Beleaguered Vantage Travel Reportedly Looking to Sell

Boston-based Vantage Deluxe World Travel, the company that most recently canceled at least four cruises within days of departure in April, is looking to sell.

The Boston Globe is reporting this week that Vantage, which was also the victim of a data security incident this year, is currently engaged in negotiations for a possible sale. Potential buyers and the timeline for the sale are currently not known. 

Vantage is currently not operating two of its ocean cruise ships, Ocean Explorer and Ocean Odyssey, both of which now remain on pause at shipyards in France. River Splendor, one of its river cruise ships, is reportedly moored just outside of Amsterdam, a place it has sat since the beginning of the year. 

According to an internal memo published by the consumer watchdog website Consumer Rescue, none of the ships are expected to sail with guests until at least Aug. 28, if at all.

Vantage has a history of run-ins with the law and leaving customers hanging. As cited by the Boston Globe, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office reports more than 800 complaints from Massachusetts residents, mostly for their inability to get refunds for trips canceled during the pandemic. It was also the subject of a Boston Globe story about a couple who had been trying for about 18 months to get $46,000 owed to them by Vantage for a canceled safari to Africa

Vantage is not a member of the USTOA, so customers are not protected by the Association's $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program. Additionally, Vantage Deluxe World Travel encourages customers to bypass travel advisors and book direct, giving them no one to advocate on their behalf.