Throw your current lifestyle overboard! boasts the advert for Victoria Cruises Line (VCL), which bills itself as the world's first affordable residential cruise.
Cabins typically go for US$3,840 (£2,858) a month for a three-year voyage to 115 countries, and travellers from all over the world have the option of doing the route for as long as they like.
For Australians Dennis and Taryna Wawn from Perth, excited by the prospect of a home at sea, the advert on Facebook couldn't have come at a better time as they planned their retirement.
Three years later, the ship has yet to sail. In fact, they and other would-be cruise residents have found that VCL does not even own or have a lease on the ship that is being advertised.
The Wawns are just two of dozens of people who have been waiting for VCL to refund their deposits, the BBC has learned.
Other would-be residents told the BBC they sold their homes, rehomed cats and put their belongings into storage. One woman said she had put down her sick dog, believing she would be gone for years.
Another couple have now had to move into a retirement community because of their advanced ages and failing health. They could no longer commit to a residential cruise that might or might not ever sail.
The people that put down a deposit for this cruise were sold a dream... and it has turned into nothing short of a nightmare, said Adam Glezer, who runs a consumer advocacy company. What VCL has done is disgusting.
Those affected have contacted the company, some have launched legal cases and others have filed consumer complaints to government agencies. One even wrote to the FBI.
VCL told the BBC that it still needs more customers before a vessel can be chartered and so is continuing to advertise the cruise.
The company said customers knew about the occupancy condition when booking, and the company denies targeting or harming anyone, adding that it advised some clients not to sell homes to pay deposits.
Many of those who signed up have given up hope of the ship ever sailing, or of getting their money back.
Taryna, 64, said that in May 2022, she and Dennis were starting to think about their future and what it could look like when they came across the residential cruise. The couple feel they did their due diligence.
Taryna said the company had a well-built and detailed website, they also spoke to a man from the company who answered all the questions, and they joined a Facebook group made up of other cruise residents.
We did some checking, thought it was all above board, she said.
Within a month, they took the step of paying a deposit of US$10,000 (£7,450). Their bank transfer has been viewed by the BBC.
But weeks before they were due to set sail in May 2023, VCL postponed the scheduled departure date.
In an email viewed by the BBC, VCL said the cruise hadn't reached a roughly 80% occupancy - something the company said it needed in order to charter a vessel.
When VCL postponed twice more, the couple started to think something was up. Then a fellow would-be resident got in touch, saying: I've dug a little bit further. Get out.
Despite all of this, VCL continues to advertise its cruise on Facebook and Instagram. Accounts on the platforms show glossy brochures of the ship's decks, menus and cabins.
New residents are shown posing on board - many of them are actually stock images widely available on the internet. To encourage lengthy stays, the cruise company has been offering hefty discounts, flash sales and cashback schemes.
Alleged victims say they have reported the ads repeatedly, but Meta – which owns Facebook and Instagram - has declined to take them down.
It is reprehensible that these platforms are allowing advertising for VCL despite the significant amount of evidence. They should be held accountable for this, said consumer champion Adam Glezer.
In a statement, Meta told the BBC that its advertising standards strictly prohibit deceptive or misleading ads, including scams, but it found no evidence that the page violates its policies.
VCL denied that it was running a scam, saying those affected were unable to accept that they were not entitled to a refund.
Our company has never disappeared, we have responded to every email, so we are not a phantom company, VCL stated.
Taryna said that the idea of the cruise isn't too good to be true - some people who signed up for the VCL cruise were currently travelling the world with other cruise liners.
However, for her and Dennis, going on another such cruise is no longer something they can afford. It was a dream for us and we were really focusing on it as a lovely adventure. It's been traumatising.
