203 People Given Just 7 Hours to Leave Cruise Ship They Called Home
More than 200 people living aboard a residential cruise ship were suddenly ordered to leave their floating homes during a stop in Cambodia. Some had invested substantial amounts of money in the promise of traveling the world while living at sea.
The passengers aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey had approximately seven hours to disembark on Oct. 27 after the cruise operator suspended operations over mounting fuel expenses.
The ship had arrived in Sihanoukville on Oct. 23, with plans to continue to Vietnam. Instead, passengers were left searching for temporary accommodations, with no confirmed date for their voyage to resume.
In an Oct. 27 announcement, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences said: “Extraordinary increases in fuel costs have placed our current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure.”
Passengers Given Hours to Leave the Ship
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The Odyssey arrived in Cambodia carrying 203 passengers and 156 crew members, according to Preah Sihanouk Deputy Governor Long Dimanche, as reported by AFP.
Randy Cassingham, who lived aboard with his wife, Kit, shared the company’s internal notice on Residential Cruising. Posted at 7:08 a.m. ship time, it informed residents that the operator had been unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue sailing.
Everyone was instructed to leave by 2 p.m. Passengers who could not collect all their belongings were told they could arrange to return using shuttles available through the following day.
Cassingham described the shutdown as the culmination of problems involving the company’s finances and management. He also told AFP that passengers received little assistance finding somewhere to stay after leaving the ship.
Villa Vie offered a different account, saying, “The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. Villa Vie Residences recognizes that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop.”
Cruise Operator Seeks Financial Restructuring
The Odyssey began its grand, globetrotting, continuous world voyage in 2024, offering passengers the opportunity to purchase or rent cabins and live aboard while traveling internationally.
Villa Vie attributed the suspension to sharply rising fuel expenses. The company said its historical monthly fuel costs averaged approximately $1,800 per cabin, compared with an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The operator said slowing the ship and spending longer periods in port had failed to offset those increases. It now plans to pursue restructuring and new financing over the next 60 days, although no agreement has been finalized.
Speaking with AFP, California resident Carol Larson said she had initially paid $120,000 for a cabin, excluding monthly maintenance fees. Despite the abrupt ending, she said the experience had been worthwhile.
Some passengers had already left Cambodia on flights by Oct. 28, while others remained in Sihanoukville, according to provincial deputy governor Long Dimanche, as reported by Reuters.
The ship’s future remains uncertain, with Villa Vie acknowledging that its efforts to secure additional financing may not succeed.
