I sold everything to live on £265k cruise but was thrown off over texts… now I’m being forced to live out my suitcase
A WOMAN who sold all her belongings for a £265,000 trip around the world claims she was booted off – over her private text messages.
Jenny Phenix, 68, liquidated her business and sold everything while living out of a suitcase ahead of the three-year Villa Vie Odyssey’s maiden voyage.
But Jenny, from Florida, vented frustration with her fellow customers in a Whatsapp group amid ongoing delays, which meant the vessel would not be docking at Miami.
The cruise company disputes her version of events.
She had planned to pick up some items for the cruise at that location, The Telegraph reports.
She was also concerned that work to refurbish the vessel might carry on after it left Belfast, which might mean having to use a temporary cabin because hers was being used by crew.
It is understood her messages were shared with cruise operators Villa Vie Residences, and her contract was cancelled due to “behaviour impacting community morale”.
Kathy Villalba, chief operating officer, told her: “We have received over a dozen formal complaints from residents regarding your continuous complaints and negativity.
“This behaviour has significantly impacted the morale and well-being of other passengers.
“Given the overwhelming feedback, we must cancel your contract permanently to uphold the well-being and satisfaction of our community.”
Jenny, a mum-of-two, said she was “never rude or disrespectful” and did not participate in any personal attacks.
They were private messages and were not posted on social media, she said.
The Villa Vie Odyssey is set to visit 425 destinations in 147 countries.
It begins as soon as next week.
Jenny said that over the past year and a half she had been liquidating her belongings while “eagerly awaiting” her new life cruising the world, “living out of a suitcase” since December 2023.
She says she had flown to Southampton originally to embark on the journey on May 15.
But the first major change came when the ship’s departure was moved to May 30, but new problems found during dry dock kept pushing the date back, reports say.
Safety and other types of inspection had to be carried out, causing additional setbacks for the ship – which had been laid up since the Covid pandemic.
Jenny has returned to Florida after joining the final leg of a different world cruise.
Mike Petterson, the chief executive of Villa Vie Residences, told The Telegraph: “Ms Phenix broke multiple terms and conditions and signed a non-disclosure agreement.
“The founding residents voted and agreed to uphold her suspension and we plan on respecting that decision. We have nothing else to comment on the ongoing dispute.”
CEO Mikael Petterson told The Sun there were ‘inaccurate reports’ about Jenny, claiming that she herself cancelled the trip.
He added: “She didn’t just complain in the chats but created a very hostile and toxic environment amongst residents.
“After receiving dozens of complaints and multiple cancellations directly related to the mayhem she created, we decided to suspend her contract entirely.
“This was subsequently voted on by the residents who overwhelmingly decided to uphold her suspension.”
In August, The Sun reported on how world cruise passengers sold their homes for a £27,000-a-month trip – but the ship still hadn’t left Belfast.
The Odyssey was supposed to take passengers on an epic three-year tour of Europe, Asia and the Americas
But the ship was stuck in Belfast for months after crew discovered problems with its rudders and gearbox.
Some of The Odyssey’s passengers had sold all their possessions to pay between £75,000 and £700,000 for a cabin.
David Austin, from the US state of Georgia, said: “I was committed, having sold my house right before my arrival.
“I’ve stayed committed to this adventure with every delay.”
Cancelled cruises - know your rights
Heading on a cruise? Here’s what to do if it gets cancelled and your rights for refunds and compensation.
How do I find out if my cruise has been cancelled?
Cruise liners should let you know as soon as possible if your cruise has been cancelled.
If it’s cancelled on the day of the trip, you should be informed no later than 30minutes after the time you’re scheduled to leave.
P& O is contacting all passengers who were due to visit the area.
What if my cruise is cancelled and I’m at the port?
If your trip has been cancelled and you’re already at the port then the operator should provide you with free snacks, meals and refreshments, even if the reason it’s been cancelled is due to bad weather.
What you’re entitled to depends on how long the delay is.
The Department for Transport recommends that tea and water are appropriate refreshments for a delay of over four hours, followed by a snack or light meal.
If the delay goes over eight hours then a hot meal should be provided.
But food and drink will only be provided if the operator can get them to you reasonably, says ABTA.
This will depend on the facilities available at the port terminal or on board the ship, the time of day and how close the port is to local amenities.
The operator should also offer you free accommodation if the cancellation means you need to stay somewhere overnight, either on board the ship or ashore.
But it’s also free to look at other options, such as paying for your trip home or asking you to make your own arrangements and offering to reimburse expenses.
The only time the ship does not have to offer this service is when the cruise has been cancelled due to bad weather, where the conditions might endanger the safety of the ship.
Can I get a refund or compensation if my trip doesn’t go ahead?
If your cruise has been cancelled the operator should offer you the choice of either an alternative trip or a refund.
Unlike EU regulations that protect passengers from airline cancellations, there is no fixed amount of compensation owed to you in these kinds of situations.
You may be entitled to compensation through the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Act 2018.
You’ll only be able to claim the cash if the tour operator is unable to put the trip right again.
And you won’t get a payout if the cruise was cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances.
Will I get a refund if I cancel the cruise?
If you cancel your trip then you won’t be able to claim compensation and you may have to pay a cancellation fee.
You might be able to claim your travel insurance depending on the policy, so it’s worth checking the small print.