From Freo to Sihanoukville: The Odyssey's Last Voyage?

Remember the ship Villa Vie Odyssey? She arrived in time for the Easter weekend and the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival earlier this year and left again on Easter Monday for Bali. I reported on the ship’s story then under the heading Sailing into a Trump Free Sunset.

Odyssey, Fremantle, April 2026. Credit Jean Hudson.

She was on an extraordinary 3.5-year global circumnavigation, visiting 425 destinations across 147 countries — taking in the Caribbean, South America, North America, Japan, the South Pacific, and Australia, before continuing through the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Africa, and the Mediterranean through 2027.

I’ve often wondered how it was going for those global travellers on their remarkable journey around the world. One of the most interesting aspects of Villa Vie Odyssey was its “live aboard” concept, offering a residential cruising experience for around 650 residents. Back on 4 April 2026, in my article, I wrote:

A Florida-based company, Villa Vie Residences, announced multi-year packages earlier in November. People can join its ship, Odyssey, at any port as it traverses the world for the next four years. Odyssey will travel to 425 ports across 140 countries. The Tour La Vie trip offered a variety of extended stays aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, including a one-year ‘Escape from Reality’ cruise, a two-year ‘Mid-Term Selection’ cruise, a three-year ‘Everything but Home’ option and a four-year ‘Skip Forward Trip’ for Americans ‘who feel threatened’. Passengers can escape to the high seas by becoming long-term residents aboard the refitted 31-year-old cruise ship. I was fascinated by the idea of people escaping America and living permanently on a cruise ship—and here they are.”

Well, on 27 October 2026, the Odyssey came to a grim end in Cambodia. Villa Vie Residences said it was suspending operations and would disembark passengers and crew from the ship at Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Onboard were 203 passengers and 156 crew. Villa Vie blamed fuel costs. It said monthly fuel expenses per cabin had more than tripled in parts of Asia and tied this to the war in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz situation. It called the stop a temporary layup.

The company said it needs to restructure and recapitalise over the next 60 days. So, it looks like these poor passengers and crew are stranded in Cambodia, many without homes to go to. There are so many unanswered questions, such as –

• Permanent cabin owners: cabins were sold for roughly $120K to $440K, and Villa Vie has not said what happens to owners’ money or homes.

• Crew: the crew’s status is unclear.

• The itinerary: the ship had a confirmed itinerary into November 2027, which now cannot run as planned.

• The second ship: Villa Vie planned a second residential ship for early 2029, but its suspension statement did not address it.

What a tragic end to a modern-day odyssey: a fairy-tale voyage that visited Freo and ended seven months later at a Cambodian wharf, leaving many of its residents seemingly homeless.

One suspects we haven’t heard the last of it yet!

*Story and pic by Jean Hudson. Jean is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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