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Inside the 'never-ending cruise' that dumped its passengers in Cambodia: 'It got worse and worse. Crew begged us for money. We gave them $450k after they pressured us'

Inside the 'never-ending cruise' that dumped its passengers in Cambodia: 'It got worse and worse. Crew begged us for money. We gave them $450k after they pressured us'

A pensioner who was dumped in Cambodia while aboard the 'never-ending cruise' has revealed the turmoil passengers went through. 

Around 200 passengers were given just seven hours to pack their bags and leave a scheduled stop in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, this week after operator Villa Vie Residences announced it had 'suspended operations'. 

The 200m (656ft) Odyssey left Northern Ireland in October 2024 for a continuous voyage. Residents could rent rooms for a holiday or buy for life at a cost of up to $440,000 (£330,000), with some passengers selling everything they had to pay for it.

This was the reality of Paul Montoya, 68, and his 64-year-old wife Lynn.

The retired couple from Wyoming, US, described 'investing in a dream' when they chose to dedicate at least four years of their lives to travel the world – and signed on the dotted line in 2023. 

But their vision of an intrepid retirement rapidly deteriorated when conditions began to worsen aboard the ship – and calls for money from the company to cover rising fuel costs began. 

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Mrs Montoya shared how the couple has shelled out a staggering $450,000 (£337,840) in total, with more than half of that coming in unexpected costs on top of the $179,000 (£134,366) they originally paid for their cabin. 

The grandmother said calls for money started in April as Villa Vie cited surging oil prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East – and said the journey could not continue with their current budget. 

Paul Montoya and his wife Lynn described 'investing in a dream' when they chose to dedicate at least four years of their lives to travel the world on cruise ship the Odyssey

A drone view of the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship docking at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, Cambodia

Mr and Mrs Montoya in the room of a hotel they are staying at in Cambodia after being told to disembark the Villa Vie cruise ship

The company asked 22 residents for a collective loan of $2.2million (£1.6million), Mrs Montoya said, which the company said would be paid back monthly with interest by April 2027. 

'We have not received any payments,' she said. 'On July 31, they told us we would get a payment in the next three days. But two days after we were told there was no money.' 

Despite already handing over millions of dollars, the company called on the residents  – and their retirement savings – again a few months later. 

'Residents started donating to keep us on our journey,' Mrs Montoya said. 'In September, the company asked for $1.5million and then $360,000 this past week while we've been stranded in Cambodia.' 

The couple believe the requests for money were strategic and came when the ship was docked at different ports, leaving the residents to feel vulnerable and 'coerced' into giving up their money. 

'We felt manipulated and when that happened time after time, it began to wear us down and frustrate us,' Mrs Montoya, who sold the couple's house to fund the trip, said. 

'We'd arrive at the port and six hours before we were meant to leave they would say, "Oh, we can't leave. We haven't got the money". 

'Everybody then felt pressured to come up with these funds. We joked that we felt we were being held captive.'

The couple, who have been married for 39 years, shelled out a staggering $450,000 (£337,840) in total

The couple run a travel blog called Lynn and Paul's Excellent Adventure, which documents their travels

Questions naturally began to arise as conditions on the ship began to deteriorate, despite donations having been made specifically to pay for fuel.

Villa Vie said in a statement this week that per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had gone from an average of $1,800 (£1,354) to an estimated $6,000 (£4,516) to $8,000 (£6,021) 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,' it said.

'It started becoming apparent that the company is in significant debt - and we started losing a lot of our services,' Mrs Montoya described. 

She added: 'Our internet was interrupted several times so we weren't able to check our bank accounts or pay bills, or call home.

'Our TV service then went down and so more questions started being asked. But despite this the company asked us again for money for fuel.' 

Meanwhile, food quality deteriorated and crew members started disclosing with residents that their payments had been stalled.

This prompted residents to again shell out, although this time voluntarily, to financially support crew members 'whose pay began being affected in August'. 

Former permanent residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship return to the vessel to collect their belongings after being forced to disembark in South East Asian country

Passengers pictured disembarking the Odyssey after it was docked at Sihanoukville port in Preah Sihanouk province in Cambodia

'We were able to give 128 crew members at least $100 (£75) each,' Mrs Montoya said.

The turmoil came to a head this week when the hundreds of travellers were given just hours to pack their bags and disembark.

According to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province in Cambodia, 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, where they were left behind by the cruise.

This came after the company asked for more money and received a further $360,000 (£270,049), the grandmother said – BUT the majority of residents declined to donate.

'Most people said no, we will not give you anymore money,' Mrs Montoya said. 'We're not going to do it.

'I honestly believe that they believed people would give up their money again and they would just continue this.' 

Permanent residencies on the cruise cost between $120,000 (£90,000) and $440,000 (£330,000), with cabins costing £3,500 per month to rent. 

The request for money was followed by an official notice at 8am on Tuesday telling the travellers to disembark, which they must do by 2pm.

Villa Vie asked 22 residents for a collective loan of $2.2million (£1.6million), Mrs Montoya said

'We were unsure whether we needed to take everything or just an overnight bag. We were told our cabins would be double locked so we packed enough supplies for 14 days,' Mrs Montoya said. 

'But some people walked off the ship with 12 pieces of luggage.'

The around 200 stranded residents were then shuttled off in groups and dumped in the centre of town.

Villa Vie said it was 'working with residents to co-ordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements'.

'Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop,' the firm said.

However, Mrs Montoya claimed the residents received no help whatsoever.

'Some residents were in their late 70s and 80s and were just forced to grab a Tuk Tuk and find a hotel,' she said.

'Many of them had also dedicated the majority of their savings to the trip. This included the Endless Horizons package which cost up to half a million dollars upfront – and came with the promise they would never pay another penny as long as they were living on the ship.'

The couple – who run a travel blog called Lynn and Paul's Excellent Adventure – were able to find a hotel alongside 40 other travellers, who are described as a 'community'. 

They claim, however, to not have received any communication from the company since walking off the ship.

'We've been waiting for emails or a WhatsApp post. We've been looking for anything from a text, an email, something, and we have heard nothing from the corporate office,' Mrs Montoya said.

Despite the setback, the couple plan to continue their travels and board a pre-booked flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday.

The Bahamas-flagged ship had arrived from Thailand and was due to go on to Vietnam. It was set to sail for 15 years.  

Mrs Montoya described remaining 'hopeful' about continuing their journey on the Odyssey, but under a different owner. 

This comes as Villa Vie seeks an investor, while owner Mikael Petterson told Business Insider he is doing his best to help the stranded passengers. 

He described on Wednesday feeling 'awful', adding the residents are 'counting on me to make the decisions here and there's nothing else I'm focused on'. 

The ship, built in 1993, contains several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court, according to its website. It has sailed for several different cruise lines, including Cunard (as Crown Dynasty) and, most recently, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines as Braemar.

Villa Vie has been contacted for comment. 

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Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

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