Inside the 'never-ending cruise' that dumped its passengers in Cambodia: 'It got worse and worse. Crew begged us for money. We gave them $450k after they pressured us'

The retired couple from Wyoming, US, described 'investing in a dream' when they chose to dedicate at least four years of their lives to travel the world on the cruise ship the Odyssey.

The turmoil came to a head this week when the hundreds of travellers were given just hours to pack their bags and disembark.

According to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province in Cambodia, 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, where they were left behind by the cruise.

The Bahamas-flagged ship had arrived from Thailand and was due to go on to Vietnam. It was set to sail for 15 years.

Financial collapse and emergency requests

The company asked 22 residents for a collective loan of $2.2 million, which the company said would be paid back monthly with interest by April 2027.

Mrs Montoya shared how the couple has shelled out a staggering $450,000 in total, with more than half of that coming in unexpected costs on top of the $179,000 they originally paid for their cabin.

In September, the company asked for $1.5 million and then $360,000 this past week while they were stranded in Cambodia.

The couple believe the requests for money were strategic and came when the ship was docked at different ports, leaving the residents to feel vulnerable and 'coerced' into giving up their money.

Mrs Montoya, who sold the couple's house to fund the trip, said, 'We felt manipulated and when that happened time after time, it began to wear us down and frustrate us.'

Conditions on board deteriorate

Villa Vie said in a statement that per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had gone from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia.

The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure, it said.

This came after the company asked for more money and received a further $360,000, which came after the majority of residents declined to donate to.

Mrs Montoya described remaining 'hopeful' about continuing their journey on the Odyssey, but under a different owner.

Passengers stranded in Cambodia

The request for money was followed by an official notice at 8am on Tuesday telling the travellers to disembark, which they must do by 2pm.

'We were unsure whether we needed to take everything or just an overnight bag. We were told our cabins would be double locked so we packed enough supplies for 14 days,' Mrs Montoya said.

Some people walked off the ship with 12 pieces of luggage. The around 200 stranded residents were then shuttled off in groups and dumped in the centre of town, Sihanoukville.

Mrs Montoya claimed the residents received no help whatsoever. 'Some residents were in their late 70s and 80s and were just forced to grab a Tuk Tuk and find a hotel,' she said.

They claim, however, to not have received any communication from the company since walking off the ship.

The couple plan to continue their travels and board a pre-booked flight to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Company response and future plans

Villa Vie said it was 'working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements'.

Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop, the firm said.

However, Mrs Montoya said the residents received no help whatsoever.

This comes as Villa Vie seeks an investor, while owner Mikael Petterson told Business Insider he is doing his best to help the stranded passengers.

The ship, built in 1993, contains several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court, according to its website. It has sailed for several different cruise lines, including Cunard (as Crown Dynasty) and, most recently, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines as Braemar.