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Singapore Seizes 'Forever' Cruise Ship After Passenger Dumping
Confirmed
In Short: The luxury cruise ship Odyssey, which asked passengers to disembark in Cambodia, has been seized in Singapore.
Group portrait of five people on a cruise ship (AM 79114-1).
Villa Vie Odyssey forever cruise ship detained in Singapore. Digital Akhbaar
The luxury cruise ship Odyssey, marketed as a 'never-ending' voyage, has been seized in Singapore following an abrupt halt to its operations in Cambodia.
According to court records, Singapore-based law firm Helmsman LLC initiated the 'arrest' of the ship, which was detained under a court order.
The Odyssey departed Cambodia on November 4 without passengers and with approximately 50 crew members on board, leaving around 100 passengers stranded in the country.
The ship's fuel costs had increased from approximately $1,800 to as much as $8,000 per guest cabin in certain parts of Asia, leading to the suspension.
In a statement, the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority confirmed that the vessel had been detained following a court order, and there were no passengers on board.
The Odyssey had launched in October 2024 with the promise of a multi-year, continuously sailing world cruise, offering passengers the opportunity to purchase or rent residential accommodation while traveling internationally.
Passengers were given only hours to pack their belongings and leave the ship, according to multiple firsthand accounts published by international news outlets.
One passenger, Joel Greiff, who paid $350,000 for a cabin, found accommodation in Kampot, Cambodia, for approximately $200 a month.
The ship's arrest is a standard maritime procedure that prevents the vessel from leaving port until the dispute is resolved or a court-ordered sale takes place.
The Odyssey will soon be moved from Cambodia to Singapore, where it could eventually be auctioned off, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The move effectively detains the ship while creditors pursue legal action, bringing the ambitious residential cruise project to a standstill at one of Asia’s busiest ports.
What this adds
While the Odyssey was in Singapore earlier in the year, a passenger reportedly arranged a transfer of approximately $400,000 directly from a personal bank account to a fuel supplier to secure enough fuel for the voyage.
The ship's arrest underscores the vulnerability of such long-term cruise projects to sudden financial crises and operational disruptions.
What's confirmed
- The luxury cruise ship Odyssey, marketed as a 'never-ending' voyage, has been seized in Singapore following an abrupt halt to its operations in Cambodia.
- According to court records, Singapore-based law firm Helmsman LLC initiated the 'arrest' of the ship, which was detained under a court order.
- The Odyssey departed Cambodia on November 4 without passengers and with approximately 50 crew members on board, leaving around 100 passengers stranded in the country.
- The ship's fuel costs had increased from approximately $1,800 to as much as $8,000 per guest cabin in certain parts of Asia, leading to the suspension.
- In a statement, the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority confirmed that the vessel had been detained following a court order, and there were no passengers on board.
- The Odyssey had launched in October 2024 with the promise of a multi-year, continuously sailing world cruise, offering passengers the opportunity to purchase or rent residential accommodation while traveling internationally.
- Passengers were given only hours to pack their belongings and leave the ship, according to multiple firsthand accounts published by international news outlets.
- One passenger, Joel Greiff, who paid $350,000 for a cabin, found accommodation in Kampot, Cambodia, for approximately $200 a month.
- The ship's arrest is a standard maritime procedure that prevents the vessel from leaving port until the dispute is resolved or a court-ordered sale takes place.
- The Odyssey will soon be moved from Cambodia to Singapore, where it could eventually be auctioned off, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
- The move effectively detains the ship while creditors pursue legal action, bringing the ambitious residential cruise project to a standstill at one of Asia’s busiest ports.
What's still developing
- He said around 100 passengers were still in Cambodia at the time, while the others had travelled to different destinations in the region, as per an AsiaOne report.
- In one widely cited case, a passenger reportedly arranged a transfer of approximately 400,000 US dollars directly from a personal bank account to a fuel supplier while the ship was in Singapore earlier in the year, in order to secure enough fuel for the voyage to continue.
- Coverage from regional newspapers and broadcasters notes that the ship is being held at a Singapore terminal that routinely handles large cruise and passenger vessels.
- In the days that followed, media reports from Cambodia showed the Odyssey remaining at berth without its residents, while former passengers scrambled to secure flights, short term accommodation, and storage for possessions they could not immediately move.
- He told CBS News he had come to terms with the possibility that he might never recover the money invested in the cruise.
- A ship arrest is a legal process allowing a vessel to be detained following a financial or other legal claim, potentially leaving it subject to further proceedings or a judicial sale.
- The company had attempted to reduce costs by slowing the ship and spending longer periods in port but said these measures were insufficient to offset the increase.
- Internal communications reviewed by CBS News showed the ship was in financial distress for at least three months prior to Cambodia.
- Since being kicked off the ship, he has found a place to live in Kompat, Cambodia.