A retired Australian teacher fears losing more than £30,000 of her retirement savings after the collapse of a residential cruise voyage left her unable to board the ship she had paid to call home.
Credit: ABC/Lisa McKay
Lisa McKay, from Queensland, had paid A$63,500 towards a new life aboard Villa Vie Odyssey and was due to join the vessel in Malaysia on 15th November 2026.
However, her plans were thrown into uncertainty when Villa Vie Residences suspended operations on 27th October, forcing more than 200 passengers to leave the ship in Cambodia.
McKay, who had not yet stepped aboard the vessel, now fears she may never recover the money she transferred from her retirement fund.
“This was going to be my trip of a lifetime,” she told Australia’s ABC News.
“I don’t have that money to waste and lose. It’s just been devastating, absolutely devastating.”
Her experience highlights how the financial crisis surrounding Villa Vie Odyssey is affecting not only residents who were forced to abandon their floating homes, but also customers who had paid for future voyages.
Concerns Raised Before Paying For Cruise
McKay, a former schoolteacher from Brisbane, had planned to spend her retirement travelling the world aboard the residential cruise ship.
She used money from her Australian superannuation fund, a retirement savings scheme, to pay for the experience through a direct bank transfer.
However, she has revealed that she had concerns about Villa Vie’s financial position even before making the payment.
After reading negative comments about the company online, she contacted a booking agent to ask whether her money would be safe.
According to messages reviewed by ABC News, the agent reassured McKay that she “wouldn’t be working for them if [she] thought they were in trouble”.
The agent also indicated that the “company would arrange another ship” if Villa Vie Odyssey could no longer operate.
Despite those reassurances, McKay now faces the possibility of losing a substantial portion of her retirement savings without ever having boarded the ship.
“My chances of getting my money back [are] very, very slim,” she said.
“Travel insurance doesn’t cover boutique ships.”
Her comments reflect her personal concerns about recovering the money. Whether any insurance policy or other financial protection could apply to her particular booking has not been established.
Other Residents Face Significant Losses
McKay is not the only Australian caught up in the financial difficulties affecting Villa Vie Odyssey.
Brisbane resident Rina Cavazza had already been living aboard the vessel after paying A$170,000 for her accommodation.
She still had approximately 18 months of her planned voyage remaining when residents were ordered to disembark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Cavazza was left arranging temporary accommodation and travel back to Australia, with uncertainty surrounding the be
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