The Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise promising to sail the world indefinitely, came to an abrupt end last week when residents were told to disembark in Cambodia.

Cabin prices on the ship had ranged from $119,999 (£90,000) to $349,999 (£263,000), with rent-to-buy and three-year rental options also on offer, and some residents had sold their homes and possessions to join what was billed as a 3.5-year circumnavigation calling at more than 400 ports.

According to The Traveler, around 200 to 250 residents were aboard when operations were paused at Sihanoukville, and the company cited fuel costs per occupied cabin rising from a historical average of under $2,000 a month to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia.

LADbible reports that US couple Paul and Lynn Montoya, who spoke to the outlet, said the shock of being ordered off was not a surprise because the company had been 'in trouble for some time.'

Paul cited changed itineraries, the loss of internet over non-payment to Starlink, and food levels that 'went down dramatically over the last few months.'

Lynn told the Daily Mail the couple started losing services as the company's debt became apparent, with internet interruptions that left residents unable to check bank accounts or pay bills, and TV service later cut as well — even as the company asked again for money for fuel.

Other former residents describe a more unraveling picture. Business Insider's own comparison found the Odyssey visited 54 nations but called at only 198 ports, 28 percent fewer than planned, and resident Angela Nuran Gokturk said they revisited 'the same ports countless times.'

Fellow resident Starr Davis told Business Insider she left weeks earlier after becoming 'so sick of all the cash calls,' calling the ship 'a pressure cooker.'

The Traveler reports that residents were given only hours to pack and were left to find hotels and onward flights themselves, with the company promising to cover limited hotel stays and port transfers but not international flights or long-term housing.

The company has entered a 60-day period to explore recapitalization, with a major creditor reportedly taking control of the Odyssey while options including a sale or charter are assessed.

Villa Vie's executive chairman Mikael Petterson told Business Insider the company 'had no choice' but to cut itineraries and services due to rising fuel prices, saying it tried to cut back 'where the residents would feel it the least.'

There is no published timetable for any restart, and whether residential contracts would be honored if the ship sails again remains unclear.