The around-the-world cruise that is yet to set sail

“Throw your current lifestyle into the sea!” Victoria Cruises Line (VCL) advertisement, which bills itself as the world’s first affordable residential trip.

Cabins usually go to 115 countries for a three -year journey for $ 3,840 (£ 2,858) and travelers from all over the world have the option to make the route as much as they want.

The advertising on Facebook, excited by the possibility of a house at sea for Wawn from Australians Dennis and Taryna, could not come in a better time because they planned their retirement.

Three years later, the ship has not yet sailed. In fact, they and other cruise residents found that VCL did not even have or rent even on the ship advertised.

BBC is only two of the two people from dozens of people waiting for VCL to return their deposits.

Other inhabitants said that they sold their homes to the BBC, they sold cats again and put their belongings in the warehouse. A woman said she had left her dog, believing that she would go for years.

Another couple had to switch to a retirement community due to their advanced age and failures. They could no longer be committed to a settlement journey that could sail or sail.

“People who gave a deposit for this course was sold … and did not turn into a short part of the nightmare.” He said. “What the VCL does is disgusting.”

The affected people contacted the company, some launched legal cases, and others made consumer complaints to government institutions. Someone even wrote to FBI.

VCL told the BBC that a ship needs more customers to rent and thus continued to advertise the course.

The company said that customers know the occupancy situation while making reservations and that the company refuses to target or damage anyone and advised some customers not to sell home to pay deposits.

Most of the registrations gave up the hopes of sailing the ship or the hope of getting back their money.

64 -year -old Taryna said that in May 2022, she and Dennis began to think about how they could look when they came across a housing journey. The couple thinks they show the necessary care.

Taryna said that the company is a well -built and detailed website, but also talked to a man who “answers all questions” from the company and joined a Facebook group of other “inhabitants”.

“We did some check, we thought they all were above the board of directors,” he said.

Within a month, they took 10,000 US dollars (£ 7,450) deposit. Bank transfer was viewed by BBC.

However, weeks before the sail in May 2023 VCL postponed the planned departure date.

A E -Posta VCL displayed by BBC said that the audience does not roughly reach 80% occupancy rate – something the company needs to rent a ship.

When the VCL was postponed twice, the couple began to think that something was over.

Then a man’s residence, “I dug a little more. Get out.”

VCL’s marketing promised a full -fledged cruise ship that could host 1,350 guests with pools, tennis courts and an Italian restaurant.

VCL’s US representative on the company’s Facebook page, “a beautiful, a ship worth the sea, now the glorious Holland American andendam is.”

However, when the BBC was contacted by some residents, the ship’s owner learned that the company rejected any relationship with VCL.

Although he has not yet rented a ship, the company said that it has continued to collect cruise and deposits to reach the necessary occupancy rate.

“If we had signed the lease agreement at the beginning of 2024, we’d have to pay about $ 18 million for nothing,” VCL said to the BBC. He said.

He also acknowledged that he had also canceled 132 and said he was investigating 38 complaints, but none of them justified repayment.

VCL also refused to be any “victim” and said that 38 customers who want to refuse have no right.

The company added that repayments were kept due to administrative reasons, incomplete or wrong bank details, termination management agreements within the deadline and anti -money laundering checks.

According to the website, the VCL’s audience was planned to be separated on 26 July 2025. But he couldn’t sail once again.

“Despite the delay, we have been encouraged with a surprising new flow of interest in recent weeks – a powerful signal that our shared dream is very vivid.”

Graham Whittaker, an former Australian -based journalist, estimates that VCL has made millions of money.

Whittaker, “Dirt was because we started to find more people who had no refund, who wanted their money, who lies, and more people scores.” He said.

When the passengers pushed more – asking for repayment and talking about the case to the media – they were threatened with legal action. BBC has seen dozens of e -mail.

“Threats and harassment are getting serious for some.” He said.

VCL justified the threat of legal transactions in the BBC.

“Yes, we will do legal action against everyone who tries to solve their complaints on social media,” he said.

Company records examined by the BBC show a network registered to the same address in Budapest, some of them no longer trade.

The company is also registered in Florence, Italy, but as a special wholesaler of food, beverages and tobacco.

In Hungary, Viktória Takács-Oram is listed as the founder, while his 79-year-old mother was registered as the chief administrator.

Another company is registered to Marcell Herold, the son of Viktória, the Viktória’s son, called VCL Vice President on the website.

In Hungary, VCL was recorded under a different name in 2017 as accounting and tax consultancy company.

This changed to VCL in 2022 and added “water -band transportation from the auxiliary auxiliary” and “rental of water transport equipment”.

New activities have been added in 2023: “Car Rental”, “Borrowing of other machinery and equipment”.

As of January 1, 2025, the main activity was listed as “maritime passenger transport”.

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

A couple of Hungary won a lawsuit and overthrew VCL’s contract changes, but the application stopped when the VCL shift to Italy.

VCL admitted to the BBC that customers changed contracts after signing and that new conditions would be applied backwards.

“When preparing a contract, lawyers try to include everything. But sometimes life becomes and the contract needs to be changed. This is the case.” He said.

“This is how these contracts work for all shipping companies.”

Another couple filed a complaint in the US state of Utah, and the investigation found that a dock was not reserved on a specified departure date.

In addition, people who claim to have been hired on the website did not plan to be on the course or did not receive job offers.

The decision of the investigation said that the VCL encourages the US representative to register for people on a trip.

The investigation agreed to sign a harmony order that believes that the housing journey would sail, but in the future from introducing such travel services.

Despite all this, VCL continues to advertise his trip to Facebook and Instagram.

The accounts on the platforms show the bright brochures of the ship’s decks, menus and cabins.

New “inhabitants” are posing on board – many of which are actually commonly available on the Internet.

To encourage long stays, the cruise company offers heavy discounts, flash sales and cash return plans.

The alleged victims say that they have repeatedly reported the ads, but Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, refused to download them.

“These platforms can be understood to advertise for VCL despite a significant evidence. It should be held responsible for this.” He said.

In a statement, Meta told BBC that advertising standards certainly banned deceptive or misleading ads, including fraud, but found no evidence that the page violated the policies of the page.

VCL rejected that the affected people did not accept that they do not have the right to repayment.

“Our company never disappeared, we responded to every e -mail, so we’re not a Phantom company.”

Taryna said that the idea of ​​cruise is not too good – some people who registered to VCL Cruise were now traveling the world with other cruise shirts.

However, for himself and Dennis, going on such a journey is not something they can meet.

“This was a dream for us and we focused as a really nice adventure. Traumatized.”

Additional Reporting by Orsolya Polyacsko