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WorldQuiet 11d · day 11

Trump-era 'escape cruise' MV Odyssey collapses, dumps passengers in Cambodia

Oil prices driven up by Trump's war in Iran bankrupted the 'forever cruise' pitched as a four-year escape from his presidency.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 10d ago7 pieces64 likes & upvotes6 comments NewswiresHacker NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Villa Vie Residences' MV Odyssey was marketed as a 'forever cruise' letting wealthy retirees skip Donald Trump's presidential term at sea.
  • An oil price shock tied to Trump's war in Iran drove monthly per-cabin fuel costs in Asia from $1,800 to $8,000, bankrupting the operator.
  • More than 200 passengers were given seven hours' notice to leave the ship and were left stranded in Cambodia.
  • The Odyssey was a decades-old retrofitted liner, formerly MS Braemar, previously turned away from Caribbean ports during the pandemic.

Donald TrumpDonald Trump US presidentVilla Vie Residences Florida-based operator of the MV OdysseyMV Odyssey passengers Ship residents, many retirees

Trump-era 'escape cruise' MV Odyssey collapses, dumps passengers in Cambodia
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 4 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 10 PM; 7 pieces over 11 days (3 articles · 4 posts) Oct 30, 10 PM — 4 pieces · 3 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1, Hacker News 1Oct 31, 1 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 10 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 10 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 9 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 9 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietNov 7, 12 AM — quietNov 7, 3 AM — quietNov 7, 6 AM — quietNov 7, 9 AM — quietNov 7, 12 PM — quietNov 7, 3 PM — quietNov 7, 6 PM — quietNov 7, 9 PM — quietNov 8, 12 AM — quietNov 8, 3 AM — quietNov 8, 6 AM — quietNov 8, 9 AM — quietNov 8, 12 PM — quietNov 8, 3 PM — quietNov 8, 6 PM — quietNov 8, 9 PM — quietNov 9, 12 AM — quietNov 9, 3 AM — quietNov 9, 6 AM — quietNov 9, 9 AM — quietNov 9, 12 PM — quietNov 9, 3 PM — quietNov 9, 6 PM — quietNov 9, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1
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  1. 1

    Guardian publishes investigation into the ship's collapse

    The Guardian's joint report from Bangkok, London and Melbourne traces the Odyssey's history from its MS Braemar days through its marketing as a Trump-era escape to its financial unraveling.

    “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.”
    — Villa Vie Residences, cruise operator · source
    • CorioPsicologia@mastodon.social

      Esta historia real, es una mezcla de la película "El Triangulo de la Tristeza", "El Decamerón", y el blog de Turiel Es un crucero que cuando la pandemia nadie quería que desembarcara en sus puertos, solo Cuba lo acoge Quiebra, y se reconvierte en un "crucero residencial". Con la promesa de que los americanos ricos que no quieran aguantar 4 años de…

      CorioPsicologia@mastodon.socialMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Passengers given seven hours to disembark in Cambodia — More than 200 passengers aboard the Odyssey were told abruptly to pack and leave the ship, stranded in Cambodia rather than continuing the planned round-the-world voyage.

  3. background

    Villa Vie announces it has run out of money — The company said monthly fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia had risen to as much as $8,000 from $1,800, leaving it 'under unsustainable financial pressure' and unable to continue absorbing operating losses.

  4. background

    Trump's war in Iran triggers an oil price shock — The conflict, described in the Villa Vie statement as beginning 'in late February', drove up fuel prices worldwide and began squeezing the ship's operating costs.

  5. background

    Villa Vie cuts fuel use by slowing the itinerary — The company says it slowed the ship's schedule and spent more time in port to reduce fuel consumption as costs rose, but these measures proved insufficient.

  6. background

    MV Odyssey sets sail from Belfast as a 'forever cruise' — Villa Vie Residences launched the retrofitted former MS Braemar as a continuous residential voyage, pitched explicitly as a way to 'skip forward' through Donald Trump's presidential term, with packages starting at $319,998.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare

    first by Mastodon, 11d ago · also Guardian