A Ship Sold as a Home at Sea Just Left Cambodia Without Its Residents

The residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey departed Cambodia early on Wednesday, November 4, after disembarking more than 200 passengers who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years. The departure is the latest step in the abrupt end of a voyage marketed as a continuous, around-the-world home at sea.

The company, Fort Lauderdale-based Villa Vie Residences, announced on October 27 that it was suspending operations and evaluating restructuring and recapitalization options over the next 60 days. It blamed fuel costs, saying monthly fuel expense on an equivalent per-cabin basis had surged from a historical average of about US$1,800 to between US$6,000 and US$8,000 in parts of Asia, and tied the increase to the conflict with Iran that began in late February.

Residents were told on October 26 to leave the vessel by 2 p.m., according to a notice published by a resident, while the ship entered temporary layup with crew on board. Industry reports said the company had earlier asked residents for money to cover fuel, including a US$360,000 request, and had sought emergency loan funding in April. How much was raised is unclear.

The 195-metre ship, formerly Fred. Olsen’s Braemar, began its world voyage in October 2024, and the company had said more than 85% of residences were sold. Just three months before the shutdown it announced a second residential ship, Legacy, planned for 2029. For prospective buyers of long-term cruise living, the episode is a stark illustration of how exposed such models are to fuel prices.

Sources: gCaptain, gCaptain (related coverage)