The idea was a never-ending retirement at sea, a continuous voyage around the globe. The promise to the passengers of the MV Odyssey cruise ship \u2013 many approaching the autumn of their lives \u2013 was that on the open seas they could cut loose from the troubles of the world. But the world had other ideas.<\/p>\n
The end came in an announcement as stark as it was brief: they had seven hours to get off. They were going no further than Cambodia<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Odyssey, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, had first set sail from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 with an explicit offer: Donald Trump<\/a> had been re-elected to the White House, and this was a way for those ill-disposed to the president to enjoy a four-year \u201cskip forward\u201d.<\/p>\n Passengers disembark from the Odyssey at Sihanoukville port in Cambodia. Photograph: Kith Serey\/EPA<\/p>\n For $319,998, a couple seeking such an escape could head off to the high seas for the length of a presidential term and come back from their journey to nowhere when the danger had passed \u2013 or not. For those who had simply had enough, there was a permanent residency option for a few hundred thousand more. Depending on the package, there were also monthly fees on top, which covered food, drinks, wifi, wellness programmes and room cleaning. They would have access to a pool, a pickleball court, a theatre, several bars and a gym. Exotic port destinations would be visited along the way.<\/p>\n It was by no means cheap \u2013 but the Odyssey was quite accurately billed as the \u201caffordable\u201d option for those interested in such a cocoon. The pioneer in the world of \u201cresidential ships\u201d, a vessel called MS The World, offered apartments that typically ranged from $2m to $15m, with the pampered passengers getting to choose where it would go. For that experience, there was a waiting list.<\/p>\n The Odyssey was not in that league. Rather than built as a residential ship, it had previously been a traditional cruise liner named MS Braemar. Under that name, it had been turned away from several ports in the Caribbean during the pandemic when its passengers became ill. Cuba finally allowed it to dock, but the vessel never went into service as MS Braemar again. It was sold off by Fred Olsen cruises and adapted by its new owners. Villa Vie described the three-decade-old restructured vessel as \u201can intimate residential cruise ship offering a new way to live\u201d.<\/p>\n Passengers onboard the then-MS Braemar wait to disembark in Mariel, Cuba, in March 2020. Photograph: Adalberto Roque\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n At 642ft (196 metres) long, it was a relatively small ship, but at such prices, and with the world being held firmly at bay, what could go wrong? Neither the more than 200 passengers on the Odyssey nor its cruise operator foresaw the consequences of Trump\u2019s war in Iran. The reality was, there was no escaping the US president.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Villa Vie Residences issued a statement. It had run out of money owing to the soaring price of oil. Monthly fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia had risen to as much as $8,000 from $1,800, placing it \u201cunder unsustainable financial pressure\u201d, it announced.<\/p>\n graphic<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSince the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port,\u201d the company said, explaining the slow death of its business model. \u201cThose measures have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and we have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses.\u201d<\/p>\n The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship leaves Belfast. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA<\/p>\n The Odyssey\u2019s passengers were told to pack up their belongings before being transported on buses into the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand. \u201cWe are working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and temporary living arrangements, and are supporting residents, crew, and employees as we evaluate restructuring and recapitalisation alternatives over the next 60 days,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n Map graphic<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cPeople were shell-shocked, numb, crying,\u201d said one passenger, Kit Cassingham from the US, who spent two years on the ship with her husband, Randy. They had made their cabin into a home, putting down their own rugs and pictures on the wall. \u201cPeople were angry. They were hysterical. They were sad \u2026 Disbelief,\u201d she added. \u201cI mean, that whole gamut of, what is it, the five stages of grief.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of the passengers on the Odyssey were Americans, travelling with an international group of 156 crew members, including a ship\u2019s doctor and two nurses. Many of the passengers were retired or digital nomads. One woman, Holly Hennessy, had been living happily with her cat, Captain, since the ship set sail two years ago.<\/p>\n Holly Hennessy with her Siamese cat, Captain, in Belfast. Photograph: Liam McBurney\/PA<\/p>\n One couple, Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, who said they had bought a cabin with a 15-year guarantee, had been documenting their life at sea on YouTube<\/a>, including the lead-up to the fateful announcement. The signs of financial distress had been apparent for weeks, they said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Mr Super Positive, and I\u2019ve felt really drained the last two months,\u201d Bodin recounted in a video.<\/p>\n Footage from inside the ship\u2019s lounge on the final night showed residents drinking, as rumours spread that their voyage might be over. Cruise ship staff had requested each passenger contribute $1,800 to ensure the ship had funds to travel to Bangkok.<\/p>\n