▶ Watch Video: “Forever cruise” passengers unpack “lifetime deal” gone wrong
The Odyssey, the “forever cruise” left stranded in Southeast Asia after its owner struggled with financial problems, has been held by authorities in Singapore, according to court records obtained by CBS News.
A Singaporean law firm, Helmsman LLC, is listed as the solicitor in the “arrest” of the ship, but it is unclear whom the firm is representing. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News it is likely a fuel supplier.
“The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order,” Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said in a statement cited by the French news agency AFP and other outlets on Monday. “The crew onboard are reported to be well, and arrangements for their welfare and wellbeing are being managed by the vessel’s creditors. There are no passengers on board.”
It added that the ship was “anchored in Singapore port waters.” AFP described the ship as being “impounded” by Singaporean authorities.
The luxury cruise ship is currently being operated by its lender after its owner, Villa Vie Residences, couldn’t keep up with payments.
Villa Vie owes one supplier in the area approximately $500,000, though it’s unclear whether that supplier hired the law firm to solicit the arrest.
A ship arrest is a legal process in Singapore in which a vessel can be detained or seized following a legal claim.
The journey of the MV Odyssey luxury cruise ship, launched in October 2024, came to a sudden end last month in Cambodia, where residents on the ship had just hours to disembark.
According to accounts from multiple sources familiar with the final weeks on board, these details included a scramble to find fuel while stuck at a port in Singapore, a rush by the crew to obtain provisions once food shipments had ended, and the temporary detainment of the ship in Hong Kong.
AFP cited Villa Vie Residences as saying “extraordinary increases” in the cost of fuel amid the U.S. war with Iran had driven its monthly fuel expenses from about $1,800 per guest cabin, to as much as $8,000 in some parts of Asia, where many nations rely heavily on imports from the Persian Gulf.
