Residential Cruise Ship Odyssey Reportedly Seized, Heads to Singapore Layup
The residential cruise ship Odyssey, operated by Villa Vie Residences, has reportedly been seized by its creditors and has left Cambodia for Singapore, where it is expected to be laid up. AIS data showed the ship leaving Cambodian waters around midnight on 4 November, local time, with Singapore, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, as its destination.
The Odyssey is a 24,344 gross tonnage ship built in Spain, which entered service in 1993 as the Braemar. Villa Vie bought it in February 2024 to offer long-term living at sea on a continuous world voyage. The ship can carry nearly 1,000 passengers but was sailing with just over 200 residents.
Residents were told to leave the ship by 2 p.m. local time on 27 October, and most of them are still in Cambodia. According to unconfirmed reports, two financial institutions that funded the operation are the main creditors. The company has blamed high fuel costs and says it is trying to refinance. Its founder told CBS News that the company is owned by its management and residents, and that residents had been asked for more money as shareholders.
A sister company, Avora Residences, has a nine-year charter, with an option to buy, on the cruise ship Seven Seas Navigator from late 2027.
The reports do not say what will happen to the ship’s crew. When an operator runs into money trouble, crew may face delayed wages or repatriation. Under the Maritime Labour Convention, flag states must ensure financial security that covers up to four months of unpaid wages and repatriation costs if seafarers are abandoned, and crew in such cases can seek help from their union or the ITF.
