'Cruise for life' ship seized in Singapore

A round-the-world cruise that left passengers stranded in Cambodia after its US-based operator ran out of money has been seized in Singapore.

The Odyssey, which was meant to take guests on a years-long voyage around the world, was placed under arrest on Sunday morning, Singapore's court records show. Local authorities say the vessel is currently anchored in Singapore port waters.

Around 200 guests were forced to leave the ship last month in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville, after its owner Villa Vie Residences abruptly suspended operations citing "extraordinary increases in fuel costs".

The crew onboard are reported to be well, says Singapore's port authority.

"Arrangements for their welfare and wellbeing are being managed by the vessel's creditors," AFP news agency reported the authority saying.

There were no passengers on board, it added.

Singapore law firm Helmsman LLC has been named the "arresting solicitor", but it is not clear which party it represents.

The Odyssey, which set off from Belfast in October 2024, was meant to go on a three-and-a-half-years voyage covering 150 countries.

Passengers were given the options of buying their cabin outright, which allows them to stay onboard beyond its initial voyage, paying for a five-year residency, or renting a cabin for days-long tours.

Permanent residencies in its cabins ranged from $120,000 (£89,272) to $440,000. Those cabins were also available for rent from $3,500 a month, according to its website.

"For roughly the price of a car, you can own your home on a ship that travels the world," its founder Mikael Petterson had earlier said.

However the cruise was beset with problems from the start, with its departure delayed for four months because of repairs and paperwork.

While in Vietnam, crew members reportedly bought food from local grocery stores because the company owed money to a vendor who refused to deliver food, according to CBS News, the BBC's partner in the US.

CBS also reported that the operator warned passengers of its financial troubles in August, when it had sailed on a separate occasion into Singapore, and had to raise money from guests to keep the cruise going.

It had also mentioned the risk of being detained then.

Holly Hennessey, one of the ship's passengers, had earlier told the BBC guests were asked to consider paying a fuel surcharge as prices soared, and that their itinerary had been "severely curtailed".

The vessel sailed again into Singapore earlier this month, weeks after the cruise came to a sudden end while in Cambodia.

As the Iran war sent fuel prices soaring earlier this year, monthly fuel cost per cabin in parts of Asia had risen to as much as $8,000 from $1,800, Villa Vie Residences said in a statement on 27 October.

It added that it had taken "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption" but those measures turned out to be insufficient to offset the "extraordinary increase in fuel costs".

The company also said it was working with residents to "identify temporary living arrangements" while in Cambodia.