Singapore seizes US-operated cruise ship that offered ‘permanent’ life at sea

Singapore has seized a US-operated cruise ship that offered retirees a “permanent” life at sea but instead offloaded them in Cambodia after it ran out of money due to soaring fuel prices.

After more than 200 passengers were left stranded in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville last month, the MV Odyssey sailed on to ⁠Singapore last week and has been impounded by authorities.

“The vessel has been placed under arrest ⁠pursuant to a court order,” Singapore’s Maritime and Port ​Authority said in ‌a statement. “The crew onboard ‌are reported to be well and arrangements for their ‌welfare and wellbeing are being managed by the vessel’s creditors. There are no passengers on board.”

According to court records, ​the MV Odyssey was listed “under sheriff’s arrest” on Sunday morning ​just off Singapore’s east coast, meaning it had been detained but was not necessarily under any criminal charges.

It was not clear why the ship had been impounded, although Singapore is a global shipping hub, and it is not unusual for ships facing commercial issues to relocate to the city-state to resolve disputes.

The local Straits Times reported that the Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, owed approximately US$500,000 in fuel payments. Villa Vie Residences has been contacted for comment.

On 27 October, and with only a few hours’ notice, the company disembarked all passengers, saying fuel ⁠price surges from the Iran war had made operations ​“unsustainable”. Mikael Petterson, the founder ‌and executive chair of Villa Vie Residences, later said the ship was now being operated by creditors.

Most of the passengers of the MV Odyssey were Americans, along with 156 crew members, Cambodian officials said.

Passengers were sold what the company website said was “a new model of global living at sea”, with the 195-metre (640-ft) vessel offering multi-year residencies as well as permanent cabin costs between $120,000 (£90,000) and $440,000. However, monthly fuel cost per cabin in parts of Asia has risen to as much as $8,000 from $1,800, the company said in a statement.

Some passengers have stayed in Cambodia to assess their options, including Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, who had been documenting their life at sea on YouTube. In a video published last week and filmed on a beach with the Odyssey in the background, the couple said the “bank” was now making a decision on its fate. They later filmed the ship leaving at night.

The round-the-world cruise faced issues from the start, including a four-month delay in setting sail from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024. Several passengers reported signs of financial distress during the cruise, including accounts of guests raising extra money for fuel.

Randy Cassingham, a writer living aboard the ship, said after passengers were off-loaded, residents had also passed a jar around to raise $100 each for lower-ranking crew. He said few passengers expected to recover any of the funds they had spent on their cabins, as they knew the company had “been in terrible money problems from the beginning”.