Residents aboard Villa Vie Odyssey have reportedly been ordered to leave the residential cruise ship in Cambodia after the operator said it was unable to secure the fuel needed to continue sailing.
An announcement attributed to Villa Vie Residences management, shared publicly by a resident on 26th October 2026, instructed everyone living aboard to disembark by 2pm that day.
The vessel, which has been travelling around the world since departing Belfast in October 2024, is reportedly entering a temporary lay-up in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Crew members are expected to remain aboard to maintain the ship and its essential systems, although there is currently no confirmed date for operations to resume.
Multiple residents and former passengers have shared accounts of the developing situation on social media, with some describing the disruption as a devastating setback for people who had invested in making the ship their permanent home.
The reports have not yet been independently confirmed through a public statement from Villa Vie Residences.
Residents Given Hours To Leave Their Floating Home
The reported instruction to disembark was shared by Randy Cassingham, who has been living aboard Villa Vie Odyssey with his wife, Kit, and documenting their experiences.
In an article published on 26th October, Cassingham reproduced what he described as an internal company announcement posted at 7.08am ship time.
The message, attributed to CEO Kathy Villalba, stated:
Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations. As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems.
The announcement then instructed residents:
All residents must disembark by 2:00 PM today.
Those unable to remove all their belongings immediately were reportedly told to make arrangements with Guest Services to return to the vessel.
According to the message, shuttle services would remain available until 6pm the following day to assist residents in retrieving their possessions.
The short notice presents particular difficulties for passengers who have been living aboard full-time, some of whom have sold their homes or made substantial financial commitments to the residential cruising programme.
Cassingham described the announcement as the apparent end of the journey, at least for the immediate future.
He also suggested that the interruption had followed a series of mounting difficulties rather than a single unexpected problem, citing concerns over the business model, management decisions and fuel costs.
His wife, Kit, reportedly described the ship as having abandoned its residents in Cambodia, while acknowledging that the suspension might not necessarily be permanent.
Another resident shared a public Facebook post stating that the remaining passengers had been required to leave the ship.
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