(Reuters)
SINGAPORE, Nov 10 – A residential cruise ship that left more than 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia after its owners said fuel prices made it too expensive to operate has been ordered to remain in Singapore.
The Villa Vie Odyssey arrived in Singapore this week and was impounded by authorities.
“The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order,” Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said in a statement. “The crew onboard are reported to be well, and arrangements for their welfare and wellbeing are being managed by the vessel’s creditors. There are no passengers on board.”
It did not elaborate on why exactly the ship had been arrested. Mikael Petterson, the founder and executive chairman of owner Villa Vie Residences, told CBS News that the ship was now being operated by creditors.
Florida-based Villa Vie Residences suspended operations and forced passengers off the ship at the Cambodian port town of Sihanoukville, saying fuel price increases from the Iran war had made operations prohibitively expensive.
The vessel was one of only a handful that offered passengers the opportunity to rent or buy long-term or even permanent residences on board. Many had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years.
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