# The Cruise That Never Ends

> A residential cruise ship sails indefinitely, but financial chaos and crew disputes force its eventual abandonment.
- Title: The Cruise That Never Ends · The New Yorker | Shortify
- Summary: A residential cruise ship sails indefinitely, but financial chaos and crew disputes force its eventual abandonment.
- Keywords: odyssey, villa vie residences, cruise ship, residential cruise, financial collapse, permanent residency, cabin purchase, monthly fees, fuel costs, singapore, cambodia, sihanoukville
- Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/news/annals-of-the-sea/a-cruise-to-end-all-cruises
- Author: Shayla Love
- Published: 2026-11-06T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: odyssey, villa vie residences, cruise ship, residential cruise, financial collapse, permanent residency, cabin purchase, monthly fees, fuel costs, singapore, cambodia, sihanoukville
## The Odyssey Begins
In July 2024, Starr Davis, a retiree from Florida, joined the Odyssey, a residential cruise ship that started in 2024 and was never supposed to end.
## An Anonymous Warning
An anonymous source warned that positive coverage of Villa Vie Residences might 'jeopardize the finances of your readers' by creating a false impression of security.
## The Facebook Group
Residents used a Facebook group with nicknames like 'the pirate' and 'the mermaid', and shared A.I.-generated images of the ship as a floating dictatorship.
## Singapore Crisis
In Singapore, Villalba asked passengers for over a million dollars to buy fuel, causing residents to boo her and shut down the ship’s internet.
## Toni Trombecky's Story
Toni Trombecky, a former federal employee, paid $150,000 for a fifteen-year cabin contract and boarded the ship in Australia in January 2026.
## Financial Strain
Residents faced rising fuel costs, with Villalba adding a $1,500 fuel surcharge that sparked tensions between those who paid and those who did not.
## The NDA and Censorship
Residents signed nondisclosure agreements, and Villalba started flagging negative discussions on Facebook as hate speech, creating a climate of secrecy.
## The Fuel Shortfall
In Singapore, Villalba asked for over a million dollars to buy fuel, but the ship had no money left for fuel, provisions, or crew salaries.
## The Disembarkation
On October 26, 2024, the Odyssey’s residents were forced to leave the ship at an industrial port in Cambodia by 2:00 p.m.
## The Aftermath
Residents who had paid for cabins faced financial ruin, with some losing thousands of dollars and others unable to return home.
## The Final Days
By early November, some crew members were still on board without payment, and the ship was under the control of a lender.
## The Last Passenger
Dana Teton, a seventy-one-year-old passenger, lost $11,000 but felt grateful he had not lost more.
## The Future
The Odyssey’s residents will continue traveling in East Asia by land or return home if they have a place to go.
## The Ship's Fate
The Odyssey was moved to Singapore, where it might be sold, but Villa Vie Residences had no plans to regain control.
## The Financial Collapse
The ship’s monthly operating costs exceeded its revenues by more than two million dollars, leading to its eventual abandonment.
## Key takeaway

The Odyssey, a cruise ship designed for permanent residency, faced financial collapse after residents paid millions for cabins but could not cover monthly costs.