'Endless' cruise ship Odyssey suspends its world voyage in Cambodia, giving 203 residents hours to move ashore
The Maritime Executive and AP explain how fuel costs sank the residential-cruise dream, and what residents who sold up say now.
Villa Vie Residences told everyone aboard the Odyssey, docked at Sihanoukville, Cambodia, to disembark on Tuesday, suspending a voyage that began in October 2024 and was planned to run about 3.5 years, The Maritime Executive reports. AP says the ship carried 203 mostly American passengers and 156 crew; residents were given about seven hours' notice.
The Florida-based operator blamed fuel: costs per cabin that averaged about $1,800 a month now run an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia because of the war in Iran. It says the ship will go into warm lay-up with crew aboard while it pursues restructuring over 60 days. Some residents told AP they got no support and had been asked repeatedly for extra money for fuel; one, Carol Larson, said she paid $120,000 for her cabin.
Instead of buying into a startup residential ship, consider how the model has fared: the Maritime Executive notes only the purpose-built MS The World has endured.
Signal CheckA lifestyle sold hard, a business that wasn't
How much is substance, and how much is paid or hype?
The Odyssey was heavily promoted as a permanent floating home, from about $230,000 for a lifetime suite (AP). What holds up: residents describe real experiences of years at sea. What did not: the 1993-built ship and thin finances; residents report repeated cash calls before the halt.
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MS The World
After exploring Passengers Told to Disembark as Villa Vie Residences Suspends Operations, for the one residential ship that has lasted, read MS The World.
Wikipedia describes MS The World, a private residential cruise ship run like a condominium, whose residents buy apartments and live aboard as it travels.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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