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This will give those who bought the Endless Horizons program heartburn. In an article today Mike is quoted as saying ""Should this ship sell out, Petterson said there are more Villa Vie ones planned in the coming years."
What?? Endless Horizons people have paid $350,000-$900,000 upfront because they can move to the 2nd ship and sail for THEIR LIFETIME. In the international media and in press releases Mike had said VVR would add a second ship in January 2024 and it would be $100MM (the current ship was $13MM). Later that Spring he said the second ship would be added in the Summer 2025. Then it became "they were working on the 2nd ship" or "an announcement was coming "soon"". Now he's added this qualifier "should this ship sell out"?? Has he told that to the Endless Horizons people?
I'm sure the Endless Horizons Lifetime Guarantee is carefully documented, bonded and escrow money locked up along with the same provisions for the 15 year guarantee for all the cabin lessees, er, uh, Villa Owners...
Until you click through pages of Terms and Conditions and read the fine print
VVO is cruising to Hubbard Glacier bay today. Just in front of them is Regent Explorer and just behind them is Seaborne Quest. How awkward to be sandwiched in between 2 ultra lux cruise ships. Maybe the two ships can toss some champagne and caviar (or ant least fresh lettuce) over to the Odyssey along with some good beer for JR.
That would be a nice humanitarian gesture. Perhaps some heating blankets as well? But the actual point is, Odyssey could have had the glacier cruising all to themselves because they started for the glacier long before the other 2 ships. But Odyssey wasted time at 8 knots and the other 2 left much later but were going a more normal 14 and 16 knots so they caught up with and surpassed Odyssey.
Per a resident who posts here, there doesn't seem to ever have been heat on Odyssey. And given multiple resident's posts it's been consistently cold since SF with multiple people posting they are going out to buy sweat shirts and sweat pants, they're sleeping under 2 comforters, and the TBYBer said his Superior Suite Balcony cabin was cold the entire week he was onboard.
A new court case (Fair Labor Standards) has been filed on June 27 against VVR in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by 2 employees Mark Doerr and Melissa Autry for failure to pay overtime. case number 0:25-cv-61311
You are a great sleuth! Where would we find this on the wonderful world wide web?
I was looking for the other Broward County Florida court cases and I cannot find the Phenix one- the other two are there as closed because they sued the wrong arm of Villa Vie Residence (the unpaid pool company and the passenger who apparently bought the suite as a corporate perk (underneath the pickleball court)).... I was on my phone and not my laptop though, so harder to navigate.
As you said in the Broward County cases, the resident and the pool company suits were closed on a technicality because they sued the incorrect VVR entity. However their full complaint documents are still there and can be read. Also in the Broward county dbase are all the past lawsuits against Mike himself (he declared bankruptcy, his credit card company sued him for nonpayment, an individual sued him for lack of of control ing his dog who attacked another dog). And the new lawsuit by the employees. Jenny's was filled in Delaware per her contract.
It should also be added that the MirayInt lawsuit and all the exhibits are there too. Yes, the suit was "voluntarily" dismissed but only because MirayInt's attorneys must have obtained their law degrees from a Cracker Jacks box and IMHO were borderline guilty of malpractice and certainly malfeasance. Any decent attorney would have put MP back in bankruptcy court or worse. The case was open and shut and was ultimately dismissed on technicalities (and out of well-engineered frustration) as well.
Ah yes I meant to mention that one as well. The LAS case was closed when LAS went bankrupt and the company didn't exist any longer so Miray decided not to spend lawyer $$ in US courts for a company they weren't going to resurrect. And Miray (LAS parent company) wanted to shut everything in the US to avoid their own passenger lawsuits and investigations. Subsequently to the closure LAS' case against Mike, the bankruptcy judge put a halt on LAS' bankruptcy because LAS passengers intervened and got the Florida USDistrict Atty and FL FBI and the Turkish lawyer representing some LAS passengers and the bankruptcy trustees to all share info together so the fraudulent circumstances of the LAS's bankruptcy were halted.
This is Jenny, you can also go to my YouTube channel called "Jenny at Sea, NOT" and if you look through all of my videos I have posted the lawsuit in its entirety, when a new page comes up you just have to click pause and enlarge the page to be able to read it, and yes it is filed in Delaware as per my contract cuz that's where the company had originally Incorporated prior to moving it to the Marshall Islands at a later date
Hey Jenny I see VV was granted an extension to respond to your lawsuit until July 29. In the Delaware Court dbase we can't open the documents (unlike in the Broward County court) without having a Pacer account. What excuse did VV give for needing more time in their filing of the motion for extension? Takes longer to make something up to justify their actions? Too busy responding to other lawsuits as well as their overdue USCG issues and their failed USPH inspection? Or?
I'll have to look into that as according to my records they had to respond by July 21st, just said they needed time to retain an attorney in Delaware and I would guess to get that person up to speed
I need to quit being so harsh in my criticism of Mike and Kathy. I never realized how altruistic and supportive of their fellow man that they truly are.
Judging by all the lawsuits that have been filed against them and all their corporations, they should be given credit for keeping a cadre of hungry attorneys and summons servers gainfully employed.
So generous, kind, considerate and unselfish. I'm going to go wash my mouth out with soap.
My goodness Joe, what harsh things will you say about VVO next? Why don’t you accuse them of something totally irrational like the ship bobbing in the sea for a few days between ports in Alaska. Oh wait—nevermind—nothing to see on CruiseMapper folks. Just move along.
From VVR's 2024 Team page (when they previously had a short bio on all employees including M&K) here is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit:
Sales Advisor
Mark Doerr
Meet Mark Doerr, our stellar Sales Advisor at Villa Vie Residences. Mark has a solid background in sales, sales leadership, and account management, bringing heaps of experience to our crew. Before jumping onboard with us, he rocked in various sales & sales leadership roles with various services organizations. He received his MBA from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. With his knack for sales and People First approach, Mark’s all about putting his clients first. Trust us, having him on the team is a total win for Villa Vie Residences.
With over 10 years of experience in new business development and sales, Melissa has a proven track record of driving growth and building strong client relationships. She has previously worked as a Territory Sales Manager at Southwind Building Products and Shaw Industries, where she honed her skills in sales and territory management. Melissa’s expertise lies in identifying new sales opportunities and delivering exceptional results. She is a dedicated professional who is committed to providing excellent service and exceeding customer expectations."
I checked the US Coastguard site today as it is only updated on Mondays. It has already been updated today but still shows all the VV issues as unresolved.
However what appears to be new (unless I missed it last week?] is that there have already been 3 Coastguard inspections. The first was April 9 in Costa Rica. The 2nd was June 2 in Honolulu and the 3rd was in Catalina Island on June 20.
Sneaky, sneaky. The full itinerary is back on the website (the final 2 years had disappeared from the July 1 V2 of the itinerary - now back 2 weeks later). It appears to be the same as yesterday (ie still dated July 1) but the end of the file name is now "All" and before was "V2". At a quick glance it appears to be the same as before the 2 years disappeared- the 12 days Singapore dry dock is still there. If there are any port changes it would take a lot more analysis to find them.
For those who like statistics, a total of 197 US Public Health inspections were conducted across 150 cruise ships between January 1 and December 31, 2024. Through October 2024 only 2 ships failed. So failure is very rare and Villa Vie Odyssey now ranks amongst those 1% of ships that fail. As rare as it is, it seems somewhat likely it was more than just a "paperwork issue".
USPH score from recent inspection in Juneau, Alaska, is 81 - pass grade is 86 - with time given to correct noted deficiencies, as usual.
Explanation for laundry service interruption - AFTER the event - is due to inability to discharge untreated grey water while the Odyssey is sailing in restricted areas of Alaskan waters.
Wow they failed even after the TBYBers who posted that the ship was spotless but dated and cold. It will be interesting to see what all the issues were though I assume at least some will be ones we've heard about. Wonder if USPH found the black grit or the moldy areas from the A/C. Perhaps they heard about the onboard outbreak that took place in Mexico. One assumes there were issues with the "food is great!" buffet. Probably some things not hot enough, some things not cold enough.
Holy Hold Your Water, Batman. The fact that they flunked the recent inspection is troubling enough but far more troubling is the underlying reason for the laundry service suspension and turning off the water.
Observing the repeated pattern of port call --> hurriedly head out to sea immediately to pump and dump --> circle aimlessly for hours at 8 knots --> then head back toward your next destination, seemingly the pattern at just about every single port since Seattle brings up a very disturbing question, i.e., if Odyssey's water system is so outdated or is so limited in carrying capacity that it can't handle the load placed upon it by 300 passengers for one day, how the $%#! will they ever manage to operate if they (hold your laughter please) sell out the ship and run at full capacity more than double that load (triple if you believe their early press statements and proforma projections)?
Just more KlownKar Brigade antics by the same folks who screwed up Brazil, Galapagos, Antarctica, Falklands, the Amazon, Alaskan itinerary, promised initial port calls along the US eastern seaboard and gawd only knows what else.
When I listened to Joe on Board on his one "Hyperfixed" from last October, Joe comments about the cruise amenities that weren't yet available- the pool and the hot tubs. He explains that there is a structural crack in the pool that they've been struggling to repair and that some rooms have had water damage from the pool leak. He also mentions something about the ship's balance when the pool is filled. Hold my beer, Joe, those are two scary thoughts! He jokes that flooding is not the proper use if a swimming pool. Just wondered if any of this potential issues were mentioned by the inspectors.
Again Joe, you are much too harsh. There are plenty of famous start-ups. Very soon to launch Storylines, The Hindenburg, Titanic, Oceangate . Get over yourself!
Just a thought - I wonder if the 2nd day in Anchorage was re-added to the itinerary because the US Coast Guard issues were due July 2 and Anchorage is an easier port for the USCG to access to conduct the reinspection. And is the bus trip to the cancelled port of Seward to get all the residents off the ship? Remember in Costa Rica during the initial USCG inspection , VV made all the residents leave before the Coast Guard arrived (may not have wanted any resident to give them a heads up about black grit coming from A/C vents, mold in some areas, discolored water from taps or other issues). And in Costa Rica VV had told residents they were going to make arrangements for them for things to do while they were off the ship and then VV did nothing.
Under this speculation, those added consecutive sea days allow them to try to fix the overdue issues ahead of Anchorage.
One has to admire truth telling and candor. Here's a question posted on Midlife's YT and their response:
Q: Have there been any changes to this Alaskan segment of the itinerary?
R: Yes, we lost a couple ports and had some ports extended. We lost Seward, but they added an extra day in Anchorage. They are providing a free shuttle to Seward from Anchorage, so we are still going there - just by bus now.
And the actual truth- originally there were 17 days in Alaskan ports and 3 consecutive sea days. Now there are 10 days in Alaskan ports (they lost a lot more than "a couple") and 10 consecutive sea days. The port cancellations were mostly converted into wasted sea days. And BTW that "extra day added in Anchorage" was originally part of the schedule (2 days in Anchorage) and subsequently was changed into 1 day in Anchorage and now that cancelled day has been re-added. And so the seesaw goes.
Now what would really be amazing would be if they would show their viewers how Odyssey leaves every port and instead of taking a direct route to its next port, wastes many hours/days going out to sea and circling around at the blazing speed of 8 kn in order to pump, dump and make water. On several occasions they have steamed right by the next scheduled port and wasted a day or more going in circles. Put up a map showing Odyssey's routes taken in Canada and Alaska. Now that would be a step in the right direction (or maybe MLC would rather circle around that one)
OMG Backroads Tourist has a new video out after all these months of silence. I haven't seen it yet, I'm about to watch it. I continue to support him, even after VV silenced him, because of all the many months when he provided us with information and a forum.
I found it to be pretty disappointing and not very informative at all. The reason he gives for his absence is exactly what he said before, i.e., this is his busy season. Not a friggin' word about the VVR videos or the mystery producer who's going to take it all and make a documentary. Frankly, I'm incredulous that he doesn't mention it when he knows full well that it was and is his videos about VVR and Jenny that attracted such a crowd to his channel and not some inane story about an elephant getting shot 300 times.
He's in monetary jeopardy if he says anything about VV. And that is from his own personal funds since he doesn't make $$ on YT. The silence isn't from his own choice.
Not true. He posted a video 2 months ago about Jenny and linked to her website. Dedicated more than a minute of the video to telling viewers about her lawsuit and gave advice about how to read it online.
Silence from VVR after US Public Health inspection and no update on US Coast Guard issues is a little eerie. And clear explanations to residents about services that very much affect their daily life continue to be non existent.
Today a cabin steward told a resident that there will be no laundry service, including the self laundry option, for 3 days. Towels are not being washed. This is after water in the cabins was cut off briefly as well. But Guest Services onboard didn't know about the laundry situation. Is it really for 3 days or just today? The very poor communication between VVR, Guest Services and Residents is simply chronic - the product of a strained, dysfunctional relationship? The cutting off of water is no doubt related to attempts to rectify the compliance issues requiring attention, but this is something I expect to be properly informed about when it is my home.
The fact is that the true physical condition of the ship is not known - not by residents nor Founders alike. Nor is the $ cost of necessary maintenance now and ongoing. How can it be "guaranteed" to sail for 15 years? There's no logic in that statement, let alone something that belongs in a legal Contract. Nor justifies being repeated by Cheerleaders and dishonest influencers on every social media platform they can possibly access. How would this be explained in Court, I wonder.
It's the silence and incomplete, unclear and non-sensical explanations that contribute to lack of confidence and feelings of distrust. And they accumulate and fester. There's only so long you can continue to repeat the words "honesty" and "total transparency" before they loose the ring of truth. And we are well past that time for me and other rational thinkers.
Even though you enter the Search criteria as Odyssey for the ship, the results return all ships so you then have to go to page 2 of the results and scroll down. But the Odyssey report doesn't yet appear, it's too soon. Perhaps that's why it returns everything instead of returning just Odyssey - because it isn't there yet. However just earlier in the week Odyssey wasn't even an available choice.
Can you fill us in a bit , in very general terms, on medical emergencies on board? A broken leg and 2 port ambulance calls have been reported by residents. Any evacuations at sea?
The progress on most of the outstanding USCG issues aren't things that would be obvious to residents without receiving updates from management. However the peephole on every cabin is one that any resident could see on their own. Ocean Living, have you seen any peepholes being installed on any cabins on any of the decks? If so, is it all/most/some/none? The US consultants informed VV of the necessity back in February to have those completed prior to US arrival in June. Then USCG said there were none on June 2. Has progress been made since the Coastguard gave them only to July 2 to get 'er done?
Mike's promise to his Life at Sea pigeons, er, uh, clients bears repeating and rings more and more hollow with each passing day:
"We are busy on our next project, Villa
Vie Residences, our original plan which
make [sic] the residents the majority
stakeholders and creators of the
project itself. With total transparency
and integrity, we will make the dream
come true stronger, better than
anything else on the market today.
Stay tuned explorers"
Regarding the 15 year "guarantee," show me a bond or a dedicated escrow fund, otherwise you might as well be telling me that the snake oil you're selling is "guaranteed" to cure every ill and add 15 years on to my life. As far as how it would stand up in court, I guess it depends on which court you're considering --- civil or bankruptcy?
Someone posted on Jenny's channel about the outstanding US Coastguard issues found after the Honolulu June 2 inspection. I had quit looking at that USCG site after Odyssey was issued the full US Certification so I didn't see when it was updated with the issues. I had thought that was a saga that had passed (but it seems VV never resolves any of their issues, they just carry them forward- port cancellations, regulation adherence, pools, hot tub, A/C, communications, key personnel exits, ejecting residents, et al). They were all supposed to be rectified in 30 days by July 2 (and that is A LOT of work to accomplish in 30 days!) As of today the USCG site shows each of the issues as not resolved.
09 - Working and Living Conditions: Each passenger stateroom and crew cabin shall be equipped with entry doors that include peepholes or other means of visual identification. There are no means of visual identification on any of the vessel's entry doors. 46USC(a)(1)(B) 50c
[Remember when Midlife posted about this after the US consultants boarded in Montevideo? They acted as if it were the only problem. And yet a full 5 months later, per USCG, not a single peephole was installed(!) ]
07 - Fire Safety: Except for hatches between cargo, special category, store, and baggage spaces, and between such spaces and the weather decks, all openings shall be provided with permanently atached means of closing which shall be at least as effective for resisting fires as the divisions in which they are fitted. The fire boundary door from the Neptune Lounge to the Dress Room is not effective for resisiting fires. 74 SOLAS 81 Amend II-2/30.1 50ac
07 - Fire Safety: General arrangement plan shall be permanently exhibited for the guidance of the ship's officers. Plans shall be kept up to date. The current plan needs to be approved by MSC. 74 SOLAS 20 II-2/20.1 50c
14 - Pollution Prevention - Sewage Treatment Plant: No person may operate any vessel equipped with installed toilet facilities unless it is equipped with an operable Type device. The installed device does not operate. 33CFR159.7 50c
07 - Fire Safety: Spaces other than public spaces, corridors, public toilets, special category spaces, othr stairways required by regulation 28.1.5, open deck spaces and spaces covered by paragraph 4.4.2 are not permitted to have direct access to stairway enclosures. The 01 Deck engineering workshop in Main Vertical Zone 4 has direct access to escape stairs. 74 SOLAS 97 II-2/41-2.4.5 50ac
JJ said "we hope to return to the ship next year". So they won't be back for at least 6+ months and sounds as if there are no actual future dates set. Thank goodness the DC Dudes have returned to takeover the shameless lying to the public. A truly seamless transition.
But how is the shipboard internet really? Is it like JJ said "we didn't have a problem when we were onboard"? Or is it more like multiple residents have posted - spotty and sometimes quite an issue for those who work remotely (some of whom have not told their bosses they are on a cruise ship)?
Well if the performance of Geeks On Tour's every Sunday Live YT for their paid Tech subscribers is an indication, it is closer to the latter than the former. They have had this subscription YT for many years and the Sunday Live YT where people could ask them tech questions is a big feature of that subscription service. In the month of June they held 2 of the 5 Sunday Live YTs (June had a lot Sundays). They also missed the first Sunday in July.
You mean you don't trust the JJ Bros to shoot straight with you? Why would they shade the truth? I thought they promised to be honest, objective, unbiased and impartial. You mean they might have gaslighted us? Surely not!
I did not see the announcement. However I hadn't thought about this aspect of the cancelled Alaskan ports and the wasted 10 days in a row at sea which replaces the cancelled ports. I was actually wondering if any of the residents would skip that wasted time and disembark and tour Alaska in those 10 days (which would be fantastic and allow them to visit some of the cancelled locations) and then just reboard in Anchorage while the ship was still in Alaska. But I forgot that on a foreign ship you can't disembark in 1 US port and reembark in a different US port without visiting a foreign port first, which Odyssey isn't doing. Wow in that case they have really disadvantaged their passengers with this new 10 days at sea (as of the July 1 itinerary) by holding them all hostage on that cold ship. Even those with money can't take advantage of being in Alaska unless they are willing to fly all the way to Japan to reboard.
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This will give those who bought the Endless Horizons program heartburn. In an article today Mike is quoted as saying ""Should this ship sell out, Petterson said there are more Villa Vie ones planned in the coming years."
What?? Endless Horizons people have paid $350,000-$900,000 upfront because they can move to the 2nd ship and sail for THEIR LIFETIME. In the international media and in press releases Mike had said VVR would add a second ship in January 2024 and it would be $100MM (the current ship was $13MM). Later that Spring he said the second ship would be added in the Summer 2025. Then it became "they were working on the 2nd ship" or "an announcement was coming "soon"". Now he's added this qualifier "should this ship sell out"?? Has he told that to the Endless Horizons people?
Are you able to share what particular article quoted MP as saying this? Thank you.
It was an article in financial publications, both Morningstar and Market Watch.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/can-you-retire-on-a-cruise-ship-here-s-how-much-it-costs-to-live-at-sea/ar-AA1IEBNM
I'm sure the Endless Horizons Lifetime Guarantee is carefully documented, bonded and escrow money locked up along with the same provisions for the 15 year guarantee for all the cabin lessees, er, uh, Villa Owners...
Until you click through pages of Terms and Conditions and read the fine print
VVO is cruising to Hubbard Glacier bay today. Just in front of them is Regent Explorer and just behind them is Seaborne Quest. How awkward to be sandwiched in between 2 ultra lux cruise ships. Maybe the two ships can toss some champagne and caviar (or ant least fresh lettuce) over to the Odyssey along with some good beer for JR.
That would be a nice humanitarian gesture. Perhaps some heating blankets as well? But the actual point is, Odyssey could have had the glacier cruising all to themselves because they started for the glacier long before the other 2 ships. But Odyssey wasted time at 8 knots and the other 2 left much later but were going a more normal 14 and 16 knots so they caught up with and surpassed Odyssey.
Heating blankets? OMG still no heat on the ship?
Per a resident who posts here, there doesn't seem to ever have been heat on Odyssey. And given multiple resident's posts it's been consistently cold since SF with multiple people posting they are going out to buy sweat shirts and sweat pants, they're sleeping under 2 comforters, and the TBYBer said his Superior Suite Balcony cabin was cold the entire week he was onboard.
A new court case (Fair Labor Standards) has been filed on June 27 against VVR in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by 2 employees Mark Doerr and Melissa Autry for failure to pay overtime. case number 0:25-cv-61311
You are a great sleuth! Where would we find this on the wonderful world wide web?
I was looking for the other Broward County Florida court cases and I cannot find the Phenix one- the other two are there as closed because they sued the wrong arm of Villa Vie Residence (the unpaid pool company and the passenger who apparently bought the suite as a corporate perk (underneath the pickleball court)).... I was on my phone and not my laptop though, so harder to navigate.
As you said in the Broward County cases, the resident and the pool company suits were closed on a technicality because they sued the incorrect VVR entity. However their full complaint documents are still there and can be read. Also in the Broward county dbase are all the past lawsuits against Mike himself (he declared bankruptcy, his credit card company sued him for nonpayment, an individual sued him for lack of of control ing his dog who attacked another dog). And the new lawsuit by the employees. Jenny's was filled in Delaware per her contract.
It should also be added that the MirayInt lawsuit and all the exhibits are there too. Yes, the suit was "voluntarily" dismissed but only because MirayInt's attorneys must have obtained their law degrees from a Cracker Jacks box and IMHO were borderline guilty of malpractice and certainly malfeasance. Any decent attorney would have put MP back in bankruptcy court or worse. The case was open and shut and was ultimately dismissed on technicalities (and out of well-engineered frustration) as well.
Ah yes I meant to mention that one as well. The LAS case was closed when LAS went bankrupt and the company didn't exist any longer so Miray decided not to spend lawyer $$ in US courts for a company they weren't going to resurrect. And Miray (LAS parent company) wanted to shut everything in the US to avoid their own passenger lawsuits and investigations. Subsequently to the closure LAS' case against Mike, the bankruptcy judge put a halt on LAS' bankruptcy because LAS passengers intervened and got the Florida USDistrict Atty and FL FBI and the Turkish lawyer representing some LAS passengers and the bankruptcy trustees to all share info together so the fraudulent circumstances of the LAS's bankruptcy were halted.
This is Jenny, you can also go to my YouTube channel called "Jenny at Sea, NOT" and if you look through all of my videos I have posted the lawsuit in its entirety, when a new page comes up you just have to click pause and enlarge the page to be able to read it, and yes it is filed in Delaware as per my contract cuz that's where the company had originally Incorporated prior to moving it to the Marshall Islands at a later date
Hey Jenny I see VV was granted an extension to respond to your lawsuit until July 29. In the Delaware Court dbase we can't open the documents (unlike in the Broward County court) without having a Pacer account. What excuse did VV give for needing more time in their filing of the motion for extension? Takes longer to make something up to justify their actions? Too busy responding to other lawsuits as well as their overdue USCG issues and their failed USPH inspection? Or?
I'll have to look into that as according to my records they had to respond by July 21st, just said they needed time to retain an attorney in Delaware and I would guess to get that person up to speed
Yes my attorney confirms they have until July 29th
Jenny's case was filed in Delaware and the Marshall Islands. You can find the filing using PACER, a US government site at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
I need to quit being so harsh in my criticism of Mike and Kathy. I never realized how altruistic and supportive of their fellow man that they truly are.
Judging by all the lawsuits that have been filed against them and all their corporations, they should be given credit for keeping a cadre of hungry attorneys and summons servers gainfully employed.
So generous, kind, considerate and unselfish. I'm going to go wash my mouth out with soap.
My goodness Joe, what harsh things will you say about VVO next? Why don’t you accuse them of something totally irrational like the ship bobbing in the sea for a few days between ports in Alaska. Oh wait—nevermind—nothing to see on CruiseMapper folks. Just move along.
From VVR's 2024 Team page (when they previously had a short bio on all employees including M&K) here is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit:
Sales Advisor
Mark Doerr
Meet Mark Doerr, our stellar Sales Advisor at Villa Vie Residences. Mark has a solid background in sales, sales leadership, and account management, bringing heaps of experience to our crew. Before jumping onboard with us, he rocked in various sales & sales leadership roles with various services organizations. He received his MBA from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. With his knack for sales and People First approach, Mark’s all about putting his clients first. Trust us, having him on the team is a total win for Villa Vie Residences.
Here's the other:
"Sales Advisor
Melissa Autry
With over 10 years of experience in new business development and sales, Melissa has a proven track record of driving growth and building strong client relationships. She has previously worked as a Territory Sales Manager at Southwind Building Products and Shaw Industries, where she honed her skills in sales and territory management. Melissa’s expertise lies in identifying new sales opportunities and delivering exceptional results. She is a dedicated professional who is committed to providing excellent service and exceeding customer expectations."
"Trust us, having him..."
"Trust us"? Uh, nope. Not a chance.
I checked the US Coastguard site today as it is only updated on Mondays. It has already been updated today but still shows all the VV issues as unresolved.
However what appears to be new (unless I missed it last week?] is that there have already been 3 Coastguard inspections. The first was April 9 in Costa Rica. The 2nd was June 2 in Honolulu and the 3rd was in Catalina Island on June 20.
Sneaky, sneaky. The full itinerary is back on the website (the final 2 years had disappeared from the July 1 V2 of the itinerary - now back 2 weeks later). It appears to be the same as yesterday (ie still dated July 1) but the end of the file name is now "All" and before was "V2". At a quick glance it appears to be the same as before the 2 years disappeared- the 12 days Singapore dry dock is still there. If there are any port changes it would take a lot more analysis to find them.
For those who like statistics, a total of 197 US Public Health inspections were conducted across 150 cruise ships between January 1 and December 31, 2024. Through October 2024 only 2 ships failed. So failure is very rare and Villa Vie Odyssey now ranks amongst those 1% of ships that fail. As rare as it is, it seems somewhat likely it was more than just a "paperwork issue".
A little nudge can be helpful, it seems.
USPH score from recent inspection in Juneau, Alaska, is 81 - pass grade is 86 - with time given to correct noted deficiencies, as usual.
Explanation for laundry service interruption - AFTER the event - is due to inability to discharge untreated grey water while the Odyssey is sailing in restricted areas of Alaskan waters.
Wow they failed even after the TBYBers who posted that the ship was spotless but dated and cold. It will be interesting to see what all the issues were though I assume at least some will be ones we've heard about. Wonder if USPH found the black grit or the moldy areas from the A/C. Perhaps they heard about the onboard outbreak that took place in Mexico. One assumes there were issues with the "food is great!" buffet. Probably some things not hot enough, some things not cold enough.
As far as I know it was mostly procedural stuff - documenting, maintaining records and so on.
Holy Hold Your Water, Batman. The fact that they flunked the recent inspection is troubling enough but far more troubling is the underlying reason for the laundry service suspension and turning off the water.
Observing the repeated pattern of port call --> hurriedly head out to sea immediately to pump and dump --> circle aimlessly for hours at 8 knots --> then head back toward your next destination, seemingly the pattern at just about every single port since Seattle brings up a very disturbing question, i.e., if Odyssey's water system is so outdated or is so limited in carrying capacity that it can't handle the load placed upon it by 300 passengers for one day, how the $%#! will they ever manage to operate if they (hold your laughter please) sell out the ship and run at full capacity more than double that load (triple if you believe their early press statements and proforma projections)?
Just more KlownKar Brigade antics by the same folks who screwed up Brazil, Galapagos, Antarctica, Falklands, the Amazon, Alaskan itinerary, promised initial port calls along the US eastern seaboard and gawd only knows what else.
Methinks they need more than a nudge.
A LOT more...
Where do we find the inspection results?
When I listened to Joe on Board on his one "Hyperfixed" from last October, Joe comments about the cruise amenities that weren't yet available- the pool and the hot tubs. He explains that there is a structural crack in the pool that they've been struggling to repair and that some rooms have had water damage from the pool leak. He also mentions something about the ship's balance when the pool is filled. Hold my beer, Joe, those are two scary thoughts! He jokes that flooding is not the proper use if a swimming pool. Just wondered if any of this potential issues were mentioned by the inspectors.
Again Joe, you are much too harsh. There are plenty of famous start-ups. Very soon to launch Storylines, The Hindenburg, Titanic, Oceangate . Get over yourself!
Just a thought - I wonder if the 2nd day in Anchorage was re-added to the itinerary because the US Coast Guard issues were due July 2 and Anchorage is an easier port for the USCG to access to conduct the reinspection. And is the bus trip to the cancelled port of Seward to get all the residents off the ship? Remember in Costa Rica during the initial USCG inspection , VV made all the residents leave before the Coast Guard arrived (may not have wanted any resident to give them a heads up about black grit coming from A/C vents, mold in some areas, discolored water from taps or other issues). And in Costa Rica VV had told residents they were going to make arrangements for them for things to do while they were off the ship and then VV did nothing.
Under this speculation, those added consecutive sea days allow them to try to fix the overdue issues ahead of Anchorage.
One has to admire truth telling and candor. Here's a question posted on Midlife's YT and their response:
Q: Have there been any changes to this Alaskan segment of the itinerary?
R: Yes, we lost a couple ports and had some ports extended. We lost Seward, but they added an extra day in Anchorage. They are providing a free shuttle to Seward from Anchorage, so we are still going there - just by bus now.
And the actual truth- originally there were 17 days in Alaskan ports and 3 consecutive sea days. Now there are 10 days in Alaskan ports (they lost a lot more than "a couple") and 10 consecutive sea days. The port cancellations were mostly converted into wasted sea days. And BTW that "extra day added in Anchorage" was originally part of the schedule (2 days in Anchorage) and subsequently was changed into 1 day in Anchorage and now that cancelled day has been re-added. And so the seesaw goes.
And they were supposed to be TWO days in Seward and now they get to go there for a few hours by bus...
Truth and transparency from Midlife? Naaah. But their followers think they are getting the actual picture of life on the Odyssey from them.
Now what would really be amazing would be if they would show their viewers how Odyssey leaves every port and instead of taking a direct route to its next port, wastes many hours/days going out to sea and circling around at the blazing speed of 8 kn in order to pump, dump and make water. On several occasions they have steamed right by the next scheduled port and wasted a day or more going in circles. Put up a map showing Odyssey's routes taken in Canada and Alaska. Now that would be a step in the right direction (or maybe MLC would rather circle around that one)
I think it's just an optional day trip. It's a 2-hour bus ride from Anchorage to Seward. And the day (sunrise to sunset) is 19 hours.
Day trip—I just caught on.
OMG Backroads Tourist has a new video out after all these months of silence. I haven't seen it yet, I'm about to watch it. I continue to support him, even after VV silenced him, because of all the many months when he provided us with information and a forum.
I found it to be pretty disappointing and not very informative at all. The reason he gives for his absence is exactly what he said before, i.e., this is his busy season. Not a friggin' word about the VVR videos or the mystery producer who's going to take it all and make a documentary. Frankly, I'm incredulous that he doesn't mention it when he knows full well that it was and is his videos about VVR and Jenny that attracted such a crowd to his channel and not some inane story about an elephant getting shot 300 times.
He's in monetary jeopardy if he says anything about VV. And that is from his own personal funds since he doesn't make $$ on YT. The silence isn't from his own choice.
Not true. He posted a video 2 months ago about Jenny and linked to her website. Dedicated more than a minute of the video to telling viewers about her lawsuit and gave advice about how to read it online.
Silence from VVR after US Public Health inspection and no update on US Coast Guard issues is a little eerie. And clear explanations to residents about services that very much affect their daily life continue to be non existent.
Today a cabin steward told a resident that there will be no laundry service, including the self laundry option, for 3 days. Towels are not being washed. This is after water in the cabins was cut off briefly as well. But Guest Services onboard didn't know about the laundry situation. Is it really for 3 days or just today? The very poor communication between VVR, Guest Services and Residents is simply chronic - the product of a strained, dysfunctional relationship? The cutting off of water is no doubt related to attempts to rectify the compliance issues requiring attention, but this is something I expect to be properly informed about when it is my home.
The fact is that the true physical condition of the ship is not known - not by residents nor Founders alike. Nor is the $ cost of necessary maintenance now and ongoing. How can it be "guaranteed" to sail for 15 years? There's no logic in that statement, let alone something that belongs in a legal Contract. Nor justifies being repeated by Cheerleaders and dishonest influencers on every social media platform they can possibly access. How would this be explained in Court, I wonder.
It's the silence and incomplete, unclear and non-sensical explanations that contribute to lack of confidence and feelings of distrust. And they accumulate and fester. There's only so long you can continue to repeat the words "honesty" and "total transparency" before they loose the ring of truth. And we are well past that time for me and other rational thinkers.
Wake up Explorers. Please.
The US Public Health inspection results and score will be made public and you can be sure we'll be talking about it.
Can you post the link or PM it to me? Thanks
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionSearch.aspx
Even though you enter the Search criteria as Odyssey for the ship, the results return all ships so you then have to go to page 2 of the results and scroll down. But the Odyssey report doesn't yet appear, it's too soon. Perhaps that's why it returns everything instead of returning just Odyssey - because it isn't there yet. However just earlier in the week Odyssey wasn't even an available choice.
Comprendo and thanks. Bookmarked it to check on updates.
Can you fill us in a bit , in very general terms, on medical emergencies on board? A broken leg and 2 port ambulance calls have been reported by residents. Any evacuations at sea?
The progress on most of the outstanding USCG issues aren't things that would be obvious to residents without receiving updates from management. However the peephole on every cabin is one that any resident could see on their own. Ocean Living, have you seen any peepholes being installed on any cabins on any of the decks? If so, is it all/most/some/none? The US consultants informed VV of the necessity back in February to have those completed prior to US arrival in June. Then USCG said there were none on June 2. Has progress been made since the Coastguard gave them only to July 2 to get 'er done?
Mike's promise to his Life at Sea pigeons, er, uh, clients bears repeating and rings more and more hollow with each passing day:
"We are busy on our next project, Villa
Vie Residences, our original plan which
make [sic] the residents the majority
stakeholders and creators of the
project itself. With total transparency
and integrity, we will make the dream
come true stronger, better than
anything else on the market today.
Stay tuned explorers"
Regarding the 15 year "guarantee," show me a bond or a dedicated escrow fund, otherwise you might as well be telling me that the snake oil you're selling is "guaranteed" to cure every ill and add 15 years on to my life. As far as how it would stand up in court, I guess it depends on which court you're considering --- civil or bankruptcy?
Someone posted on Jenny's channel about the outstanding US Coastguard issues found after the Honolulu June 2 inspection. I had quit looking at that USCG site after Odyssey was issued the full US Certification so I didn't see when it was updated with the issues. I had thought that was a saga that had passed (but it seems VV never resolves any of their issues, they just carry them forward- port cancellations, regulation adherence, pools, hot tub, A/C, communications, key personnel exits, ejecting residents, et al). They were all supposed to be rectified in 30 days by July 2 (and that is A LOT of work to accomplish in 30 days!) As of today the USCG site shows each of the issues as not resolved.
09 - Working and Living Conditions: Each passenger stateroom and crew cabin shall be equipped with entry doors that include peepholes or other means of visual identification. There are no means of visual identification on any of the vessel's entry doors. 46USC(a)(1)(B) 50c
[Remember when Midlife posted about this after the US consultants boarded in Montevideo? They acted as if it were the only problem. And yet a full 5 months later, per USCG, not a single peephole was installed(!) ]
07 - Fire Safety: Except for hatches between cargo, special category, store, and baggage spaces, and between such spaces and the weather decks, all openings shall be provided with permanently atached means of closing which shall be at least as effective for resisting fires as the divisions in which they are fitted. The fire boundary door from the Neptune Lounge to the Dress Room is not effective for resisiting fires. 74 SOLAS 81 Amend II-2/30.1 50ac
07 - Fire Safety: General arrangement plan shall be permanently exhibited for the guidance of the ship's officers. Plans shall be kept up to date. The current plan needs to be approved by MSC. 74 SOLAS 20 II-2/20.1 50c
14 - Pollution Prevention - Sewage Treatment Plant: No person may operate any vessel equipped with installed toilet facilities unless it is equipped with an operable Type device. The installed device does not operate. 33CFR159.7 50c
07 - Fire Safety: Spaces other than public spaces, corridors, public toilets, special category spaces, othr stairways required by regulation 28.1.5, open deck spaces and spaces covered by paragraph 4.4.2 are not permitted to have direct access to stairway enclosures. The 01 Deck engineering workshop in Main Vertical Zone 4 has direct access to escape stairs. 74 SOLAS 97 II-2/41-2.4.5 50ac
JJ said "we hope to return to the ship next year". So they won't be back for at least 6+ months and sounds as if there are no actual future dates set. Thank goodness the DC Dudes have returned to takeover the shameless lying to the public. A truly seamless transition.
Sorry but I don't believe one single word uttered or printed by J&J.
But how is the shipboard internet really? Is it like JJ said "we didn't have a problem when we were onboard"? Or is it more like multiple residents have posted - spotty and sometimes quite an issue for those who work remotely (some of whom have not told their bosses they are on a cruise ship)?
Well if the performance of Geeks On Tour's every Sunday Live YT for their paid Tech subscribers is an indication, it is closer to the latter than the former. They have had this subscription YT for many years and the Sunday Live YT where people could ask them tech questions is a big feature of that subscription service. In the month of June they held 2 of the 5 Sunday Live YTs (June had a lot Sundays). They also missed the first Sunday in July.
You mean you don't trust the JJ Bros to shoot straight with you? Why would they shade the truth? I thought they promised to be honest, objective, unbiased and impartial. You mean they might have gaslighted us? Surely not!
There was mention of a recent announcement by VVR as to Cabotage laws. The source didn’t give more detail. Did anyone else see anything?
I did not see the announcement. However I hadn't thought about this aspect of the cancelled Alaskan ports and the wasted 10 days in a row at sea which replaces the cancelled ports. I was actually wondering if any of the residents would skip that wasted time and disembark and tour Alaska in those 10 days (which would be fantastic and allow them to visit some of the cancelled locations) and then just reboard in Anchorage while the ship was still in Alaska. But I forgot that on a foreign ship you can't disembark in 1 US port and reembark in a different US port without visiting a foreign port first, which Odyssey isn't doing. Wow in that case they have really disadvantaged their passengers with this new 10 days at sea (as of the July 1 itinerary) by holding them all hostage on that cold ship. Even those with money can't take advantage of being in Alaska unless they are willing to fly all the way to Japan to reboard.
Check your PM