OAKLAND PARK, Fla. (CBS12) – Jim and Chris Guld of Oakland Park thought they had found the perfect way to spend their golden years: living aboard a 480-cabin cruise ship, the Villa Vie Odyssey, and visiting more than 140 countries for 3 1/2 years.
The couple planned to sail around the world twice in seven years and possibly stay on the ship for another seven years.
They sold their belongings, put their townhouse up for sale and began their new life in a 140-foot cabin they called “home” in April 2025.
But after just a year and a half at sea, the couple’s dream came to an abrupt end.
Along with the ship’s approximately 200 other full-time passengers, the Gulds were ordered to disembark last week in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after fuel costs became unaffordable for its operator, Villa Vie Residences, according to numerous news agencies, including the Associated Press.
In a video call from a hotel in Sihanoukville on Friday, the couple said they were disappointed by the ship’s failure but had no regrets about their lifestyle choice.
They visited 30 countries, including several in North and South America, as well as Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, China and Thailand.
“There are a lot of things that we’ve seen and done that most people dream of and very few of them are going to actually go out and make them happen,” Jim says.
Memorable adventures include ziplining in Fiji, attending a baseball game in Tokyo, and scuba diving, Jim says, “all over French Polynesia.”
They were impressed by Halong Bay in Vietnam, designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“It looks like a painting born from someone’s imagination,” Chris says. “It couldn’t be real, but it’s real.”
They enjoyed line dancing with locals in Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
“We had a line dancing group on board,” says Chris, “and we would get together and dance every day at sea. And the leader of the group would make contact (with line dancers) in different towns we were going to visit and arrange for us to join them. What other method of travel would give you that opportunity?”
The couple, longtime computer science teachers in South Florida, documented their adventures on their website, Geeksontour.com, and maintained their technical training business aboard the ship. A fast Starlink Internet connection kept them busy producing hands-on classes and live streams for paying subscribers in the United States.
During their downtime on the ship, the couple participated in community theater performances and musical performances put on by other passengers. “We didn’t need the standard cruise ship entertainment on board,” says Chris. “We had more fun doing it ourselves.”
Plus, the couple said they enjoyed socializing with other passengers who had interesting backgrounds – “authors and actors,” Chris said. “We had a Nobel Prize winner on board.”
The first signs of trouble appeared on August 6, the couple said.
“We were in Singapore,” Chris says, “and we learned that they needed money or we wouldn’t be able to leave.”
Jim adds, “They needed money to buy fuel and pay shipping. So they made a cash call, you know, and said we need to raise a few million dollars or we’ll be stuck there.”
At that time, according to a CBS News report, the ship owed money to a port agent, fueling companies, food vendors and the crew. Passengers raised money and one resident contributed $400,000 to get the ship moving again, according to the report.
Villa Vie Residences, which launched the Odyssey journey in October 2024, did not respond to phone messages and emails seeking comment for this news article.
In retrospect, the Gulds suspect the ship operators did not charge enough for the service they provided. The couple said they spent $170,000 to secure the right to live in their cottage for 15 years, then paid $5,000 a month to cover water, electricity, internet service, fitness facilities, laundry, bi-weekly cleaning, education and entertainment programs and all their food and drink.
They don’t expect to get back any of their $170,000 if the ship’s operator declares Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“From what I understand, the way bankruptcies work is that there are creditors way before us who have to be satisfied before we get anything,” Jim says.
But they said they won’t be returning to South Florida anytime soon.
They plan to stay in Thailand, at least for the next few weeks. They had already planned to visit a friend in Chiang Mai whom they had met in Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s. And the Gulds had planned to teach a few classes at Payap University, located in the city.
They will teach their usual workshop “Smartphone Photography” and another seminar called “Living on a Cruise Ship”.
“This is going to be an interesting class now!” Chris wrote on the couple’s travel blog.
Plus, they’ll be close to the ship – still housing many of their belongings – while they get a clearer idea of what’s coming next.
And yes, the couple said they would contribute more money to get back on the ship. After all, they still haven’t seen India, Africa or Europe.
Even after a year and a half, the couple still describes their time on board as the realization of a dream. They say their neighborhoods were never too cramped. They could each sit comfortably in front of their computers, Chris says, “and whenever we wanted, we could just turn our heads and look out the window at beautiful views and ocean scenery. I loved it.”
“It was almost too good to be true,” Jim says, “to have that kind of lifestyle. And the more we did it, the more we appreciated it and the more we were willing to invest in it. That’s where we are.”
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