'Never-ending' cruise leaves Cambodia with final destination unconfirmed - following residents' failed attempt to purchase ship

Published: 07:08 EDT, 4 November 2026 | Updated: 07:08 EDT, 4 November 2026 After abruptly parking up in Sihanoukville last week and ordering more than 200 passengers to pack their bags and leave, Villa Vie Odyssey has now finally left Cambodia.The vessel, owned by Villa Vie Residences, was part-way through its 'never-ending' round-the-world voyage that passengers had coughed up tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years.However, after about 750 days at sea the company terminated the voyage, blaming a surge in fuel prices due to the Iran war.The ship has been stuck in Cambodia since then, but departed early this morning (November 4) – this time with no passengers and around 50 crew, according to Taing Sochitkrishna, head of the Sihanoukville tourism department.Sochitkrishna said around 100 cruisers were still in Cambodia and the others largely flew to different destinations in the region.The ship's final destination is still unconfirmed although passengers and maritime tracking websites indicated the ship was bound for Singapore. Villa Vie Odyssey has left Cambodia after scrapping its around-the-world voyage last weekAfter making the ship their home, some passengers have struggled with packing up all of their belongings for good.'There are still many things on the ship that I wish I could take with me,' said Shirine Thomas, from North Carolina, shortly after collecting some final items. It comes after a resident-led initiative called Sagar Capital that was attempting to buy the Odyssey has failed, according to a letter posted online. The statement, addressed to 'our fellow Odyssey residents', explained how 'Sagar Capital has ended its effort to lead residents in purchasing and operating the Odyssey.'It outlined the group had tried to negotiate 'with the ship's lender for two months and could not reach terms'.'We understand the lender, with Columbia Ship Management, has now taken control of the ship and intends to sell it at auction,' the letter continues. It also reveals how there was 'more debt than we expected' and a 'review found substantially more debt than we had anticipated'. The letter goes on to highlight other issues such as 'legal exposure', 'the cost of bankruptcy' and 'the risk to your savings'. The vessel is thought to be heading to Singapore, though its exact destination is unconfirmedAccording to the statement, 169 passengers had pledged to help the cause, but it still wasn't enough to cover the costs. Control of Villa Vie Odyssey has now been passed to its lender, according to a message recently sent to residents and reported by CBS News. 'This is a 30- to 90-day process, and, during that process, we have time to get a restructure done,' Mike Petterson, the company's founder and executive chairman, told the publication. 'They have now the responsibility to pay the crew, fuel and the operations of the vessel and safekeeping of the vessel. 'They would be willing to work with a funded plan – they're not out of negotiations – it's not like you get your car repossessed and you can't get it back.' The Daily Mail approached Villa Vie for comment.