Randy and Kit Cassingham, who had paid approximately $1 million for their accommodations on the MV Odyssey, were among over 200 passengers disembarked in Sihanoukville when cruise company Villa Vie announced it could no longer cover escalating fuel expenses. The couple had embarked on the journey two years prior, expecting a lifetime of travel.
"It was great, for a while," Randy Cassingham told AFP. "Money aside, it was a fantastic adventure." He added that the cruise company offered "absolutely nothing to help" stranded passengers secure new accommodations.
The Cassinghams initially paid between $370,000 and $380,000 for their cabin, with additional monthly expenses of at least $7,000. Kit Cassingham stated they do not expect to recoup their investment. "No, no, no, no," she said when asked about potential refunds.
The MV Odyssey set sail from Northern Ireland in October 2024, offering passengers lifetime suites on the vessel with prices ranging from $130,000 to $440,000, plus monthly fees of $2,000 to $10,000. The voyage was marketed as a continuous global circumnavigation, prompting some passengers to sell their possessions to fund their passage.
"My wife and I really enjoy travelling. But we really hate airports and airlines. This was a way that you could unpack once, you can sleep in your own bed every night and wake up in a new place every few days," Randy explained.
Villa Vie cited the war with Iran for the surge in fuel costs, stating that per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had jumped from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The company indicated it had attempted to mitigate costs by slowing the itinerary and extending time in port but could not absorb the increased expenses.
Other passengers, like Barbara Figiel, 62, noted increasing financial demands from the cruise operator in the months leading up to the cessation of services. "We knew something was going wrong because they kept on asking us for more and more and more money," Figiel told AFP, though she believes Villa Vie simply underestimated the operational costs rather than engaging in a scam.
Carol Larson, 69, from California, paid $120,000 for her cabin, excluding monthly fees. She described the experience as "well worth it" and feels "blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising," despite being stranded with only seven hours' notice to leave the ship.
Villa Vie Residences released a statement acknowledging their inability to sustain the operating losses and stated their current focus is on supporting residents, crew, and employees during restructuring efforts.