A luxury cruise designed to offer residents an extraordinary life at sea has been thrown into uncertainty after its operator suspended operations, leaving about 200 passengers to disembark in Cambodia as the company struggles with soaring fuel costs and an uncertain financial future.
The US-based operator of the Villa Vie Odyssey said it was working with passengers to arrange their departure from the vessel and provide “temporary living arrangements” following the suspension of the ship’s ambitious journey around the world.
The development came more than 750 days into a voyage originally planned to last three and a half years, cover nearly 150 countries and offer passengers an unconventional alternative to life on land.
The company attributed the suspension to a dramatic rise in fuel prices following the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year. According to the operator, monthly fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia have climbed from approximately $1,800 to as much as $8,000, placing considerable pressure on its finances.
In a statement, the company said it had introduced measures to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the ship’s itinerary and spending longer periods in port. However, these adjustments proved insufficient to counter the sharp increase in operating expenses.
“Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution,” the company said, acknowledging the financial challenges facing the business.
The operator added that it would devote the next 60 days to “restructuring and recapitalisation” in an effort to stabilise its finances and potentially resume operations. It nevertheless cautioned that “no outcome is assured”, leaving passengers uncertain about whether their voyage would continue.
Passengers given hours to disembark
The ship reportedly had around 200 passengers aboard when they were instructed to leave in Sihanoukville, a Cambodian port city that has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Once known primarily as a quiet beach destination, the city has gained international notoriety as a centre for Chinese-owned casinos and scam operations.
Passengers Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin told the BBC that the ship’s chief executive informed them at approximately 6am on Tuesday that they had to disembark by 2pm the same day.
The sudden announcement came after months of uncertainty surrounding the company’s financial position. According to the couple, passengers had been aware of the difficulties and had hoped that an outside investor would provide the funding needed to keep the operation afloat.
A potential investor had previously boarded the vessel to conduct due diligence, but the discussions ultimately failed to produce the hoped-for outcome.
“Even then, we were still hoping a miracle investor would come through,” the couple said.
“Although there were signs that this would happen, we still felt disbelief when it became real. We were heartbroken. It felt like our dream had been crushed.”
They described an emotional atmosphere among passengers as residents came to terms with the abrupt end to their life at sea.
“There have been a lot of hugs and tears as residents support one another and process what has happened,” they said.
For many, the immediate challenge is not only the loss of their anticipated voyage but also the difficulty of making travel arrangements from an unfamiliar location.
Canen and Bodin described Sihanoukville as “a difficult place to disembark”, citing its distance from a major international airport.
Rising costs had already disrupted the voyage
Another passenger, Holly Hennessey, said residents had previously been asked to consider paying a fuel surcharge as global energy prices climbed. She also said the ship’s itinerary had been “severely curtailed” before the suspension was announced.
Some passengers had already opted to leave the vessel and continue their travels overland, she added.
Reflecting on her unexpected stay in Cambodia, Hennessey told the BBC: “It was not on my bingo card of places where I'd be spending a lot of time.”
She said passengers had been dispersed among different hotels, with some maintaining contact and supporting one another while awaiting further developments.
“We're all in different hotels; there are a number of shipmates in the hotel that I'm in. We're just waiting,” she said.
Despite the disruption, Hennessey remains hopeful that the cruise could resume if the company secures the necessary financial backing.
“Until they say we are done - done done - I am not giving up. I could never duplicate this lifestyle. The idea of going home? It would be so trite,” she said.
She added that remaining in Cambodia was not necessarily an unwelcome prospect, saying: “Cambodia's not the worst place to hang out.”
A voyage that began with delays
The Villa Vie Odyssey departed Belfast in October 2024, setting out on what was advertised as a continuous journey around the world. The nearly 200-metre vessel, measuring approximately 656 feet, has the capacity to accommodate as many as 650 passengers.
However, the voyage faced difficulties even before it began. Repairs delayed the ship’s departure, leaving prospective residents stranded in Belfast for months and costing the company millions of pounds.
Once at sea, the vessel offered a residential cruise experience featuring several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court, according to the company’s website.
The business marketed its cabins as long-term homes for people seeking to spend extended periods travelling rather than remaining in one location. Permanent residences reportedly ranged from $120,000 to $440,000, while cabins were also available for rent from $3,500 a month.
Last year, the company introduced a lifetime residence programme aimed at people who wanted to spend their retirement years at sea.
In 2024, shortly after Donald Trump won a second term as US president, Villa Vie Residences also announced a four-year package called “Skip Forward”. At the time, its chief executive told Fox Business that the offering was the “perfect product for those who said they'd leave the country if 'XYZ' wins the election”.
The programme underscored the company’s attempt to position life aboard the ship as more than a holiday, presenting it as a residential alternative for people seeking a different lifestyle.
Passengers determined to preserve their friendships
Despite the unexpected suspension, Canen and Bodin said their experience aboard the Odyssey had been worthwhile, even though it ended earlier than anticipated.
“We loved our two years on Odyssey—the adventures, the places we visited and the friends we made along the way,” they said.
The couple added that several passengers had already begun making plans to establish themselves together on land, preserving the friendships and sense of community developed during their time aboard the vessel.
Many residents, they said, intended to “settle together off the ship, so those friendships and that sense of community are continuing on land”.
Canen and Bodin plan to leave Sihanoukville in about a week and travel to different parts of South-East Asia while deciding on their next steps.
For others, however, the possibility of returning to the ship remains a compelling reason to stay nearby and wait for news.
Hennessey is among those unwilling to abandon the prospect of resuming the voyage, which she regards as an irreplaceable way of life.
For now, the passengers face an uncertain period away from the vessel they had come to regard as home, while the company attempts to secure its financial future.
Whether the Villa Vie Odyssey will return to its planned circumnavigation remains unclear. For those who embarked on the voyage in pursuit of adventure, community and a permanent life at sea, the immediate priority is finding a way forward while holding on to the hope that their journey may yet continue.