Couple who sold all their possessions to live on ‘endless’ cruise say they have 'no regrets' after being ordered to leave
A US couple who sold all their possessions to go on an ‘endless’ cruise around the world only to be left stranded in Cambodia 17-months later say they have no regrets.
Paul and Lynn Montoya, formerly of Wyoming, decided to sell their home and belongings and embark on an adventure aboard the Villa Vie cruise ship Odyssey.
The couple, who shared their journey on their Lynn and Paul's Excellent Adventure YouTube channel, parted with $179,000 for their own cabin onboard Odyssey with the promise that they’d be setting off on a trip around the world, stopping at more than 400 ports.
However, 17-months into their voyage, which was set to take around three-and-a-half years to circumnavigate the globe, it was brought to a grinding halt and all residents were told to disembark in Cambodia with the company saying it had been forced to suspend its operations due to rising fuel costs.
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In a statement, Villa Vie Residences said it had ‘suspended operations in Cambodia as the company works to address extraordinary increases in fuel costs and evaluate restructuring and recapitalisation alternatives’.
In a press release the company said its fuel costs had risen from an historical average of $1,800 (£1,350) per cabin to an estimated $6,000 (£4,500) to $8,000 (£6,000).
Speaking to LADbible, Lynn and Paul said they were officially told at around 8am on Tuesday that all residents had to disembark by 2pm, giving them just hours to pack up their belongings and make arrangements to stay in Cambodia.
Lynn said that her fellow passengers were experiencing ‘every emotion’ after the announcement.
“Disbelief, crying, sadness, and and then that immediate rush that you're losing your home and you have to pack everything up or or take whatever you can with you,” she shared.
“We left a lot of our stuff behind in the cabin. We took two large suitcases and two smaller suitcases and a backpack, but that was really just our essentials, probably for a two-week period.”
As yet, the couple say they have not been told when, or if, they will be allowed back onto the cruise to get the rest of their belongings.
The couple said there had been warning signs
In the weeks leading up to the cruise being suspended, Paul and Lynn said there had been several warning signs.
“It shocked us, but it didn't catch us by surprise,” Paul said, adding that he believed the company had been in ‘trouble for some time’.
“They've changed itineraries, we've lost our internet because of non-payment to Starlink, food levels went down dramatically over the last few months,” he said.
The couple said that the company asked residents for money ‘a number of times’ to continue the journey and that they voluntarily contributed as well as paying around $6,000 a month for their maintenance.
Now, Paul says they have accepted they may never see that money again.
“I'm sure it's been lost,” he shared.
Despite the abrupt end to their adventure the couple both say they have no regrets and even if they knew how it would end they’d still have signed-up.
Paul said: “You know, I don't think you go into it saying that it's going to fail. But if it was an 18-month trip, it would have been marvellous too. We got to see a lot of wonderful places.”
Lynn added: “I think that this experience has been great, even if this is the final straw and it’s done.
“We’ve had the chance to meet incredible people around the world and see incredible places that we never thought we would ever see.
“Yeah, it’s sad [and] it’s a shame that we've invested this money, but what we've gotten out of it has been incredible.”
They're hopeful that they can get back onto the cruise
As for what happens next, the couple say they are planning to travel - by plane - to Kuala Lumpur at the weekend and stay there for eight or nine days.
And they remain hopeful that the cruise could still be rescued.
“We're hoping that there can be some reorganisation and maybe a new company will take over. Even possibly a resident-owned company,” Paul said.
A spokesperson for Villa Vie Residences said in a statement shared on 27 October: “Since the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port.
“Those measures have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and we have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses. Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution.
“Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees while we work toward restructuring and recapitalisation over the next 60 days. That work is ongoing, and no outcome is assured.”
The statement added: “Villa Vie Residences continues to evaluate potential paths forward, but no financing or transaction has been finalised.”
LADbible has reached out to Villa Vie Residences for comment.
Topics: US News, World News, Cruise Ship
Claire Reid