Villa Vie Odyssey: 203 live-aboard cruise residents put ashore in Cambodia as fuel costs sink operator's plan

About 200 people who had moved onto a cruise ship to live there have been put ashore in Cambodia after the operator, Villa Vie Residences, suspended its Odyssey voyage, blaming fuel costs driven up by the Iran war. Preah Sihanouk province's deputy governor, Long Dimanche, put the number at 203 residents, plus 156 crew. Cambodian officials expect the ship to refuel and sail on Saturday, October 31.

The Bahamas-flagged Odyssey reached Sihanoukville from Thailand on October 23 and was due in Vietnam next. Residents were told to leave at the start of this week and had about seven hours to pack, the deputy governor said. The company described the move as a temporary layup.

The fuel bill Villa Vie says it could not pass on

Villa Vie Odyssey in numbers
Residents ordered ashore	203
Crew on board	156
Fuel cost per cabin, per month, historical average	about $1,800
Estimated fuel cost now, parts of Asia	$6,000–$8,000
Reported starting price of a cabin	between about $120,000 and $230,000, depending on the report
Restructuring period announced	60 days

The company said it could not simply pass such an increase on to residents and that the shortfall had put its operating model under unsustainable pressure. It described the next 60 days as a restructuring effort and warned that no outcome is assured. Its chief executive, Kathy Villalba, has reportedly said it plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Residents say the trouble began before this week. Holly Hennessey, who says she has spent just under $500,000 on her cabin, investment and prepaid costs, said the company took a fuel loan in April and that a fuel surcharge in May was paid by only 37% of residents. In her reading, the ship ran out of money. She is hoping an investor or a group of residents can rescue the venture.

Two accounts of what happened on shore

Mikael Petterson, the founder and executive chairman, said Villa Vie is paying for local hotels and transport but has not funded anyone's departure from Cambodia. He said he feels awful about the situation. The company says it is working with residents on disembarkation and temporary housing.

Some passengers describe much less. Randy Cassingham, a resident who writes about the voyage, said people were driven into the city and left there without even a list of hotels, and that the company did nothing to help. The deputy governor said the sudden order had left many retirees and remote workers homeless, thousands of miles from their home countries. Some have already flown out. Others have stayed in Sihanoukville while they decide what to do.

It is not clear what happens to the 156 crew members once the ship sails.

A 33-year-old ship and a three-and-a-half-year plan

The vessel was completed in 1993 in Valencia, Spain. It sailed under names including Crown Dynasty and Norwegian Dynasty, and spent 2001 to 2024 as Fred. Olsen's Braemar. Villa Vie bought it in 2023 and took delivery in February 2024.

The residential voyage left Belfast in October 2024 and was meant to last about three and a half years. The ship can hold about 650 residents but reached a peak of around 350, even though more than 85% of its residences had reportedly been sold.

What residents and buyers can do now

Refunds have not been addressed publicly, and that is the main question for people who paid six-figure sums. In a Chapter 11 case, buyers would usually rank as creditors, and any recovery could take a long time and is not guaranteed. Those affected should keep contracts, payment records and all messages from the company, contact their embassy, and check whether their travel insurance covers a supplier's failure.

Villa Vie has not confirmed Saturday's departure. It has also not said where the ship would go or whether residents will be allowed back on board.