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The captain of the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship is speaking out after 203 residents were forced to disembark in Cambodia due to a critical fuel shortage, calling the ordeal “really painful.”
The ship, which offered passengers the chance to make the ocean their permanent home, suspended its around-the-world voyage earlier this week after soaring fuel costs made continued operations financially unsustainable, according to its operator.
Residents were forced to leave the vessel in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville, just two years after the ship set sail from Belfast, Northern Ireland, on what was supposed to be a 3 1/2-year journey around the world.
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“I feel awful. They’re counting on me to make the decisions here, and there’s nothing else I’m focused on. I’m the villain in the story, but I’m doing everything I can to support the residents [with] a solution,” Mikael Petterson, founder and executive chairman of Villa Vie Residences, told Business Insider.
Some residents had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to live aboard.
The Villa Vie Odyssey had marketed its around-the-world journey as an alternative to traditional retirement, offering residents the opportunity to live permanently at sea. (AFP via Getty Images)
Villa Vie Residences had offered lifetime access to the ship through its “Endless Horizons” program for a one-time payment of $299,999 for a single-occupancy cabin or $499,999 for double occupancy, Fox Business reported in May 2024.
Captain Emanuele Giudice on Thursday opened up about what led to the decision to force residents off the ship.
“Unfortunately, due to the shortage of fuel, we needed to shut down one generator, chiller, non-essential lights,” Giudice said, as Reuters reported.
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Giudice said the shutdowns would have “created discomfort to the residents, which — we don’t want that.”
“So we kindly asked the residents to get off the ship because our fuel situation was critical,” he said.
“There are people now who are homeless and who have very little money and don’t know what they’re going to do.”
Asked who was to blame, Giudice pointed to high fuel prices, saying they had significantly affected the ship’s travel.
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He declined to comment when a reporter asked whether the war in the Middle East and President Donald Trump were responsible.
Giudice also said residents were given more than 24 hours’ notice to leave the ship. Yet passengers previously told The Associated Press (AP) they received just seven hours’ notice and had to make their own accommodations.
The cruise ship suspended its around-the-world voyage after soaring fuel costs left its operator unable to financially sustain continued operations. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images)
Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, previously told AP they were repeatedly asked for fuel money.
“I’m the villain in the story, but I’m doing everything I can to support the residents on a solution.”
“We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything,” Lynn Montoya said.
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“We had hopes, but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole,” she added.
Benjamin Schatz, a retiree who had hoped to make the MV Odyssey his forever home, told CBS News he was devastated after being forced to leave the ship.
Villa Vie Odyssey Capt. Emanuele Giudice, seen at center, said a critical fuel shortage forced the crew to shut down certain systems aboard the ship. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images)
“Honestly, right now, I’m in denial and in shock, and I’m heartbroken,” Schatz said, as CBS reported.
He added, “There are people now who are homeless and who have very little money and don’t know what they’re going to do.”
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The company had marketed life aboard the Odyssey as an alternative to traditional retirement, appealing to retirees concerned about inflation, rising living expenses and the possibility of outliving their savings.
Petterson promoted the experience as a way for retirees to live on a fixed budget without worrying about ongoing expenses.
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“For less than the price of an average home, you can secure a lifetime of experiences,” Petterson said at the time.
Residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey seen above were forced to leave the cruise ship in Cambodia after its operator said continued operations were financially unsustainable. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Villa Vie Residences for comment.
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The Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting.