Hawaii couple who were told to leave cruise ship 2 years into 15-year stay reveal if they'll ever live on a cruise ship again
Published on Nov 04, 2026 at 7:17 AM (UTC-5)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Nov 04, 2026 at 9:03 AM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Mason Jones
The Hawaii couple who sold 31 cars to live on a cruise ship have opened up about what happened when they were to told to pack their belongings and leave.
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin have been sharing stories of their life out at sea on their YouTube channel, amassing a sizable audience along the way.
But things unraveled when the Villa Vie Odyssey suspended its operations and told all residents to disembark.
Speaking to Supercar Blondie, the couple revealed their future travel plans, and whether they would live on a cruise ship again.
Why the Villa Vie Odyssey has been dominating the headlines recently
You’ve no doubt heard about the controversy surrounding the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship, which suspended operations in Cambodia.
Citing escalating fuel prices, the company behind the cruise ship made an announcement at 6am on October 27, telling residents to leave the ship by 2pm.
Among those residents was Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, who have been living on the ship for two years.
During their time traveling the world, they’d documented just about everything.
And that didn’t stop once they were told to leave, as they shared footage from inside the ship as everyone was disembarking.
Now, the couple have spoken to Supercar Blondie about the whole experience.
How did this Hawaii couple feel when they realized they had to leave the cruise ship?
For Lanette and Johan, the announcement was simultaneously a surprise and a long time coming.
“It was a shock how fast [it happened], but really not a shock that it happened,” Lanette told Supercar Blondie.
Months of ‘town hall meetings’ among residents had made clear that the company was going through financial hardships.
“They had an investor that they were going to, but last minute, that investor backed out,” Lanette said.
“We found out about that around two to three days before.”
They’re still confused about why residents were given such short notice to leave the boat.
“That still doesn’t make sense to us, because they opened up the ship over the following days so people could pick up their belongings,” Lanette said.
“I have no idea what that 2pm deadline was all about. They probably knew everyone was going to wait until the end.
“We wanted to be the last ones off the ship.
“Everyone was packing up their lives, and then one of the speakers said ‘Leave your stuff, take your essentials and get off the ship’. We took what we could and came back the following day and grabbed some more stuff.”
Were fuel prices the main cause of this ship’s troubles?
Fuel costs have been cited by the company as the main source of its financial woes, with fuel prices of $6,000 to $8,000 a month for each cabin marking a sharp increase from historical prices of $1,800.
Was there more to this story than that?
Another couple on the ship – Paul and Lynn – certainly felt so, listing out eight warning signs they saw.
What did Lanette and Johan make of the fuel costs?
“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Johan said.
“The nail in the coffin, the whole business model was actually broken,” Lanette concurred.
The company’s expenses were higher than what they were bringing in from maintenance fees each month.
“They were looking at raising maintenance costs,” Lanette said.
“So our $3,500 was going to turn into like $6,000. And that’s why we’ve kind of decided, we’re off the ship – even if it gets restructured by a new investor.”
“We would definitely be priced out. We based all our stuff on that $3,500 a month,” Johan said.
They said that back in April, passengers were asked to pay a fuel sub-charge.
“I think we ended up paying $6,000 in the fuel charge – $1,500 a month over four months,” Johan said.
“It was voluntary. They were asking nicely for everyone to pitch in, maybe only about a third of the ship did,” Lanette recalled.
What would it take for them to live on a cruise ship again?
Despite the emotional turbulence of the last week or so, the couple have remained mostly positive about their experience.
“We only got the two years, but for what we’ve put in, we consider it worth it,” Johan said.
“We don’t want it undone. This adventure, the people we’ve met, the friendships, people that have become like family.”
While a lot of the other residents are joining together to travel together, Johan and Lanette are forging their own path for the time being.
“We’re going to jump around, we’ll meet up with them as we go around,” Lanette said.
“We’re going to be in Cambodia for 60 days, and then we’re probably going to go Vietnam, stay there for three months, then jump over to Thailand or come back to Cambodia.”
Would they set sail again if the Villa Vie Odyssey found an investor?
“We would love to, but we’re realists, so we know how much they would have to raise the prices. So it just wouldn’t work,” Johan said.
“And we can actually live cheaper here in South-East Asia than it cost us to live on the ship.
“We can get an apartment here for about $500 a month.”
I floated the premise of a new ship turning up at the harbor, with a whole different company behind it. Would that sway them?
“Possibly, if it was within our budget,” Johan said.
“But the problem is doing something like that would be we’re always going to compare it to the Odyssey and the community on board.”
Regardless of whether they’re living on land or at sea, they were clear on one thing – they wouldn’t be returning to the US to live there.
“We’re not going back to the US. We’ll go back to visit kids and grandkids when the time comes, but we’re not going back to live there,” Johan said.
“Hawaii would be too expensive for us. For what we have coming in, we can live comfortably here.”
They’re seeing the positives in the situation and are settling into life in South-East Asia.
Now that the Odyssey has sailed away to Singapore, the situation feels all the more real.
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Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
