The residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey has been placed under arrest in Singapore, days after it left more than 200 long-term residents stranded in Cambodia when its operator suspended operations.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority confirmed on Tuesday 10 November that the vessel, which arrived in Singapore this week, is being held under a court order. "The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order," the authority said in a statement. It added that the crew on board were reported to be well, that arrangements for their welfare were being managed by the vessel's creditors, and that there were no passengers on board.

From Cambodia to Singapore

The Odyssey had been marketed as a "cruise for life", offering passengers the chance to buy or lease cabins as a permanent home while the ship circumnavigated the globe over three and a half years. The voyage began in Belfast in October 2024, but unravelled in late October 2026 when Florida-based operator Villa Vie Residences announced it was suspending operations.

The company said soaring fuel costs, which it linked to the war in Iran, had made the voyage too expensive to continue. On 27 October, residents were told to disembark at Sihanoukville in Cambodia, leaving their floating homes behind with only hours to pack. The ship then sailed for Singapore without passengers on 4 November.

Court records show the vessel was formally arrested on Sunday 8 November at 10:34am local time. In maritime law, an arrest is a court order that holds a ship in port as security while a legal claim is settled. The records name Singapore law firm Helmsman LLC as the firm that requested the arrest, acting for a creditor. CBS News reported that the ship's owner owes one local supplier around $500,000 for unpaid fuel.

Creditors now in control

Mikael Petterson, the founder and executive chairman of Villa Vie Residences, told CBS News that the ship was now being operated by its creditors. The Maritime and Port Authority did not elaborate on the reason for the arrest.

Some residents had paid between about $300,000 and more than $400,000 for long-term use of their cabins, according to published reports, and many had sold homes ashore to move aboard. No public statement has yet set out what will happen to their money, or whether the voyage could ever resume. Reports have suggested the vessel could be put up for auction if creditors cannot otherwise be repaid, although no such decision has been publicly recorded.

The Odyssey is one of only a handful of ships offering long-term or permanent residence at sea, and its collapse has raised questions about the financial safeguards behind the residential cruise model. For now, the ship remains at anchor in Singapore waters, crewed but not sailing, while the courts decide its future.