A new story is rocking the cruising world…

Business at Cruise West has essentially come to an abrupt stop, and questions are swirling around as to the reason. Execs at the company are tight-lipped about the whole situation.

If you visit the company’s website (www.cruisewest.com), a press release posted September 8, 2010 states that the company announced a company restructuring and the termination of “The Spirit of Oceanus’ Voyage of the Great Explorers.”

The Voyage of the Great Explorers world cruise was supposed to be a Singapore-to-Singapore 355-night world cruise that started on March 6, 2010 and expected to end on February 3, 2011. The 114-passenger Spirit of Oceanus was expected to visit 242 ports in 59 countries over the 355-night itinerary and was broken down into 6 “chapters,” or legs of the itinerary. Each chapter was broken down further (so that travelers could sign up for part or the entire trip).

Imagine how you might feel if—as a passenger of the world cruise— you were asked to disembark in St. John’s, Newfoundland (the last stop in the third of six chapters). It is easy to say that the company’s recent cancellation of its world cruise has come as a shock to travelers; imagine the frustration associated with not being provided much information as to why this business decision has been made.

The company has remained tight lipped about everything, just suggesting that guests place a claim with a third-party travel insurance provider, their credit card company or to the company if a cash/check payment was made and no travel insurance was purchased. However, the company stopped short of stating that it would refund customers who have paid for the cruise.

In addition to the cancellation, the company is not taking new bookings and recently laid off 65 employees. Theories have been floated that the company was bought out, but why stop a cruise mid-sail?

This doesn’t seem like a planned, expected business decision. For example, Comperemedia has seen both direct mail and email campaigns from Cruise West as recently as July 2010, so what could be the reason for this sudden fire drill? What is your take on the situation?

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