A former Montana car dealer who sailed aboard the ill-fated “never-ending cruise” now hopes to buy the ship herself, insisting: “I’m not ready to be done.”
Whitney Olson, 47, is among roughly 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia after their multiyear voyage on the Villa Vie Odyssey abruptly ended last week as fuel prices soared.
While many passengers may be eager to leave the ordeal behind, Olson is already considering a way to revive the journey. She hopes to purchase the vessel and bring its around-the-world cruise back to life.
The ship was promoted as a “home at sea,” offering an open-ended voyage with more than 400 ports around the world. It is now bound for Singapore, where it is expected to be auctioned.
“It was so special. I’m not ready to be done,” Olson told The New York Times. “I’m still going to watch to see what happens with the Odyssey at auction, and see if there is a way to pick it up for cheap.”
Her interest in buying the vessel comes after the dream cruise descended into turmoil, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in Southeast Asia and exposing months of worsening financial problems.
Former residents have described executives “begging” them for money as their vision of life at sea turned into an increasingly desperate effort to keep the ship operating.
Just over a year after the Odyssey left Northern Ireland in October 2024, passengers said company leaders warned them they could run out of money within two weeks, according to the Times.
Whitney Olson, 47, a retired Montana car dealer who sailed on the “never-ending cruise” (pictured), now wants to buy the ship herself. She told the NYT: “I’m not ready to be done.”
Olson is among 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia after their multiyear voyage aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey came to an abrupt end last week amid soaring fuel prices (pictured: residents enter a Cambodian hotel)
The ship (pictured) was marketed as a “home at sea” with an endless voyage and more than 400 port stops worldwide. It is now headed to Singapore, where it is expected to be auctioned.
By April, Villa Vie’s financial crisis had become so severe that executive chairman Mikael Petterson asked the same passengers who had paid to travel around the world to lend the company $3 million.
The money was described as a loan to cover fuel expenses, with Petterson offering annual interest rates ranging from 12 to 24 percent.
Even as the voyage appeared close to collapse, many passengers remained deeply committed to the life they had created aboard the Odyssey, believing no land-based alternative could offer the same experience.
For Olson, that commitment came at an extraordinary cost.
The solo traveler was more than a regular passenger. She was one of the ship’s original “founders,” investing additional money in return for an equity stake in the company, The Times reported.
She has spent more than $1.5 million in total on two cabins, her ownership stake and additional contributions intended to keep the ship afloat.
Her belief in the project remained strong even as its finances deteriorated. In April, she considered lending Petterson another $2 million to help restart the operation.
However, Olson said she wanted a complete financial audit and guarantees that her investment would be protected in the event of bankruptcy. Petterson declined to provide those details, according to the outlet.
Just over a year after leaving Northern Ireland in October 2024, passengers said company leaders warned them they were only two weeks away from running out of money.
In April, Villa Vie’s financial crisis had become so serious that executive chairman Mikael Petterson (pictured) asked the passengers who had paid to sail around the world for $3 million.
“He was more interested in taking the money from the residents at these exorbitant interest rates than giving me what any investor would ask for,” she said.
Determined not to lose the ship without trying to save it, Olson began developing a plan to place the vessel back under passenger control.
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She teamed up with two fellow travelers to establish an investment company that would pool residents’ money, clear the ship’s debts and set it on a new course.
The proposal drew inspiration from The World, the only successful residential cruise ship currently operating. Its business model offered an alternative to the approach many Villa Vie passengers had criticized.
Residents had questioned whether Villa Vie had underpriced its offering, saying the monthly fees set in 2023 did not adequately reflect the effects of inflation.
Passengers could make the Odyssey their home in several ways. Lifetime suite ownership cost between $120,000 and $440,000, in addition to monthly fees ranging from $3,500 to $11,000. Five-year ownership plans began at roughly $50,000.
Those who did not want a multiyear commitment could instead choose flexible, short-term stays aboard the ship.
But as passengers were repeatedly asked to contribute more money, concerns grew over whether the company could remain financially viable.
Olson told the NYT: “It was so special. I’m not ready to be done. I’m still going to watch to see what happens with the Odyssey at auction, and see if there is a way to pick it up for cheap.”
Many passengers remained attached to the life they had built aboard the Odyssey, convinced that no land-based alternative could match it.
Canadian passenger Mary Ann Demsar (pictured), 67, previously told Our News Outlet: “Unfortunately, it was not expensive enough. It did seem too good to be true that it could cover its costs, and we kind of felt that way.”
“This whole concept is a fabulous idea, there’s no two ways about it,” Canadian passenger Mary Ann Demsar, 67, previously told Our News Outlet.
“Unfortunately, it was not expensive enough,” she added. “It did seem too good to be true that it could cover its costs, and we kind of felt that way.”
Olson’s company proposed a different financial model, with fees adjusted in real time to reflect fuel prices, port charges and crew wages. According to the Times, the approach was intended to eliminate the need for outside loans.
The plan stalled after investors discovered millions of dollars in unexpected debt and failed to reach an agreement with the company’s main lender, NRP Maritime Asset Management AS.
They warned that residents could end up inheriting a significant financial and legal burden. Debt repayments and legal expenses alone were projected to reach $3 million during the first two months.
Petterson has attributed Villa Vie’s financial problems to surging fuel costs amid Trump’s war with Iran. He has said that before the conflict began in February, sales were strong enough to put the company on course for profitability in early 2026.
Residents, including Harvard-educated lawyer Benjamin Schatz, challenged that explanation. They said many passengers had little understanding of the extent of the company’s financial troubles, particularly those who joined as founders.
“Founders knew surprisingly little about the state of the finances,” he told the Times.
Investors warned that rescuing the vessel could carry a steep price, potentially leaving residents responsible for $3 million in debt repayments and legal bills within two months.
Residents remain in limbo, with some planning to travel across Asia and others staying in Cambodia (pictured) while they wait to learn whether the ship has a future.
“Few, if any, understood that all the money from cabin sales was spent immediately to keep the ship afloat,” he added. Petterson, however, maintains that founders received financial updates every few months.
The uncertainty has left residents waiting for answers. Some are making plans to travel across Asia, while others have chosen to remain in Cambodia as they await news about the Odyssey’s future.
Olson’s short-term plan was to cross into Vietnam, place her belongings in storage and then join her family in India for a trip that had already been arranged to visit the Taj Mahal and see Bengal tigers.
Despite the unexpected detour, Olson says she has no plans to abandon life aboard the Odyssey.
