Residential cruise ship leaves passengers 'homeless' after Florida-based company suspends trip

TAMPA, Fla. - Passengers are speaking out after a residential cruise came to a halt on Oct. 27 after the Florida-based cruise operator blamed extraordinary fuel costs. 

The Montoya’s Story

The backstory:

Paul and Lynn Montoya moved into their cabin on the MV Odyssey in April 2025. The retired Wyoming couple sold their house, cars, and nearly everything they owned before remodeling their cruise ship cabin to make it like home. 

"Even though you have a small cabin, the rest of the ship is your living room, your dining room, your social area, swimming pool, deck," Lynn told FOX 13. "So it was like a really big house."

For 18 months, the dream lived up to the hype: The couple said they’ve visited 50 countries, citing Japan as one of their favorite stops. 

"The neat thing about residential cruising is that it’s slow travel to see the world," Paul Montoya said. "So when we get on, we actually unpack our bags and that's our cabin for then on. We don't have to pack up a suitcase again. That's our home now, and our home is now traveling around the world."

He said other advantages of residential cruising include not having to deal with jet lag, more time at the ports, and the community aspect with fellow passengers. 

"We really got to know people. We would do theater performances together, we’d do concerts. We created our own entertainment," Paul told FOX 13. "We had speakers' corners where people with a lot knowledge — we had some very smart people on board — would give lectures and things like that. So it was amazing."

"It just was like a dream come true," Lynn added. "I just felt like I was transported into another world."

What happened?

What they're saying:

The couple said they planned to live on the ship — which is operated by Villa Vie Residences — for at least four years to complete a full trip around the globe.

"But at that point, at the end of four years, we were going to decide, do we want to continue staying? We could stay up until 15 years. Did we want to make it like a second home?" Lynn said. 

But in April, they say the financial red flags started appearing.

According to the Montoyas, the Florida-based cruise operator asked the residents for a loan to cover fuel.

"It seemed like every two, three, four weeks, depending on where we were at port, they were asking us for another million and a half," Lynn said.

On Oct. 27 around 8 a.m., the Montoyas said the captain announced that all passengers had to be off the ship by 2 p.m. 

"’How much can we travel with on land?’" Lynn said. "And so we tried to take essentials and left everything else."

"We had a little scratch-off map that one of our daughters gave us on the back door of our cabin," Paul said of the map, where they marked off countries they’d visited. "And we left that behind."

According to the Montoyas, the company shuttled the displaced passengers to a town square in Cambodia and provided no financial assistance or help with hotels or transportation. 

"I still have some anger with it. I really do. Just because of the lack of communication, but the lack of compassion," Lynn said.

Next steps after departure

What's next:

The couple has since made their way to Malaysia and plans to travel to Australia to stay with friends while they evaluate next steps. 

"We sold everything. We sold our house, our cars, everything," Lynn said. "We have family back in the States, but really, I mean, we're kind of homeless."

Villa Vie Residences

The other side:

In a statement posted to its website on Oct. 27, Villa Vie Residences wrote: 

"Extraordinary increases in fuel costs have placed our current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure. We are working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and temporary living arrangements, and are supporting residents, crew, and employees as we evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives over the next 60 days." 

Over the weekend, Mikael Petterson, the founder and executive chairman of Villa Vie Residences, told FOX Business Insider: 

"I feel awful. They’re counting on me to make the decisions here, and there’s nothing else I’m focused on. I’m the villain in the story, but I’m doing everything I can to support the residents [with] a solution."

An online statement by Villa Vie Residences goes on to say: 

"Fuel costs have risen sharply in the regions where the company has been operating. On an equivalent per-cabin basis, monthly fuel expense that historically averaged approximately $1,800 has recently reached 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. The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. Villa Vie Residences recognizes that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop."

FOX 13 reached out to Villa Vie Residences, which is based in Pembroke Pines, for comment and will let you know when we hear back. 

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