Villa Vie Odyssey is on the Move: Residential Cruise Ship Update as It Leaves Cambodia Port

If you’ve followed the saga of the “never-ending” residential cruise that ended in all 200+ passengers all getting evicted while the ship was docked in Cambodia, you know it’s been a crazy week for that group of travelers.

And if you regularly follow marine tracking software like we do at Cruise Fever, you probably noticed that same ship, Villa Vie Odyssey, is now on the move.

The fact that the 24,344 gross ton ship is moving doesn’t mean everything is rosy again. Nor does it mean the ship even has a set destination ready to go.

Relocating to a Different Anchorage Point

Tracking data (like that from the Cruise Globe) indicates that the vessel has left its berth at the commercial dock in Sihanoukville, Cambodia after staying there for six days.

Cambodian provincial officials have said that the ship was scheduled to refuel before leaving the main port pier.

But rather than heading to its next international port, the ship looks like it’s just moving offshore into the Gulf of Thailand.

The ship is cruising at around seven knots out past Koh Rong Sanloem. That isn’t a typical cruising speed for a ship on its way to a distant port.

Instead, it more than likely means it’s either just avoiding racking up all those heavy dock fees or simply repositioning to an outer anchorage where it can sit on “Waiting Order” while the company figures out what to do.

Staying docked in Cambodia probably incurred a cost anywhere from $5,000-$12,000 per day in port fees. Port fees are slightly lower when the ship has fewer passengers, but a big chunk of those fees are based on a ship’s gross tonnage.

Lender Now Controls the Ship

The ship’s movement off the pier comes right after news of major internal developments going on with the cruise line.

Messages sent directly to the residents have revealed that Villa Vie’s primary lender has officially taken control of the ship. Management reportedly warned residents that the company is looking at the potential for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

There were some attempts by a group of residents to band together and buy out the vessel themselves, but those plans have fallen through. Now, the future of the ship is in the hands of its primary lender and creditors.

An Uncertain Horizon for Residents

For the 203 or so residents who were told to get off the ship in Cambodia, the situation is about as frustrating as it gets.

The company blamed it mostly on rising fuel costs, but many said they saw the writing on the wall for a while, even before the conflict in the Middle East impacted the price of oil.

Many passengers sold their homes back on land to live full-time on Villa Vie Odyssey and now left paying out-of-pocket for hotels and flights back home.

At this point, a lot is still up in the air. Whether the ship will be able to secure capital, find a new operator, or eventually be handed over to a court to settle everything remains to be seen.

For now, the ship is keeping its engines turning off the Cambodian coast, waiting for the next directive. We will keep tracking the vessel’s movements and bring you further developments as they unfold.