Mary Ann Demsar knew money was tight when the entertainment stopped showing up.
asserted
entertainment → know → ?
The bands, singers and piano players that entertained the cruise ship residents disappeared, and the food at the restaurant and buffet got worse.
asserted
food → entertain → restaurant
Management started making calls to residents, introducing a new fuel surcharge.
asserted
Management → start → surcharge
Soon enough, those calls were never-ending.
asserted
calls → end → ?
And on Tuesday, with seven hours notice, this forever cruise — one that promised continuous sailing around the world and sold permanent residences at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars — suspended its journey and told some 200 residents to disembark at a port in Sihanoukville, a beach resort city in the south western tip of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand.
asserted
that → promise → Thailand
Many were stranded.
asserted
Many → strand → ?
Some had sold their homes and now have nowhere to return to.
asserted
Some → sell → nowhere
Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based company operating the Odyssey cruise, said increases in fuel costs since the start of the war in Iran have placed its current operating model “under unsustainable financial pressure.”
asserted
increases → base → pressure
“Since the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port,” the company said in a statement.
asserted
company → begin → statement
‘Who would say no to this?’
Demsar, a 67-year-old retired drama teacher from Stoney Creek, Ont., always knew the cruise was a risk.
asserted
cruise → say → Creek
As cruise lines offer multi-month, or even multi-year itineraries, some retirees are considering selling than homes and living permanently at sea
As cruise lines offer multi-month, or even multi-year itineraries, some retirees are considering selling than homes and living permanently at sea
asserted
retirees → offer → sea
She’s loved travelling her entire life and began solo backpacking across Europe in her 40s.
asserted
She → love → 40s
When she heard about Villa Vie, she knew the idea was novel, but figured she wouldn’t lose much if it didn’t work out.
asserted
it → hear → much
She spent most of the past two years on board, visiting China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Austria, New Zealand and elsewhere.
asserted
She → spend → China
Despite travelling solo, she became close with others on board.
asserted
she → travel → board
People decorated doors, lounged in the game room, threw birthday parties for each other and organized a choir.
asserted
People → decorate → choir
When someone asked for masking tape in the cruise WhatsApp group, six people would respond within minutes.
asserted
people → ask → minutes
And when ship-run entertainment dried up, residents started putting on plays.
asserted
residents → dry → plays
There was even a group of Canadians that had dinner together once a month.
asserted
that → be → dinner
“It was like high school,” Demsar said, “but nobody was mean.”
asserted
nobody → say → school
Demsar was what Villa Vie called a “segmenter.”
asserted
Vie → call → what
Unlike many on board, who bought a cabin and paid monthly fees similar to a condo, Demsar rented her room for 30 or 60 days at a time.
asserted
Demsar → buy → time
She got three meals a day, wine and beer, internet, and housekeeping and laundry twice a week.
asserted
She → get → meals
The cost, she said, worked out to $125 (U.S.) a day, or roughly $3,800 a month.
asserted
she → say → 125
For all that was included, she thought it was a bargain.
asserted
it → include → all
“Who would say no to this, right?” Demsar said.
asserted
Demsar → say → this
“Looking back, I’m sure they were hemorrhaging money right from the very beginning.”
asserted
they → look → beginning
‘Left on our own with nothing’
The signs were there.
asserted
signs → leave → nothing
The itinerary changed and internet access became unreliable, residents Paul and Lynn Montoya told The Associated Press.
asserted
Montoya → change → Press
But when residents pressed Villa Vie’s owners, they deflected, Demsar said, always providing a different reason or excuse.
asserted
Demsar → press → reason
Rumours started spreading that the boat was nearly seized at a recent port.
asserted
boat → spread → port
“You see the meteor up in the sky,” she said, “but you don’t really think it’s going to hit the ground.”
asserted
it → see → ground
Finally, in a message to residents earlier this week, Villa Vie CEO Kathy Villalba shared the news.
asserted
Villalba → share → news
“All residents must disembark by 2:00 PM today,” she wrote, offering shuttles back to the ship until 6 p.m. the next day for those who needed more time to collect their belongings.
asserted
who → disembark → belongings
“This is all the information we have available at this time.”
asserted
we → have → time
Demsar felt she and the other residents, many of whom are seniors, had been left to fend for themselves.
asserted
many → feel → themselves
She said they were all seething.
asserted
they → say → ?
It was like, what are we going to do?” Demsar said.
asserted
Demsar → go → what
“We were left on our own with nothing.”
asserted
We → leave → nothing
Some left without a home to return to
The residential ship offers travelers the chance to buy a cabin and live at sea on a ship circumnavigating the globe.
asserted
ship → leave → globe
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
