More than 200 residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey were forced to leave the cruise ship in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville after a critical fuel shortage left the vessel unable to continue operating, the company said. The ship's captain, Emanuele Giudice, said the decision was necessary to keep the vessel running safely, and the founder of the operator, Villa Vie Residences, said he feels responsible for the ordeal.
The vessel, which marketed itself as a place where passengers could make the ocean their permanent home, suspended its around-the-world voyage earlier this week after soaring fuel costs made continued operations financially unsustainable, according to its operator. Residents were forced to disembark, 203 in total, two years after the ship set sail from Belfast, Northern Ireland, on what was supposed to be a 3 1/2-year journey around the world.
Giudice described the shortage in stark terms. "Unfortunately, due to the shortage of fuel, we needed to shut down one generator, chiller, non-essential lights," he said, according to Reuters. He said the shutdowns would have created discomfort for residents, and that the crew asked them to leave because the fuel situation was critical. Asked who was to blame, Giudice pointed to high fuel prices, which he said had significantly affected the ship's travel. He declined to comment when asked whether the war in the Middle East and President Donald Trump were responsible.
Mikael Petterson, founder and executive chairman of Villa Vie Residences, told Business Insider he feels awful about the situation. "They're counting on me to make the decisions here, and there's nothing else I'm focused on. I'm the villain in the story, but I'm doing everything I can to support the residents with a solution," he said.
Residents had paid substantial sums for the chance to live aboard. Villa Vie Residences offered lifetime access to the ship through its "Endless Horizons" program for a one-time payment of $299,999 for a single-occupancy cabin or $499,999 for double occupancy, Fox Business reported in May 2024. The company marketed life aboard the Odyssey as an alternative to traditional retirement, appealing to people concerned about inflation, rising living expenses and the possibility of outliving their savings. Petterson said at the time that for less than the price of an average home, buyers could secure a lifetime of experiences.
The company's account of the notice period differs from that of passengers. Giudice said residents were given more than 24 hours' notice to leave the ship. Passengers, however, told The Associated Press they received just seven hours' notice and had to make their own accommodations. Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, told the AP they were repeatedly asked for money for fuel. "We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything," Lynn Montoya said. "We had hopes, but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole," she added.
Benjamin Schatz, a retiree who had hoped to make the Odyssey his forever home, told CBS News he was devastated by the decision. "Honestly, right now, I'm in denial and in shock, and I'm heartbroken," Schatz said. He added that some people now face homelessness with very little money and no clear plan for what comes next.
Fox News Digital reached out to Villa Vie Residences for comment. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting.