An update to the Odyssey story: passengers themselves are now describing the abrupt end of the voyage in detail.

According to NPR, residents were given just seven hours' notice on Tuesday to disembark, and several told the outlet they received no support from Villa Vie Residences and had to arrange their own lodging in Sihanoukville — a contradiction with the company's statement that it was coordinating disembarkation and temporary living arrangements.

NPR reports the ship carries 203 passengers, mostly Americans, plus 156 crew members, and sits docked in Cambodia with no confirmed departure date.

The Traveler reports some residents had sold homes or businesses to buy cabins and now describe themselves as effectively homeless while awaiting clarity on refunds or compensation.

Fuel costs are the company's stated reason, but passengers point to deeper trouble.

NPR reports that retired Wyoming couple Paul and Lynn Montoya said the company repeatedly asked residents for extra money every two to four weeks, including a fresh call to raise funds for fuel to leave Cambodia, and that crew members went unpaid.

'We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything,' Lynn Montoya told NPR, adding that the venture 'kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement.'

Paul Montoya also cited itinerary changes, unreliable internet and declining food quality driving residents off the ship in recent months. Villa Vie Residences could not immediately be reached for comment, NPR reports.

The Traveler places the Odyssey's suspension in a pattern of failed residential cruise ventures, comparing it to the 2023 collapse of Life at Sea Cruises, a three-year world cruise canceled shortly before departure when its operator acknowledged it lacked a suitable ship.

The Traveler argues long-duration residential cruises carry inherently higher risk because a single ship is committed to complex multi-year itineraries, and calls for closer scrutiny of multi-year cruise offerings and clearer disclosure of financial risks to consumers.

Despite the turmoil, the stakes for residents remain deeply personal. NPR spoke with California sisters Carol Larson, 69, and Crystal Lavering, 72, who spent 18 months aboard in separate cabins.

Larson, who paid $120,000 for her cabin in installments under a plan promising up to 15 years aboard, told NPR she hopes a movement for residents to buy the ship succeeds, because living on the vessel is 'a dream' she does not want to end.

Lavering said her health improved so much she no longer needs a cane.

Larson told NPR she blames poor management as well as fuel costs spiked by the Iran war, but does not regret her investment: she always considered it a startup risk and still feels blessed to have been part of the residential cruising experiment.

Villa Vie Residences says it can no longer carry operating losses, that passing the full increase to residents 'is not a realistic solution,' and that its focus is supporting residents, crew and employees while it seeks restructuring, NPR and Fox News both report.

Monthly fuel costs per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia, the company says, with traffic curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began.

Preah Sihanouk province deputy governor Long Dimanche told NPR the ship was expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday, though the operator has not confirmed any date.

The Traveler advises prospective residents of long-term cruises to demand due diligence, escrow or insurance protections, and contingency plans for life on land.