“It’s a holiday in Cambodia; It’s tough, kid, but it’s life.” – Dead Kennedys.
Whenever someone accuses you of being negative or having a bad attitude, it could be that you are on to something big.
Take a lesson from Jenny Phenix, a Florida woman who was optimistic enough to sign a $162,745 contract for a “villa” on an ocean liner promising a permanent vacation at sea, one three-year voyage around the world at a time.
Then she started complaining before the ship could even leave shore.
The ship, christened the MV Odyssey, was months late. Her cabin wasn’t ready. The travel itinerary kept changing. Promised amenities disappeared, including a virtual window in her otherwise windowless cabin. On and on she went.
She’d put an $18,656 deposit on her floating home, and was perturbed enough to air her grievances in a private chat group with other residents.
She was such a whiner that Villa Vie Residences, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company trying to sail this luxury condo plex on the sea, canceled her contract.
Chief Operating Officer Kathy Villalba gave her a thorough scolding in a letter dated July 19, 2024:
“We have received over a dozen formal complaints from residents regarding your continuous complaints and negativity. This behavior has significantly impacted the morale and well-being of other passengers. At VVR, we are committed to maintaining a positive and enjoyable environment for all our guests. Given the overwhelming feedback, we must cancel your contract permanently to uphold the well-being and satisfaction of our community.”
Do you know what’s worse for morale than a bellyaching shipmate?
Getting kicked off the boat in Sihanoukville.
Sorry, folks. Rising fuel costs have ended the voyage. You have seven hours’ notice to leave the ship. There are no immediate arrangements for accommodations or travel.
It’s a holiday in Cambodia.
This is essentially what Villa Vie said Tuesday regarding the maritime fate of its 203 mostly U.S. residents. And on Wednesday its CEO Mikael Petterson told CBS News the company plans to file bankruptcy.
Phenix can count herself saved from walking the plank by the power of negative thinking. She also got most of her money refunded.
And positive-thinking Villa Vie can face the fallout, beginning with headlines screamed around the world, instead of one pesky customer in a chat group, and culminating in questions like this:
What kind of dumb-ass cruise ship operator fails to adequately protect itself against fuel costs and abandons passengers in Cambodia?
The answers are right in Villa Vie’s 2024 confidential investor pitch deck. It names all the top officers on this ship of fools and shows why it was doomed from the start.
