Crew Claim 'Hostage' Conditions on Stricken Cruise Ship Odyssey

Crew members aboard the MV Odyssey cruise ship have alleged they are being held "hostage" in appalling conditions after the vessel suspended operations due to financial difficulties. The ship, operated by Villa Vie Residences, is currently docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Anonymous crew members have shared accounts detailing withheld passports, unpaid wages for up to two months, and dire living situations. Allegations include temperatures soaring to 43C (109F) in crew cabins due to air conditioning being switched off, dirty water from taps, and poor-quality food. Some workers claim they have been unable to leave the ship to return home due to passport confiscation.

"Crew currently being held hostage on Odyssey due to inability to obtain a visa to pass through Cambodia to airport to fly home. We are prisoners," one crew member wrote online. "No pay, limited AC, prison food, intolerable conditions aboard ship. Aren't being given their passports."

Another source reported not receiving salaries for September and October, with several colleagues in the same predicament. "Lights have been turned off in some parts of the ship, air con has been turned off meaning in crew cabins it's getting as hot as 42-43C," the individual stated.

Mikael Petterson, founder of Villa Vie Residences, acknowledged the company's financial struggles, telling CBS News that they were "at a breaking point where we need capitalisation." He attributed the financial strain to extraordinary increases in marine gas oil prices, exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East, which he believes would have been manageable otherwise.

Villa Vie Residences had previously asked some of its approximately 200 passengers for loans to help cover operating costs. Passenger Lynn Montoya told the Daily Mail that about 22 residents were approached for a collective loan of $2.2 million, with a promise of repayment with interest by April 2027. However, residents reported not receiving promised payments and continued requests for funds, leading some to feel manipulated and "coerced."

A statement from Villa Vie Residences indicated they are working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and temporary living arrangements, while evaluating restructuring and recapitalization alternatives over the next 60 days. The company cited "extraordinary increases in fuel costs" as placing their operating model under unsustainable financial pressure.