise Was Canceled

This is one of the craziest stories to come out of 2023. A promised 3-year cruise around the world, that would visit more than 100 countries, and 375 ports was abruptly canceled at the last minute in November because the company wasn't able to get a boat for the trip.

The problem is, people had been planning for a long time, and even planned on staying for the entire 3-year run on the boat, including one Ohio Woman, who is now homeless, because she said... if I'm gonna be gone for three years, why would I need a house?

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Keri Witman sold her four-bedroom house in anticipation of the trip, even giving away most of her possessions to afford the $185,000 down payment for the cruise ticket. Life at Sea Adventure promised a 3-year trip that would visit more than 130 countries, and 375 different ports.

"I'd been fantasizing about a big trip. The itinerary was crazy; we were going to start in Istanbul, then head to Spain, across the Atlantic, the Bahamas, down to South Africa, Antarctica, up the other side to Central America, the US and Asia... We wouldn't have got to the West Coast until next fall - it would've taken almost a year to make our way out there."

But Witman, along with around 1,000 other passengers were crushed just two weeks before the cruise was set to leave when the CEO issued a 15-minute video announcing the cancelation of the trip because they were unable to procure a boat.

"I'm a glass-half-full kind of person, but it's certainly been a challenging time. But I'm not the only person that sold their house to go on the cruise - lots of us did. I mean, why wouldn't you if you were going away for three years?"

Witman's possessions that she did keep - which were minimal - were taken out of a storage unit she had procured, and she is now staying in a short-term apartment until she can figure things out. BUT, she's positive about what's to come.

"I feel light - I had a three-story house with a basement and all of those rooms were full of things, it was all just weighing me down. Though, I do miss my recipe books, and I've just bought a new winter coat because I'd gotten rid of them all. The aim for this year was to shake things up, and I've certainly done that. Yes, it didn't go to plan, but the plan now is to enjoy Christmas and look for other opportunities to travel next year.
Honestly, this feels like the beginning of my adventure, not an end."

Witman was also able to use the money she WOULD have spent on the trip for a knee replacement, which she said he's needed for some time.

At this time, the company behind the cruise is working out a way for passengers to either get their refunds, or compensate them in one form or another, though many who planned to travel are likely still furious the trip didn't happen.