'Cruise for life' ship seized in Singapore
It comes weeks after the cruise came to a sudden end, leaving 200 guests stranded in Cambodia.
The Odyssey, a cruise ship owned by Villa Vie Residences, was arrested in Singapore on Monday after its US-based operator went bankrupt. The ship, which was meant to take passengers on a continuous voyage around the world, was found anchored in Singapore port waters. Around 200 guests were forced to disembark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, where they were given only seven hours to pack and leave the 200-metre (656-feet) vessel.
The cruise had been scheduled to circumnavigate the globe, but the operator cited "extraordinary increases" in fuel costs due to the US-Israel war with Iran as the reason for suspending operations two years after the ship set sail. Villa Vie Residences claimed that fuel expenses had skyrocketed from an average of US$1,800 to between US$6,000 and US$8,000 per cabin in parts of Asia.
The ship's crew and passengers were reportedly well, and their welfare was being managed by the creditors. The arrest of the vessel was confirmed by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, who stated that the ship was placed under arrest pursuant to a court order.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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