I planned to spend decades on Villa Vie's 'never-ending' cruise. I moved in just 26 days before it ground to a halt.

I planned to spend decades on Villa Vie's 'never-ending' cruise. I moved in just 26 days before it ground to a halt. Joel Greiff moved onto Villa Vie's Odyssey in October 2026. Courtesy of Joel Greiff This as-told-to essay is based on several conversations with Joel Greiff, 57, a Villa Vie Odyssey passenger from Florida. It has been edited for length and clarity. Villa Vie Residences and its founders, Mikael Petterson and Kathy Villalba, did not immediately respond to a request from Business Insider.I planned to live on the Odyssey for 10, 20, or even more years. I don't think that will be happening now.Still, unlike others, I am celebrating the time I was able to enjoy on the Odyssey, which was 26 days before Villa Vie suspended operations on Tuesday and we had to disembark in Cambodia. I thought I had found my new homeIn April 2024, I read an article about the Odyssey. I called a sales agent at the company and asked a bunch of questions.The following May, I stayed on the Odyssey for four days. Within five minutes of boarding, I concluded that this was my new home, these were my new neighbors, and this would be my future.What drew me in was that it would be a place where I could come, live, and be part of a community. I was following residents on Facebook and reached out to a couple of them individually. I asked whether they were happy with their decisions, and they said yes.In August this year, I left my home in Florida. I spent a couple of months driving around the US, visiting friends and family, and saying my goodbyes. Then, in September, I flew to Bangkok and moved onto the ship on October 1. Joel Greiff introduced himself as 'Fantastic Joel' to the residents of the Odyssey. Courtesy of Joel Greiff I introduced 'Fantastic Joel' — that's what I go by — to many people on a ship. Most enjoyed meeting me. I'm sure a few didn't. There was always something going on, and people were really nice to each other. There were arts-and-crafts, plays, karaoke, and Seder dinners for Jewish residents.I tried to put myself out there, meet a lot of different people, and say hi. There was always a good community having a good time. I absolutely fell in love with the crew. They deserve all the accolades and respect. It was clear that things had changedCompared with my visit in May 2025, it was clear to me that services and amenities had deteriorated by the time I moved aboard in October. Laundry was being done less frequently. Before going to Angkor Wat, I had to do my own laundry. The itinerary kept changing, and we sometimes sat at sea for days. Personally, I was fine with it.Circle, Villa Vie's communication platform, was how the CEO and residents communicated. It's also how we got internal notices about the itinerary changes, visa applications, and other ship business. Read more of our reporting on Villa Vie's Odyssey On Sunday, we were told on Circle that if the company didn't receive money by Tuesday, the ship would not continue sailing. On Monday, we were told again that without money, the voyage would stop.On Tuesday morning, I was at the bus station, coming back from a trip to Angkor Wat, charging my phone and waiting to get the shuttle back to the ship. The message came through on Circle telling us to disembark. It was about 7 a.m., and we had to be out by 2 p.m.Before I arrived in Asia, I had fit everything I owned into four checked suitcases and two carry-on bags. I was able to repack within an hour. For people who had lived on the Odyssey for two years and had a home's worth of belongings, it was much harder.I went somewhere quiet, then returned to helpAfter we disembarked, I went to Kampot, a small town in Cambodia, because I wanted to be somewhere peaceful. People had said it was relaxing.Sihanoukville, where the ship was, felt like the opposite: a big, noisy place full of casinos and high-rises. I saw staff still working and residents who were discombobulated. I thought, 'I've got to get out of this craziness.' Joel Greiff is considering spending time in Thailand. Courtesy of Joel Greiff For now, I've rented an affordable two-bedroom apartment for a month, about three hours away from Sihanoukville, where the ship is. I've been going back to the ship to help my fellow residents with their luggage, finding places to stay, and getting their belongings off the ship.The residents are all coming together and helping each other out. Somebody says, "Do you have a suitcase?" and somebody says, "Yes, I have one spare."I may never get my money backI paid a lot for a 26-day stay on the Odyssey. Most likely I will never see it again. To me, if I lose the money, I don't need it. I don't care.After all, the most important things in life are great friends and family, traveling the world, creating adventures, learning new things and, most importantly, helping others.If the ship somehow finds a way to become a viable business, I would get back on it. If not, I'll explore living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. That was already my Plan B when I left Florida.Have you spent any time on the Villa Vie Odyssey as a cabin owner, renter, or staff member? If you have a story to share, get in touch with this reporter: jzitser@businessinsider.com. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Alexandra is a lifestyle and culture editor at Business Insider, based in Singapore, where she covers how people live, work, and raise families abroad.Her projects explore global mobility and identity, from foreign workers navigating life in the US to adults taking gap years to rethink their careers and first-generation Americans seeking opportunity abroad. She’s particularly interested in the trade-offs behind big life decisions, and how they shape work, money, and family life over time.Before joining Business Insider in 2023, Alexandra was the editorial director at a travel media company, where she led magazines and digital platforms for international airlines. She was previously editor in chief of Time Out Singapore.After growing up in New York, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and London, she has been happily settled in Singapore for 17 years.Got a story about living, working, parenting, or building a life abroad in APAC? Reach out below or on Instagram. Joshua Nelken-Zitser is an award-winning correspondent at Business Insider’s London bureau covering the affordability of modern life.Through features, investigations, on-the-ground reporting, and As Told To essays, he explores the changing cost of major life milestones, what people choose to spend on when they can’t afford everything they want, and how they adapt as traditional markers of success become less attainable.Joshua previously spent five years on the news desk, reporting from the US, across Europe, and the Middle East. In 2025, he moved to the business desk to cover wealth, spending, and consumer culture.In 2024, he received the Axel Springer Award for Change — Journalistic Piece of the Year and was highly commended at the British Journalism Awards for an investigation into state-subsidized gender-transition surgeries in Iran.His debut book (TRAUMA BONDS: How Generational Trauma Shapes, Divides and Connects Us) will be published by HarperCollins in January 2027.Got a tip? Email jzitser@businessinsider.com. You can also follow him on X or Instagram. Amanda is an award-winning senior reporter at Business Insider's Singapore bureau.Her reporting explores how people navigate major life transitions, including career changes, relocation, and retirement, with a particular focus on the experiences of those living in Asia. She also writes about travel, culture, wellness, and relationships.She previously worked as a writer and video producer at a content marketing agency in Singapore. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with a BA (Hons) in Sociology. as told to Cruise Cruise Ship More Travel