Over the last few years, the concept of the “permanent cruise” has gained traction among some members of the cruising community.
Companies including Storylines, The World, Victoria Cruise Lines, and Villa Vie Residences all offer private residences aboard different types of ships that, for some people, end up costing less than monthly rent or mortgage payments in a large U.S. city like New York or Los Angeles.
An option most popular among retirees and others not tied to a particular place on land, the market for various types of residences at sea is, according to some estimates, expected to top $4 billion in the coming years.
And yet, as seen in a recent incident in which travelers on a permanent sailing were abruptly left stranded, having your only residence be aboard a ship can also come with unexpected problems and risks.,
Villa Vie Odyssey cruisers stranded after cruise line cancels “endless” sailing
On the morning of Oct. 27, 203 travelers aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey received a notice to disembark the ship by that afternoon with less than half a day’s notice.
The ship had been marketed as an “endless” cruise around the world and began its 3.5-year journey from Belfast in October 2024. Prices were previously advertised at $3,499 per month for rentals and $100,000 and up for ownership.
Related: Cruise line shuts down and cancels all sailings
The Odyssey liner was docked in Sihanoukville in Cambodia at the time that the passengers were informed that the sailing would end and that they would need to disembark.
According to a press release that Villa Vie Residences issued to explain the situation, fuel prices that had cost the company approximately $1,800 USD per month in 2024 and 2025 soared to between $6,000 and $8,000 USD over the last few months, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. war in Iran.
“The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure,” Villa Vie Residences said in the statement.
The Villa Vie Odyssey began what was supposed to be a continuous sailing around the world in October 2024.
Villa Vie Residences
Villa Vie will “identify temporary living arrangements” for stranded passengers
Villa Vie said it is “working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements.”
Many of the passengers aboard the ship reported selling their homes or otherwise giving up their past living arrangements in order to live at sea.
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Some ended up purchasing flights out without waiting for assistance from the company, while others paid for temporary accommodations in Cambodia.
“The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries,” Long Dimanche, deputy governor of the Preah Sihanouk province of Cambodia, where the passengers were left stranded, said in a statement cited by Australian news outlet ABC News.
In the rest of its statement, Villa Vie said it had “taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port,” but ultimately could not continue with the sailing.
Related: 40-year-old international travel and cruise company ends in bankruptcy, all trips off
