The bankruptcy of a cruise agency leaves dozens of Spanish passengers stranded.

The vacations of thousands of people, including dozens of Spaniards, have been completely cut short by the bankruptcy of Star Croisieres , a Monaco-based travel agency specializing in cruises . As Europa Press reports, the company had liabilities of €8 million compared to assets of €4.3 million as of July 30, so it declared bankruptcy on August 5.

The problem affecting travelers is that the agency received payments from clients to book the cruises, but never paid them to the cruise lines , which include MSC, Royal Caribbean, and Costa Cruises. Therefore, although travelers thought they had already paid for everything and secured their reservations, those reservations never actually materialized . Many of them didn't even discover the situation until they boarded the cruise, when they were denied access.

Thousands affected

Europa Press reports on the case of two Spanish families who have suffered the consequences of bankruptcy. One of them, originally from Malaga, paid nearly €5,000 to enjoy a vacation at sea, but realized their cabin hadn't actually been paid for when they tried to check in with the MSC cruise line. They were finally able to take the trip after filing a police report. Another example is the case of a family from Madrid who are still waiting for a refund promised by the agency for a cruise canceled by the shipping company.

Many of those affected, numbering in the thousands, have coordinated through Facebook and WhatsApp groups to initiate collective action . Some clients had paid more than €30,000 for their cruises, some scheduled for 2026 or 2027. However, Star Cruises had not paid the shipping companies any money for any departures after August 4, 2025. Clients only received a message in early August indicating that their reservations could not be guaranteed.

MSC , one of the shipping companies most affected by this situation, which customers describe as a scam, is contacting customers individually to find a solution so they can finally take the reserved trip.