DENVER — Gregory Timmins, 47, is requesting a full refund from SpaceVista Travel following what he describes as a “deeply misleading” seven-month journey to Mars that he says failed to live up to the brochure’s promises of “otherworldly excitement” and “breathtaking Martian nightlife.”
Timmins, who paid $2.4 million for the all-inclusive package, says he expected something closer to a red-hued Cancun. Instead, he found himself standing on what he describes as “an enormous, cold parking lot with zero restaurants and not a single souvenir shop.” He has since filed a formal complaint citing false advertising, emotional distress, and “acute boredom of an interplanetary scale.”
“The pamphlet showed a sunset over Martian canyons with the tagline ‘An Adventure Like No Other,'” Timmins said, gesturing at a photo of himself in a bulky spacesuit standing next to what appears to be, in fact, a large rock. “They didn’t mention that the adventure is 96% waiting around in a metal can talking to your travel companion about his gallbladder surgery.”
SpaceVista Travel spokesperson Denise Alfaro defended the excursion, noting that the terms and conditions clearly stated the trip includes “unparalleled geological viewing opportunities” and that guests “should not expect Wi-Fi, a pool, or oxygen levels compatible with casual lounging.” She added that the company has received similar complaints from six of the eight travelers who have completed the Mars package, mostly regarding the absence of a minibar and the disappointing gift shop, which currently sells only a single magnet.
Timmins says he is pursuing legal action but admits the seven-month return trip has given him ample time to draft his complaint letter. “At least,” he conceded, “the legroom was better than economy.”
