Cruise Ship Scams 'Life at Sea' and 'Villa Vie' Ventures Fail to Launch

[@JennyatSea]

Villa Vie terminated my 3 1/2 year contract claiming I was creating a negative environment for the residence, they've provided no proof of this and a large number of the residents claimed otherwise. It was abrupt and unexpected and I now have nowhere to live as I was expecting to live on the ship for a minimum of three and a half years, this is also happened after I have been waiting in Belfast since May for this Voyage to begin. I am looking for legal representation

[@rebeccahowell6538]

I'm not sure what jurisdiction this is in- Florida probably. If the company is based in Florida- then you'll need a Florida attorney. Me personally- I'd walk away. if you got your money back. You were never going to get the cruise you signed up for. It's not a good organization and it will be one drama after another.

[@JennyatSea]

@@rebeccahowell6538 I agree with you I was never going to get the cruise I signed up with, but they have not refunded my money or my possessions on the ship, they can be sued in either Florida or Delaware

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@JennyatSea I feel so badly for you. This guy is a crook. I thought he was anyway- but now it's proof positive. I had a boyfriend like this- strung me along for years- always some plausible excuse. Wasted 8 years of my life with someone who was "future faking". This guy Mike- is future faking- it's always "one day" or "baby steps" and all the same bull crap I heard for years and years. It was all just a fantasy. Mike has delusions of grandeur. He likes to have all this attention and be the top dog- bragging about how he is this trailblazer, blah, blah, blah. He and his wife are paying themselves ROYALLY I'm sure. He's done this before and thanks to other people, who trust this man, he will keep doing it- UNLESS there is a class action lawsuit. Keep tabs on every false promise- print out everything of significance and every conversation, and every email. So sad- this is a cautionary tale.

[@justcreeky5483]

I'm really glad to finally hear your story. Can't imagine how many more there are out there like this. Me getting kicked off Mike's Facebook chapel for asking questions doesn't hold a candle to you getting kicked off the ship - but it sure does track . And oh boy- the members going around ratting out the non-believers. You're here on an attorneys YT site. He posted his contact info. You might be one of the first to speak out "publicly". Bet you could lead a tidal wave of more. Start that content creating. Bet you get a jillion clicks and media interested. Think of all the world media this venture created; they're going to want to hear from you AND the duped folks from Mike's first charade. "We're waiting on the sea trials!!!" And then what? Money to cross oceans!? Go make some lemonade;)

[@justcreeky5483]

​@@rebeccahowell6538the caution was loud and clear with Life at Sea.

[@karenshenk244]

I don’t think this cruise will ever sail, but I hope I’m wrong.

[@spenceraronfeld4456]

Me too- not looking 👀 good.

[@lifebysuzanne9405]

I’ve watched some videos from cabins owners and I can’t imagine how disappointed they are with this situation. They shouldn’t have sold any cabins until the ship was sea worthy. To sell homes to go to a new home they thought and be stuck in hotels for months is just asking too much. No one wants to hear oh we didn’t know how much work had to be done on it after they took your money. No one buys cruise ships without knowing what they are buying. Is it a case of they needed to sell cabins to finance the refit? It’s really sounding that way at the expense of cabin owners as they are stuck paying for hotels waiting.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Mike doesn't know what he is doing. It's why nothing makes sense. One woman has now been in Belfast with her cat all these months. That's got to be difficult finding a cat friendly hotel at the last minute.

[@Pomi3001]

Their stylish webpage cabins and the real pathetic cabins people show on their vlogs say it all

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Can you believe that they had the audacity to show people the ship in that condition? I mean those cabins looked nothing like those depicted (in all the press releases). Even the hall carpet was from over 20 years ago (I went back to Fred Olsen footage of the ship from 2004- same hall carpeting!) They should have had at least some cabins totally outfitted to look like the depicted cabins. At least they could say- look how fabulous this will be. Nope- nada. No fresh carpet in the foyer- no art- on uniforms on the front desk staff. Mike and all his crew didn't have Villa Vie Logo on their shirts- such a nice little detail that would have made it look fresh and new. So pathetic.

[@steecie3045]

You may want to start contacting some of these folks. They were just notified that the ship did not pass inspection (again) and said they need yet another week. (Today is September 10, 2024) They are no longer paying for hotel rooms or providing meals. I think these folks have been scammed. Even if they do manage to get to sea, what kind of quality will it be? No way would I sail on that ship.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

The sail date is meaningless. This idiot (Mike) has never been honest with these people. People are flying back to the US and I hope they take all their belongings. That couple with the penthouse apartment must be sh*tting themselves.

[@1962Aero]

Where did you see that information? Thanks.

[@steecie3045]

@@1962Aero A couple that is documenting their journey here on KZbin.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@1962Aero Midlife Cruising vlog as of today.

[@dianejohanson98]

It’s now September and they still haven’t left Belfast.

[@HollyOnVirtue]

Please know your facts. VVR has a ship. Delayed, yes. Focus on the true scam in the industry, VCL - Victoria Cruises Line. More than 70 of us are owed $10,000 deposits. Mine since October 23. Yet they continue to market.

[@WeggieQueen2005]

Both can be crappy at the same time, sadly. I really hope you get your money back.

[@Cruise_227]

The previous one had a ship as well, and allegedly they were told it wasn't seaworthy. They continued to sell cabins which is why Mike left that line. I don't think he's a scammer however I think he's going to have to explain what going on this paying passengers...Just because someone "tells" you something does not mean they're being transparent.

[@mayawyn8672]

The Villa Vie has a youtube "documentary" about Charlie Kinnear the "Project Manager" who sounds very legit. Except he is not connected to the project anymore and on his updated socials makes no mention of his experience working as Project Manager of VV.

[@timeisnow777]

Today's update is more bad news for the buyers.

[@KS-kr4ok]

yes it seems like a scam. Now they claim people have to get off while the ship does sea trials. Wanna bet the ship sails away with all their money.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Well- I think they aren't permitted to have passengers on during sea trials. That is probably a regulation. I could be wrong. During sea trials they have to bring the ship to an abrupt stop, take it up to top speed etc. So they don't want the passengers onboard.

[@lifebysuzanne9405]

@@rebeccahowell6538passengers can’t be on it

[@gerriebell2128]

@@rebeccahowell6538 yes I think a lot of the delays are beyond the control of the company…. And probably due to some naïveté on the execs’part. Should they have done things differently? Yes. But are they a scam? I don’t think so. Somebody said there were other cruise companies having similar problems getting their ships certified. So this might be the nature of the beast.

[@RetiredZGrt]

@@gerriebell2128 Naïveté? It's so very surprising the lack of required research and planning that this seemingly incapable management team has demonstrated and it raises serious concerns for them to be able to effectively and safely manage this world cruise and aged ship post launch. I also definitely don't think it in anyway started as a scam. But sometimes there comes a point where to save themselves businesses hide critical information from the potentially buying public as they run into deeper problems. VV is "transparent " (with heavy doses of spin) with their residents but they don't have that same transparency with people who have not yet paid them. The management team doesn't seem to have the good judgment nor breadth of skills, experience and capabilities to successfully and efficiently execute this huge endeavor they have taken on. I have to assume it isn't all incompetence. Some of the decisions that clearly had no chance of success must have been made for financial reasons rather than that management actually thought they were achievable (ie so many of the near term timelines they have set and never had a chance of meeting).

[@Hildred6]

It’s the first of September and it’s still there. It obviously doesn’t look good, I would be worried if I’d sunk the amount of money into it that some people have. I’ve seen a ‘villa’ made up of 3 cabins which must have literally cost a fortune, I hope it works out for them

[@rebeccahowell6538]

yeah that was worrisome. That elderly couple has plunked down close to a million dollars on that project.

[@JennyatSea]

@@Hildred6 it is not true that the company is covering everyone's expenses, what is 3 months they had only covered my expenses for 2 weeks and then said they would be deducting what they paid from my reimbursements, which of course I have not received a penny of yet 6 weeks after cancellation

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@JennyatSea Jenny- they will never get the per diems now. The whole thing is going to fail and he will file bankruptcy. I think once the passengers grab their belongings from the ship- it's over. There is also some "law suit" against VVR in the works. Don't know the details.

[@Hildred6]

@@JennyatSea I didn’t know that, I see from another video today that they are still not ready and now not willing to pay for hotels etc or maybe unable to do so, it’s not good

[@WeggieQueen2005]

It's even worse now, Sept 10th.

[@bren6176]

There are so many red flags all over this, which are so visible that it is all the more heartbreaking to see people still being scammed. 😢

[@beastly572]

@@bren6176 So people that now have moved on the Odyssey have been scammed? Victoria Cruise Line is a scam, indeed, but Villa Vie Residences have a ship and it’s days away from departing Belfast. Sure delayed, but it’s the maritime industry. Delays happen all the time in this industry.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@beastly572 Are you Mike Petterson or do you work for his company? This reference to Victoria Cruise line doesn't sound like it's coming from a passenger. Sounds like Mike's style to deflect. No- legitimate cruise lines have a pretty good gauge on when a ship will be ready. If there is a delay- passengers aren't standing on the pier with their luggage or put up in hotels for three months- come on Mike.

[@beastly572]

@@rebeccahowell6538 No and no. However, it seems like you have a personal vendetta. Grow up and spend your time on something better than trashing things on the internet silly.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@beastly572 I don't like to think anyone is getting scammed. I'm protective of people in general, but I also have a friend on this ship.

[@christislord2832]

@@beastly572you big silly

[@sharonsalzberg2654]

The people who have posted videos seem to be unsophisticated and savvy. They are stuck in Belfast, a city I visited last year , waiting for a ship that may never sail. I think anyone who bought cabins in this ship is nuts.

[@HollyOnVirtue]

And we might be. But if it works, it will be living my dream. And for that, I have to take the chance.

[@gerriebell2128]

Boy are you derogatory! No the people I have watched have bought and sold properties in foreign countries and have lived abroad for years. I’d say they ARE “sophisticated and savvy”. Are you?

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@gerriebell2128 If it's too good to be true- it usually is. Buyer beware.

[@WeggieQueen2005]

@@HollyOnVirtue I pray everything works out for you.

[@henrikbredal7517]

They are simple souls, alcoholics, food-addicts or a combination of those three. Some people must have inherited money from a deceased husband or from their family as I believe they are too stupid to have made that amount of money on their own merit and intellectual capacity.

[@WeggieQueen2005]

I feel so sorry for Villa Vie Odyssey owners. They just got even worse news. They still aren't leaving, it's Sept 10, and Villa Vie isn't paying for hotel rooms anymore. They were told they are on their own and maybe they will leave in a week. These poor people.

[@JennyatSea]

Please get back with me about the suit against Villa Vie, spoke with your person a few days ago

[@stanleyolszewski7701]

The people that invested and are showing videos of their staterooms that are supposed to be renovated don’t look like anything has been done.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

This venture was not secure. Mike, who was with Life At Sea prior to this, is a guy who had a concept. Problem is- he didn't have a vessel- just an idea. Prior to buying the vessel- he should have made sure it was sea worthy, which he didn't. I don't think he had enough capitol or investors (nor know how). Once he obtained the Vessel, he discovered flaws and then had to seek capital. I am sure there are conditions on the capital and he has to jump through hurdles for each draw. One is making the vessel seaworthy. Instead of being up front- he has all these passengers waiting in the wings- with their belongings on the ship. I'm not sure if he thought he'd rob Peter to pay Paul- but it's just not a financially solvent company - with the know how and ability to get their act together. Hotel side should have had all the carpeting ordered long ago. Why have passengers in a construction zone? You don't do that. You sell the cabins- give a better time line- like 4 months from obtaining the vessel. Get you funds in place- make the necessary repairs, then furnish the cabins and so forth. The passengers didn't need to be part of the equation. They should have said we will be sailing in September and left it at that. Then make that happen. However- Mike is out of his depths. A large corporation with know how- could have made this happen but the fees for passengers would have been much higher- at least double. You can promise the moon but you have to deliver it as well. He won't- he can't.

[@stanleyolszewski7701]

On top of the $100k people paid they have to pay $2k a month in fees as well. 🤦

[@Alice-j8x2l]

A timeshare scam at sea!

[@Living-the-Dream-on-a-Cruise]

@@rebeccahowell6538- as we are seriously looking at this and the reason for the delays are not really know, I’d love to know more before investing in another failing cruising dream venture. We luckily pulled out of Life at Seas in time but got scammed by Victoria Cruises Line & now watching carefully but love the idea of cruising the world slowly! If you have further info that isn’t known openly, I’d love it if you could share it!

[@bess8523]

I am cautiously holding out hope for these people. I love the concept but wouldn’t put my $ into it unless it’s been running successfully for sometime. The idea of a this being a reality makes me long to join them, guess there’s some pirate in me.😂

[@cjatchley1]

What you are saying is not true. Just going though certifications

[@marianacary425]

Hope you do not lose your investment .

[@JanieCoffey]

VV is sailing. Please initiate a class action suit against Victoria Cruise Lines who are a total scam without a ship and have not returned over 65 deposits and still promoting the “trip”.

[@laurielakin]

Villa Vie is not sailing. Yet more delays. Residents cannot even stay aboard the ship at night. A friend’s been stuck in a small hotel room in Belfast since mid-May.

[@beastly572]

​@@laurielakin Despite this, all of the customers have received endorsements for their hotel and food, as well as a 14-day all-inclusive trip to the Canary Islands. Can you name any other company that would do this? They even extended these benefits to guests who only purchased segments worth more than the actual cost.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@beastly572 Where did you get this information?

[@beastly572]

@@rebeccahowell6538 From the customers/residents themselves.

[@user-pl6yv4gl4n]

From the people that actually know the truth, which is clearly not this questionable lawyer

[@user-pl6yv4gl4n]

Seriously? As a “lawyer,” you shouldn’t be playing it so fast and loose with your facts. If you shamelessly do this on the internet, and not very well by the way, it only stands to reason that you likewise do this in your practice. A REALLY great video would be seeing you in front of your State’s bar ethics committee explaining yourself. Maybe Villa Vie plays this in court one day, Will be absolutely priceless for the defense!

[@spenceraronfeld4456]

KK You joined KZbin just to leave this comment? Well if you loved this video wait till you see today’s latest installment on the Villa Vie nightmare. Thanks for your support ❤

[@lifebysuzanne9405]

But it’s the truth it’s still not sailing

[@rebeccahowell6538]

When someone doesn't have a good excuse for mismanaging a fledgling cruise "line"- they tend to attack people on a personal level. This is a business and you have to have a thick skin when in business. Right Mike?

[@gerriebell2128]

@@lifebysuzanne9405waiting on certifications. Started out with over 1300 needed, now less than 40 to go. If you have ever remodeled and needed permits and inspections for completion to happen, you would understand what is happening here. This lawyer has his facts wrong. The company is paying for hotels, provides a daily shuttle to/from the ship and provides 3 meals a day plus drinks, etc. The people can use all facilities as much as they want, they just can’t sleep on the boat. This lawyer sounds like just another “ambulance chaser” kind of guy.

[@gerriebell2128]

@@rebeccahowell6538 that is true. They have made lots of mistakes. But to call it a “scam” is just over the top. I used the word “slander”, because of the lawyer using the word scam. You have been very supportive on the cruisers’ channels, so I wanted to answer you. If you’ve ever bought something on kickstarter, you know startups can be flakey. And this is a startup that might have bit off a bit too much. But the people on the ship now, I think, are on the ground floor of something that could work, especially after they sail and sell segment trips. So far I think they are being fair to the people.Especially providing meals and not starting monthly payments yet.

[@michaelschweitzer7267]

It launched which make you the scammer looking for clicks. Shameful.

[@spenceraronfeld4456]

Shamefull? The video is 90 days old. Come on Mr. Schweitzer that’s not fair. 😢

[@beastly572]

They are very close to launching. Reason for delays is simply because they are treated as a new vessel and therefore ALL certificates had to be renewed. In the meantime, Villa Vie has now allowed Residents to come onboard and spend the day to unpack and fix their cabins, eat and drink onboard and enjoy some entertainment. Those that need assistance, Villa Vie has also paid for accommodations and flights. Despite delays, all of the customers have received endorsements for their hotel and food, as well as a 14-day all-inclusive trip to the Canary Islands. Can you name any other company that would do this? They even extended these benefits to guests who only purchased segments worth more than the actual cost. PLEASE, PLEASE get your FACTS RIGHT. You are supposedly a lawyer...? I hope NO ONE even thinks about using a lawyer that can't even do basic research before posting nonsense. Come again.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Where did you get your information?

[@beastly572]

@@rebeccahowell6538 From the residents themselves.

[@Alice-j8x2l]

@@beastly572 I don’t need to research. This is nothing more than a time share scam. That 30 year old hunk of junk won’t last more than 3 years tops if it ever makes it out to sea. Just one delay after the other. A money pit.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

That's what the passengers are being told. The crew said "Mike is lying" and "Months of work ahead". This was months ago that the crew said this- so the crew knew there were months of work ahead to get the ship sailing- but Mike (maybe wishful thinking on his part) has strung these people along. But let's go back to March why don't we. Mike bought a ship that was sitting in the harbor in Rosyth Scotland for four years. It was about to be sold for scrap. Mike admits to buying a ship that had "no maintenance records" and apparently he didn't care. He paid half of the asking price (undoubtedly passenger money) and financed the other half. Upon leaving Scotland, he knew that there were months worth of work to be done and took the vessel to Belfast. Not only were the gray water tanks in dire straits, but the ship suffered from corrosion. Mike then sought more financing for the "unforeseen" repairs. Meanwhile- on the hotel side- all work stopped- besides two common areas (the pool and new business center). Staterooms got minimal upgrades (left over carpet from the business center, which is ugly beige and brown carpet and new smart tv's) Hallways look horrible, railings were in bad shape and are still being sanded and varnished months into this LONG dry dock. Will this all turn out? Maybe, but so far people have sold or rented out their homes and have been living out of suitcases since May 15th- which is not fair to these people. It's going to be at minimum a comedy of errors and at maximum- not sail at all.

[@beastly572]

@@rebeccahowell6538 it’s important to keep in mind that many cruise projects, especially those involving extensive renovations or the acquisition of older ships, can encounter unexpected delays. This isn’t unique to this particular project. For example, even major cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have experienced significant delays in launching or refurbishing their ships due to unforeseen issues during dry dock or renovation processes. Delays can occur for a variety of reasons, including the discovery of structural issues that require more time to fix, unexpected complications during renovations, or the need to ensure that all safety standards are met. While it’s unfortunate that this has impacted the timeline here, the primary goal was clearly to ensure that the ship is safe and fully ready for passengers, even if that takes longer than initially expected. It’s a challenging process, but these kinds of delays happen across the industry, especially with such complex projects. I understand why it might seem like the CEO should have known about the extent of the work required, but it’s also important to recognize that the full scope of the issues only became apparent after detailed inspections by experts like DNV. These are highly specialized assessments that go beyond what a typical initial evaluation would reveal. It’s common in the maritime industry that certain problems, especially those related to structural integrity or corrosion, aren’t fully identified until after a thorough inspection by a classification society like DNV. While it might appear that this could have been foreseen, the reality is that until these expert assessments are conducted, some issues simply can’t be predicted.

[@robbubba8020]

Mikhail Peterson??? Yeah ok

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Mikael Petterson is how it's spelled. Interesingly enough- when you search him, you get a lot of "Michael Peterson" articles- the serial killer.

[@michellejessey8654]

Here on August 12th not sailing yet

[@JennyatSea]

August 15th now, exactly 3 months delayed

[@justcreeky5483]

​@@JennyatSeanow might be a good time to start your content sharing about your experiences? Lots of interested folks in the reality reports

[@JennyatSea]

@@justcreeky5483 wish I could and will soon -need legal representation first so I know what I can talk about

[@gerriebell2128]

⁠Get your facts straight so you aren’t up for slander. They are merely waiting on certifications. Started out with over 1300 needed, now less than 40 to go. If you have ever remodeled and needed permits and inspections for completion to happen, you would understand what is happening here. The company is paying for hotels, provides a daily shuttle to/from the ship and provides 3 meals a day plus drinks, etc. The people can use all facilities as much as they want, they just can’t sleep on the boat. You sound like just another “ambulance chaser” kind of guy.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

What part of this is slander? The passengers do "get a per diem" or the cruise line will handle hotel arrangements for them at the cruise line's expense. However- as far as I know- if the stranded passengers opted for the per diem- they haven't actually received money from VV yet for those per diems. So right now- if they are doing their own thing- it's at their expense- unless VV honors their word and reimburses them down the road.

[@gerriebell2128]

@@rebeccahowell6538 I say slander because of using the word “scam”. He is badmouthing the company without knowing facts.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

@@gerriebell2128 I think that scam is definitely implying that there is fraud and deception. Well- the ship has not sailed, the passengers did not receive the stated "opulent, luxury", "comprehensively refurbished cabins", culinary arts classroom, lap pool, golf shop, and golf simulator. That is what I'd call "bait and switch"- call that what you may. The passengers are told this is a "start up" and that this is what they signed up for- REALLY?. I'd ask for a refund after seeing the vessel, but the passengers can do as they please. I'm sure there were others that did ask for a refund by now. Those that are patient may find themselves in a pickle- having to find other travel options or housing if this collapses. WAS the intent- to defraud? Who knows...

[@cynthiaivers1708]

@@gerriebell2128 It appears ship still hasn't sailed as of today....

[@1962Aero]

Last video I watched said they were having some mechanical issues and something very expensive needed replaced. Did they get that fixed yet?

[@micheleparadis2808]

Ambulance chaser

[@rebeccahowell6538]

And you are affiliated with this company aren't you?

[@micheleparadis2808]

@@rebeccahowell6538 there's a bunch of geniuses on this page...

[@rebeccahowell6538]

​@@micheleparadis2808yep

[@justcreeky5483]

There is obviously enormous interest in this concept. I was one of those early people jumping on board - skeptically and with my own deep DD. The first little Facebook club life at sea had was akin to a cult. If you asked logistics questions other members would shun you. You'd be reported and requested to be banned. Mike spent an absurd amount of time in that group patrolling and bullying. Throwing rocks at the competition. "tHeY Don't HaVE a BoAT!" ( He himself didn't have one). The contract and payment address went to a deli or similar in a strip mall in FL? Anyone remember that. I bailed because of Mike. I didn't lose any money. I keep a look out in updates of lifeatsea.2 in a sort of schadenfreude sense. Love the concept. Fascinated by the sheep. Hope they succeed. I really do.

[@rebeccahowell6538]

Yes- someone on this JJ cruise site and this site are acting like passengers when I'm sure it's Mike. Other cult members will talk about "only Mike" could have done this and talk about "transparency". Makes me think it's cult-like or Mike posting.