Residential Cruise Ship Arrested When It Arrived in Singapore
Villa Vie’s residential cruise ship Odyssey was placed under a court order arrest on Sunday, November 8, when it reached Singapore. The arrest further complicated hopes to resume the “endless” around-the-world cruise that began in October 2024.
Courts in Singapore handled the arrest for an unnamed debtor of the vessel and ordered it into the anchorage. It said arrangements were being made for the crew aboard the cruise ship. The arrest was officially processed at 10:34 a.m. local time on November 8.
CBS News is speculating that the arrest was on behalf of a fuel supplier. It could also be from other suppliers to the ship and could be related to its stop in Singapore shortly before the cruise came to an end. Media reports from Singapore are saying one supplier filed a claim of nearly US$500,000.
The 24,344-gross ton cruise ship had announced it was suspending the scheduled 3.5-year world cruise when it arrived in Cambodia on October 27. Local officials said there were 207 passengers aboard as well as 156 crewmembers. The passengers were instructed to pack and leave the cruise ship that day, with Cambodian tourism officials assisting. The cruise operator Villa Vie Residences said it would attempt to refinance over the next 60 days and that the ship would remain in a warm lay-up.
It is believed that the financial institutions that had funded the operation took control of the cruise ship. Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism confirmed that the ship had been instructed to sail from the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port late on November 3. She cleared the port after midnight with reports that there was a skeleton crew of 50 aboard.
Cambodian officials reported as of last week that approximately 98 of the former passengers remained in the country and were being welcomed and supported. The others had departed, with media reports of people returning to Florida and Australia. The records in Cambodia showed there had been 15 nationalities among the passengers.
A group of the passengers was attempting to make a bid for the ship to resume the cruise under different management. As many as 169 of the former residents had pledged support, but the media said they were unable to find a financier. Villa Vie has said it was looking for a new partner but admitted the finances were difficult, blaming high fuel costs as a result of the war with Iran.
The arrest does not automatically end the operation, as under Singapore law, the operators could still settle the claims and resume control of the ship. Alternatively, the creditors can move for the ship to be auctioned off to settle their debts.
Villa Vie had started the cruise in October 2024 from Belfast after numerous delays during the refurbishment of the ship, which had not sailed since 2020. The trip was scheduled to continue until mid-2027. The company had updated its itineraries on October 20 and already released preliminary information for the second circumnavigation running from 2027 to 2030. It had also reported that it was adding a second ship in the future.
Built in 1993 in Spain, the ship’s prospects, however, would seem limited. She is small and lacks modern amenities, including balcony cabins. After a reconstruction that enlarged the ship, it had space for approximately 1,000 passengers, although Villa Vie said it was accepting up to 650 residents. Buyers had been permitted to join two cabins into one larger space, or the company was offering rental options.
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The value of the ship is unclear. However, her sister ship, built in 1992 as the Crown Jewel and last operated by the Turkish company Miray Cruises, is also up for auction. It is the original size, not lengthened in a rebuild, and is also reported to be in poor mechanical condition. The ship lost its flag registry and its class certificates and has been seized by a Greek court.
A court-ordered survey of the ship now known as Gemini set the value and minimum bid at approximately €3.8 million, which it equated to scrap value after the buyer pays costs and arranges for a tow to Pakistan. The planned October 21 auction was delayed to November 18 for the Gemini after the Turkish DenizBank petitioned the court.
