Jim and Chris Guld of Oakland Park thought they had found the perfect way to spend their golden years — living aboard a 480-cabin cruise ship, the Villa Vie Odyssey, and visiting more than 140 countries over 3 1/2 years.

The couple planned to go around the world twice over seven years and possibly stay aboard the ship for another seven years.

They sold their belongings, listed their townhouse for sale, and began their new life in a 140-foot stateroom they called “home” in April 2025.

But after only a year and a half at sea, the couple’s dream came to an abrupt stop.

Along with the ship’s 200 or so other full-time passengers, the Gulds were ordered to disembark last week in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after fuel costs became unaffordable for its operator, Villa Vie Residences, according to numerous news agencies, including The Associated Press.

During a video call from a hotel in Sihanoukville on Friday, the couple said they were disappointed by the ship’s failure but had no regrets about their lifestyle choice.

They made it to 30 countries, including several in North and South America, plus Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, China and Thailand.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we’ve seen and done that most people may just dream about and very few will actually get out there and do,” Jim says.

Memorable adventures included zip lining in Fiji, attending a baseball game in Tokyo and scuba diving, Jim says, “all over the French Polynesia.”

They were impressed with Halong Bay in Vietnam, designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“It looks just like a painting that was somebody’s imagination,” Chris says. “It couldn’t actually be real, but it’s real.”

They enjoyed line dancing with locals in Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

“We had a line dancing group on board,” Chris says, “and we’d get together and dance every sea day. And the leader of the group would make contacts (with line dancers) in different cities where we were going to be visiting and make arrangements for us to join them. What other travel method would give you that opportunity?”

The couple, longtime computer educators in South Florida, documented their adventures on their website, Geeksontour.com, and maintained their tech training business on board the ship. A fast Starlink Internet connection kept them busy producing how-to classes and livestreams for paid subscribers in the United States.

During their downtime on the ship, the couple participated in community theater and musical performances staged by fellow passengers. “We didn’t need the standard cruise ship entertainment on board,” Chris says. “We had more fun doing it ourselves.”

In addition, the couple said they loved socializing with fellow passengers who had interesting backgrounds — “authors, and actors,” Chris says. “We had a Nobel Laureate on board.”

The first sign of trouble came on Aug. 6, the couple said.

“We were in Singapore,” Chris says, “and we got word that they needed money or we wouldn’t be able to leave.”

Jim adds, “They needed money for fuel and to pay the port fees. So they did a cash call, you know, and said we need to raise a couple million dollars or we would be stuck there.”

By that time, according to a CBS News report, the ship owed money to a port agent, fueling companies, food vendors and the crew. Passengers raised money and one resident contributed $400,000 to get the ship moving again, the report said.

Villa Vie Residences, which launched the Odyssey’s voyage in October 2024, did not respond to phone messages and emails seeking comment for this news article.

In retrospect, the Gulds suspect that the ship operators didn’t charge enough for the service they were offering. The couple said they spent $170,000 to guarantee the right to live in their cabin for 15 years, then paid $5,000 a month to cover water, electricity, internet service, fitness facilities, laundry, twice-weekly housekeeping, education and entertainment programs and all of their food and beverages.

They don’t expect to recover any of their $170,000 if the ship operator files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

“The way bankruptcies work, as far as I understand, is there are creditors way ahead of us that need to be satisfied before we get anything,” Jim says.

But they said they’re not returning to South Florida anytime soon.

They plan to stay in Thailand, at least for the next few weeks. They had previously arranged to visit a friend in Chiang Mai whom they’d met back in Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s. And the Gulds had made plans to teach a couple of courses at Payap University, which is located in the city.

They’ll teach their normal “Smartphone Photography” workshop and another seminar called “Living on a Cruise Ship.”

“It’s going to be an interesting class, now!” Chris wrote in the couple’s travel blog.

Plus, they’ll be near the ship — still housing many of their belongings — while they get a clearer picture of what comes next.

And yes, the couple said, they’d contribute more money to get back on the ship. They still haven’t seen India, Africa, or Europe, after all.

Even after a year and a half, the couple still describe their time on the ship as living out a dream. They say their quarters never felt too tight. They could each sit comfortably in front of their computers, Chris says, “and anytime we wanted, we could just turn our heads and look out the window at beautiful views and ocean scenery. I loved it.”

“It was almost too good to be true,” Jim says, “to get this kind of lifestyle. And the more we did it, the more we enjoyed it, and the more we were willing to invest in it. So that’s where we are.”