Passengers on a world cruise on board say they were abruptly asked to leave the ship and given only a few hours to disembark.
Villa Vie Residences, which operates the residential cruise ship Villa Life Odysseyannounced Tuesday that it had suspended operations due to rising fuel costs.
The ship was docked at Sihanoukville port in Cambodia when the announcement was made, with passengers saying they had just eight hours to disembark.
“On October 27, 2026, we received notice from the CEO around 6 a.m. that all residents were required to disembark by 2 p.m. that day,” passengers Lanette Canen and John Bodin told Business Insider via email.
Canen and Bodin have been aboard the Odyssey since its first departure in September 2024 and run a YouTube channel called Living Life on a Cruise about their experiences on board.
“We knew leaving was a possibility, but the eight-hour notice still surprised us,” they said.
The couple shared a video on their YouTube channel that appears to show the moment a staff member announced that passengers had to leave the ship.
“Unfortunately, they were unable to obtain the fuel needed to continue operations,” a male voice says in the video.
A notice on the Villa Vie Residences website says the company is working with residents to arrange temporary living arrangements and is evaluating restructuring options over the next 60 days.
Villa Vie Residences did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CEO Kathy Villalba and Executive Chairman Mikael Petterson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Soaring fuel prices
Two passengers on the Villa Vie Residences Odyssey were photographed entering a hotel in Sihanoukville. TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP via Getty Images
Villa Vie Residences said in a statement Tuesday that rising fuel costs since the start of the war in Iran had made operating the cruise liner increasingly difficult.
The company said its monthly fuel spend per cabin, which previously averaged about $1,800, increased 344% in parts of Asia, to between $6,000 and $8,000.
“Since the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing down the route and spending more time in port,” Villa Vie Residences said.
“These measures were not enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and we were unable to continue to sustain the resulting operating losses.”
On August 1, Villalba, the CEO, sent residents a message titled “Urgent Operational Update” on an internal messaging platform. In the message, she referred to a “fuel contribution” which had previously been requested from residents. Business Insider saw a screenshot of the message.
“When the fuel contribution was requested a few months ago, participation was not universal,” she writes in the message. “The contributions received helped some, but they only covered part of the extraordinary increase in fuel costs.”
Villalba wrote that the “cash flow” problem persisted and that the Odyssey needed 650 tons of fuel, adding that fuel prices had almost doubled.
“We have now reached a critical point. The lack of full participation, combined with unprecedented increases in fuel costs, means we must make immediate and creative operational decisions to preserve travel,” his message said.
He continued: “We are asking all residents who have not contributed previously to do so now. We are also asking those who are able to provide additional support to consider contributing to this immediate fuel need.
Villalba described the financial need as “real, immediate and necessary to keep Odyssey moving.” “This is a time when preserving our home and continuing the journey requires support beyond contractual minimums from those who are able to provide it,” he continues.
Residents rushed to leave their cottages
Among the passengers invited to disembark on Tuesday with only a few hours’ notice was Barbara Fiegel, 62, who has lived with her partner on the ship since December 2024.
“Everyone is shocked, everyone is saddened by this whole thing,” she said. “We’re still processing, trying to debate what we’re going to do.”
Fiegel said she and her partner booked a hotel room in Cambodia, then returned to the ship Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon to empty their safe and pack their belongings. “Today, as we were approaching, as we were taking the shuttle back to the ship, I couldn’t stop crying,” she said.
They plan to return Thursday to collect their remaining items. Fiegel described the atmosphere of the Odyssey as a “ghost town”.
Joel Greiff, 57, moved aboard the ship earlier this month. “I planned to live on the ship for 10, 20 or 73 years,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
When residents were asked to disembark, Greiff emptied his cabin. “Personally, I caught everything,” he said.
He said he would like to return if Villa Vie Residences resumes operations. Otherwise, he plans to move to Thailand. In the meantime, he rented an apartment in Cambodia for a month.
Greiff said he planned to return to the Odyssey on Thursday to help other residents and “help them with their luggage, help them find a place and just start getting them and all their stuff off the ship.”
Have you spent time at Villa Vie Odyssey as a chalet owner, tenant or staff member? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter: jzitser@businessinsider.com.
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