Passengers on the residential ship Villa Vie Odyssey were told to leave their ship with all their belongings today, according to one of its residents.
They said CEO Kathy Villaba told guests in a post on an internal messaging board at 7 am that the company had been ‘unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations’.
She added: “As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems. All residents must disembark by 2 pm today.”
The message was reposted on a blog by Odyssey resident Randy Cassingham, who lives on the ship with his wife Kit.
According to another Facebook post, guests were later told they could leave their belongings onboard as the cabins would be secured.
The ship, which has a capacity for 650 passengers, is currently in Sihanoukville in Cambodia, according to CruiseMapper.
The vessel, which was previously Fred. Olsen’s Braemar, began its continuous round-the-world cruise from Belfast just over two years ago, on 3 October 2024, after more than four months’ of delays.
Some of the guests have paid for permanent residency, at prices advertised from around $120,000, while others have bought five-year cruises. Some residents have sublet their cabins to other passengers for shorter cruises.
Villa Vie Residences announced earlier this year the planned launch of a second ship, Legacy, in 2029, and offered those who invested immediately the option to sail on Odyssey in the meantime.
Travel Gossip has contacted Villa Vie Residences for comment.
