Villa Vie’s passengers told to book hotels and pay the bills themselves

Despite promises last week by CEO Mike Petterson that Villa Vie’s Odyssey, one of the first residential ships, would finally be at sea by now, disappointing sea trials have kept the ship at the dockside.

Now passengers, who have been stranded in Belfast for three months, are being told to pay for their own alternate accommodation, with two being ordered off for voicing concerns.

This week, Villa Vie Residences announced it would no longer cover the costs of accommodations, a significant expense that had been subsidised to the tune of $500,000 USD ($743,981 AUD) per month while passengers waited in hotels across Europe. 

CEO Mike Petterson has stated that the company has spent more than $2 million AUD on accommodations and activities to entertain and support the passengers scattered across Europe.

The company said the cost were “unsustainable” and asked passengers to book their own hotels for at least the next seven days. To offset these costs, Villa Vie has offered onboard credits of up to $200 AUD per day, but for many passengers, that’s simply not enough to bridge the gap.

Steve and Angela Theriac, who document their cruise life on the YouTube channel MidLife Cruising, posted a video explaining that they had decided to fly back to the U.S. while waiting for the ship to be cleared for departure.

“It costs a minimum of $200 USD ($297.59 AUD) a night to stay in Belfast—it’s too much for us, so it’s cheaper to fly back to the States,” they explained to their nine thousand Youtube subscribers.

The Theriacs remain genuinely, unfathomably, optimistic about the project but have acknowledged the mounting frustrations that come with repeated delays and increasing financial strain.

While the road has been rocky, Mr Petterson insists that the company remains committed to launching the Odyssey. He emphasised that the remaining work on the ship, including certification and safety checks, is necessary to ensure the well-being of residents once they finally set sail.

While many passengers remain loyal to the project, the goodwill is wearing thin

Jenny Phenix, a 68-year-old Florida resident, told the UK Telegraph that she “sold everything to cruise around the world” on Villa Vie’s calamitous Odyssey cruise, and has now been banned from the ship for complaining about ongoing delays in a private WhatsApp group.

Phenix took to the WhatsApp group of fellow passengers to voice concerns, particularly about the fact that the delay would mean the Odyssey would no longer stop in Miami, where she intended to collect her belongings.

She was also upset that refurbishment work could carry on even after the ship finally left Belfast, and that she would have to use a temporary cabin as the one she booked was still being used by crew.

According to Phenix, despite her comments being confined to private conversations and not posted publicly, she was soon informed that her contract had been cancelled as her “continuous complaints and negativity,” were undermining the morale of the other passengers.

In an email to Ms Phenix, Kathy Villalba, COO of Villa Vie Residences, stated, “We have received over a dozen formal complaints from residents regarding your continuous complaints and negativity. This behaviour has significantly impacted the morale and well-being of other passengers.”

Phenix, for her part, maintains that she was merely asking important questions and never engaged in personal attacks.

Another woman, 66-year-old Bonny Kelter, has also had her contract terminated and will not be allowed to set off with the ship when it finally leaves Belfast port.

CEO of Villa Vie, Mike Petterson, told Business Insider that Phenix and Kelter did a little more than just voice concerns. “They didn’t just complain, they outright threatened with media unless they get what they want,” Petterson stated in an email.

“At the end of the day, we have the same option as anyone of doing business with people or not.”

When Villa Vie Odyssey first marketed its dream to potential residents, it was positioned as an exciting alternative to life on land—sailing continuously, stopping in some of the world’s most iconic destinations, and all with the comfort of home at sea. 

Cabins were sold for as much as $899,000 USD (approximately $1.3 million AUD), giving passengers a home on the open water for the three-year duration. For many, this was the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to leave the ordinary behind and embrace a lifestyle defined by freedom and exploration.

In a statement, Mike Petterson said “Ms Phenix broke multiple terms and conditions and signed a non-disclosure agreement. The founding residents voted and agreed to uphold her suspension and we plan on respecting that decision. We have nothing else to comment on the ongoing dispute.”

“As for the accommodations, we have paid more than $2 million for people’s living expenses for four months. We have hundreds of residents spread out throughout Europe and are asking people to book their own hotel rooms until we launch.”

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