The “endless cruise” stopped in Cambodia. The passengers of the Villa Vie Odyssey ship were forced to disembark in Sihanoukville: some of them have already left by plane to return home, others remained in the Cambodian city waiting to understand what to do. What is certain is that the project of a “global adventure” promised at the start seems to have failed.
Managed by the Villa Vie Residences company, the ship left Belfast in 2024 with the aim of visiting 147 countries and disembarking in 425 different ports in three and a half years. But the journey had no scheduled end. Travelers were offered the opportunity to purchase a permanent residence on the ship and make the Odyssey their home. What ruined all plans was the soaring fuel prices which made the project financially unsustainable.
The reasons for the stop and the company’s announcement
The cruise, to be honest, had not started under the best auspices: already in May 2024, when the Odyssey adventure was about to start, some repairs had postponed the departure by 4 months. Then the ship finally set sail, much to the relief of the cruise passengers. Yesterday, just two years later, there was a new hitch. And what a hitch. Villa Vie Residences announced in a statement “the suspension of activities in Cambodia, as part of the measures adopted to address the extraordinary increases in fuel costs and to evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives”. In short, with the surge in oil prices, the company is no longer able to sustain its expenses.
“Fuel costs increased sharply in the regions where the company operated,” the statement read. The monthly expense for fuel, “which historically averaged around $1,800” per cabin, “has recently reached an estimate of between $6,000 and $8,000 in several areas of Asia. The company – continues the note – cannot simply pass on increases of this magnitude to passengers, and the resulting deficit has subjected our current operating model to unsustainable financial pressure”.
The company said it was in contact with the travelers “to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary accommodation. Villa Vie Residences – we read – recognizes that this is a difficult and complex time for residents, crew members and employees, and is working to provide support to all those involved while management plans take shape”. The company has given itself sixty days to seek new capital, but there is no guarantee of a positive outcome.
The endless journey around the world
Despite having the capacity to accommodate over 600 people, at the time of disembarkation there were 203 passengers and 156 crew members on board the ship (at least according to unofficial reconstructions). Villa Vie Residences offered the possibility of buying a real “permanent residence” at prices ranging from 120,000 to 440,000 dollars (around 360 thousand euros), sums to which a fixed management fee had to be added.
In 2025, “a revolutionary five-year ownership plan starting from just $49,999” was launched to offer “a flexible and accessible ownership solution for those who want to live full or part time at sea, without the long-term commitment of permanent ownership”, but being able to “enjoy five full years of worldwide travel, visiting over 140 countries and more than 425 destinations, as part of the exclusive itinerary of circumnavigation of the world of Villa Vie”.
In short, it was decided to introduce a reduced entry formula for those who wanted to live on board for just five years. In the meantime the ship would have circumnavigated the world, without ever stopping. Now, however, “the endless cruise” has had its epilogue. Or at least that’s how it seems.