‘Endless’ cruise halted in Cambodia as fuel costs soar
For two years, the Villa Vie Odyssey offered something unusual: a home at sea. People bought cabins and lived on board as the ship sailed slowly around the world.
Now that dream has come to a sudden stop in Cambodia.
What happened
On Tuesday, 27 October, the company behind the ship, Villa Vie Residences, said it was suspending operations in the port of Sihanoukville.
In a public statement, it blamed a sharp rise in fuel prices. It said the fuel cost for each cabin had jumped from about $1,800 a month to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 a month in parts of Asia.
The firm said it would try to restructure and raise new money over the next 60 days. But it warned that “no outcome is assured”.
Who was on board
According to Long Dimanche, a deputy provincial governor quoted by the Associated Press, 203 guests and 156 crew were on the ship when it stopped. The vessel can hold up to 650 residents.
Residents were told to leave the ship by 2pm. Local officials said the vessel was expected to refuel and leave port on Saturday.
Many of those on board were retirees who had sold their homes to live at sea. Some now face the stress of finding somewhere to stay, at short notice and far from home.
How the ‘endless cruise’ worked
The Odyssey left Belfast, Northern Ireland, two years ago. The idea was simple: instead of a holiday cruise, people would make the ship their permanent address.
- Cabins were sold from $119,000
- Residents also paid monthly fees for services
- The ship planned to keep sailing, visiting ports around the world
Passenger Randy Cassingham, who writes about life on board on his website, was among those affected and has spoken to reporters about the situation.
A couple who had already left
UNILAD also reported on Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, a couple formerly from Hawaii, who left the cruise after two years on board. UNILAD said they had been paying about $3,500 a month.
Legal questions
The company was already facing a lawsuit from a buyer over a $469,000 cabin. The lawsuit claims fraud. Villa Vie has denied the claims.
What happens next
The next two months will decide the ship’s future. If the company finds new investors, sailing could start again. If not, residents may have to look elsewhere for answers about the money they paid.
Anyone thinking of buying into a long-term cruise or a home at sea may want to read the terms carefully, ask how fuel and running costs are covered, and get independent advice before paying a large sum.
For now, the story is a reminder that even a life at sea depends on things on land, including the price of fuel.
Sources
- UNILAD (lead)
- UNILAD: couple leave after two years
- Villa Vie Residences statement (PR Newswire)
- Associated Press
- CNBC
- AFP
- NBC News
Featured image: The Villa Vie Odyssey, the ship at the centre of the 'endless cruise' plan. Photo: JerickVillaruel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized). Source
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