They Said, “Make It Your Home for Life” - Then Suddenly Kicked 200 Passengers Off... What Happened to the Around-the-World Cruise?

Odyssey Cruise Suspends Operations Amid Financial Troubles
Monthly Fuel Costs per Cabin Rise from $1,800 to $8,000
Passenger: "They Didn't Even Cover Accommodation Costs"

A U.S. cruise operator that marketed its ship as “a home on the sea for life,” selling cabins for up to around 500 million won, has suspended operations in Cambodia, leaving more than 200 passengers to disembark.

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 29th, authorities in Cambodia’s southern Preah Sihanouk province said the Odyssey, a cruise ship docked at Sihanoukville Port, recently told passengers to pack their belongings and disembark. The suspension was due to accumulated losses, including from a sharp rise in fuel costs.

203 passengers disembark... “Stranded thousands of kilometers from home”

Promotional photo of the Odyssey's residents. Official website.

The Odyssey, registered in the Bahamas, arrived at Sihanoukville Port on September 25. It had 203 passengers, most of them Americans, and 156 crew members on board. Some of the passengers who disembarked have returned to their home countries and elsewhere by air, while the rest are staying in Sihanoukville.

Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said, “The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers stranded thousands of kilometers from home.”

The Odyssey is a “residential cruise ship,” where passengers buy cabins as homes, live aboard and travel around the world. Its operator, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, sold or leased cabins while advertising, “Make the Odyssey your permanent home.” Cabin prices ranged from about $130,000 to $440,000 (about 172 million to 582 million won), with an additional monthly charge of $2,000 to $10,000 (about 2.65 million to 13.24 million won). Passengers who purchased cabins had been guaranteed the right to live aboard for 15 years.

The ship was scheduled to depart from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in May 2024, but was delayed for about four months for repairs to its rudder and gearbox, among other issues. It finally began its around-the-world voyage in October that year. At the time, the operator covered passengers’ accommodation costs during the delay.

Fuel costs quadruple amid Middle East war, and passenger numbers fall short

The Odyssey, a U.S.-based residential cruise ship that suspended operations in Cambodia. Villa Vie Residences

The operator said in a statement, “It has become difficult to continue covering operating losses. We are currently undertaking a restructuring while focusing on supporting residents, crew members and employees.” According to the operator, the impact of the war in the Middle East drove average monthly fuel costs per cabin up from $1,800 (about 2.38 million won) to $6,000-$8,000 (about 7.94 million to 10.59 million won) in Asia. One passenger wrote on their blog, “A series of problems arose because only about 350 people at most were on board, far below the ship’s capacity of 650.”

Passengers complained that they had to leave the ship without any arrangements after receiving sudden notice to disembark. One passenger said the operator “did not help us get to a hotel or provide any assistance with accommodation costs” when it ordered them to leave. Another passenger said on YouTube, “The operator gave us only six hours to pack,” adding that his wife, who was traveling with him, was deeply upset. He said, “My wife and I had hoped to live on the ship for more than 15 years,” and added that he was concerned about passengers who had joined recently or invested their retirement savings and other funds.

This is not the first time a residential cruise venture has foundered. In March 2023, Turkish cruise operator Miray Cruises announced Life at Sea, a residential cruise that would travel around the world for three years. However, it canceled the plan in November that year, just before departure, after failing to secure a ship. After passengers who had sold their homes and cars to prepare for departure did not receive timely refunds, 78 of them asked U.S. federal prosecutors to investigate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.