Could you do a video explaining the background of your channel, and why & how your channel has become mainly a place of reporting about things related to Villa Vie? I ran across it, not sure how you came to cover mainly this one topic, seems like there must be a story there. Thanks
Hi Ryan. At first I thought "Nobody would be interested in that!" But then I saw that your comment got 7 likes (so far). I'll see if I can put something together on that for this weekend. Yes, there's a story, but I'm sure that while some will find it interesting, others will find it boring. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment. I appreciate it.
It would be interesting to see how the are capitalizing a reserve fund, if one exists, for future repairs. This could turn out to be a floating version of a Florida Condo that collapses because they deferred repairs and had insufficient funds to do regular maintenance. Florida condo owners are getting slammed with assessments to bring buildings back into compliance and to fully fund a maintenance program (now required by law). I see the cost for this on the VV as only going in one direction - UP.
Absolutely, anybody buying a unit on the ship should have been provided with a full set of financial statements. I asked this question of midlife, cruising, and they said that they were not provided financial statements. Only the founders have access to that information. Obviously maritime wall is different fromFlorida condo wall so they may not have had to provide prospective owners with full financial statements and projections. But certainly if I were buying in and spending six figures or more I would want to see the financial projections before I open my checkbook.
The only reason the large cruise lines get rid of old ships is because its not viable to keep them. They are too costly to maintain, parts are obsolete and always require ongoing expensive maintenance. The money will soon run out, sadly.
Per a resident "Until we have 250 passengers we only have one dining area at a time. Currently we have main dining on Wednesdays and Saturdays for dinner from 6:30 - 8 :30." Buffet for all other meals during short hours (12-2 for lunch). There are currently 188 residents onboard (29% of capacity), very close to the number there were when they got to Dakar.
I would have thought the most negative effect to the 'community' would be the dreadful performance of VVR Executives and owners. Who IMHO, are clearly not up to the task in hand, namely keeping promises/contract T&Cs and delivering a fully functioning ship - have they never heard of negative PR!? In short, a shambles 😫
The cost of attorneys far outweighs returning Jenny’s payments in full since they kicked her off. Now they will likely have to pay that plus her attorney’s fees plus damages. The “owners”, and residents, should be wary of ghis floating disaster.
Amen……it’s a disaster …….just wait it will be life in a soap opera …..love .divorce , sexual inappropriate behavior and then the truth ….omg I can’t wait until they all can tell the true story
I posted the following in reply to a thread of exchanges on the previous video, and am reposting my thoughts here, as I think it also ties into the issue of limited recourse, and the engagement by the posters and many other followers of this saga: For me - I think there are 3 preliminary questions of interest, at this point. 1) Has VV failed to deliver on the product they marketed and promised? 2) Is VV still failing to deliver on the product that they are still marketing, with its various promised amenities, "luxuries", itineraries, and VV's current knowledge of the realities? 3) Are those who have "bought in" satisfied with the product that is being delivered? (And I realize that each one leads down a path to further questions, etc...) In my view, the answer to the first two is yes. The answer to the third is more nuanced, as some obviously are satisfied with their experience and adventure, notwithstanding any failed deliverables. Others, from their posts and comments, are not at all satisfied, and I have the impression that portion also feels trapped financially given their investment or expenditure, as the experience is not what they thought they were signing up for, and they have virtually no recourse. Consumer protection options would normally exist in many of these other, similar types of scenarios, but most likely, not here. Good luck to Jenny leading the way on some of this.
There are two big issues here one is this is probably subject to Maritime law and number two. This is a relatively new concept in the cruising industry so there probably is not a lot of settled law here. But at the end of the day, I do not believe that theowners are being truthful in their marketing promises so the only real protection you have is caveat and tour. Let the buyer beware.
I’m laughing re: Bridgerton comment. 😂 your channel is blowing up! Congrats! For me-I’m interested in the lessons learned for this company so when I’m ready to join them-all the kinks are worked out.
Hold onto your money. Most of the budget cruisers on this ship have been sold on the idea that future customers will be paying for the increased costs to run and maintain this ship, not them because of their "contract". Their contracts have already been breached by the condition of the ship not being what was promised.
Yes, I want Susan Sarandon to play me! And, extremely coincidentally, I met her in October filming a movie in Edison NJ at Harold’s NY Deli! The name of the movie, coming out in 2025, is “The Accompanist”. Another friend of ours want to be played by Kathy Bates!
Until very recently I had not seen VV nor any resident refer to it as a "drive by" so I don't know if this is a new admission or new change but it didn't seem to be publicly and clearly stated before.
So Jenny basically got kicked off because she and others were complaining? That seems like an exagerated response-who wouldn't complain after being stuck for four months. So it's their fault she's off the ship, why not give her money back? What am I missing? I'll assume the fact she got lawyers involved and maybe the other woman did not, is why she was not invited back on....
don't forget that after kicking her out, and keeping her money, they also kept (could one use the word stole here???) her possessions that were already on board, for several months, until negotiating a return.
HI, this is Jenny, after what Villa Vie did to me I had no desire to get back on the ship, I simply wanted my money and my possessions back which they said they would return at the time of termination . Myself and the other woman spent two months attempting to get a refund and to get our possessions before we involved any media. When they refused to refund I found an attorney to take my case . Bonny still had an interest in getting back on the ship so she continued to negotiate. After I found an attorney he negotiated getting my possessions back after 3 months. My case is seeking a long list of damages and it is now in the hands of the attorneys. Hopefully they will be able to reach a settlement and if not we will proceed to court.
Good to hear that Jenny finally got her things back. If Jenny is in Florida, and VV sent her things back(obviously they did because she just got them), it does not surprise me that it took this long. My husband and I lived in Scotland for 6 years and returned to California a little over two years ago. We had to use a shipping company to send our things back to the states, and it took three months to get them. The company picked them up about two weeks before we flew home, and the things were delivered to our new home three months later. This is a normal timeframe for shipping things from one continent to another, unless you pay a crazy amount of money to ship by air. Why VV did not tell Jenny they had already shipped her things is a mystery, and it would have saved her a lot of turmoil if they had. So now the big question is the refund. Lawyers being the only real winners is why I wish society wasn’t as litigious as it is. It will be interesting to see what happens next and also to see how long it will take.
@@RetiredZGrt well I just know how long things take to get from Belfast to the U.S. , from personal experience. Jenny said that the last she knew, her things were on the ship. In Belfast. Shipping from Belfast to Florida is slow, unless you spend a LOT of money to fly them. And nobody is mentioning details, like about a timeline and whether she got notice of the shipping date. Knowing that date would be indication of how long it did take them to finally send the things. The lawsuit should continue till she gets her money back. If they give the full amount back without a lawyer taking a cut that would be great. I hope she gets it ALL back. In her own pocket.
The company never shipped my belongings, I know that for a fact because I have friends on the ship that located them in the storage room. It was a day or two after I retained my attorney and the ship had just started sailing that I was notified that Kathy and Mike were flying back to Florida so my attorney contacted them and informed them if they brought my luggage back with them it would reduce their damages in the lawsuit, that's what it took for me to get my things back after 4 months of begging.
@@JennyatSeathank you for this info. I wondered about that. So Mike and Kathy brought your things back themselves? That was the cheapest fastest option. As I said, if they shipped the stuff from Belfast it would have taken 3 months, and they would supposedly have told you. It all sounds so extremely stupid on their part. Such a simple thing, they had a few options for doing it, but no, it took a threat from a lawyer. Good lawyer! Hope he makes them see the light about your money.
@@Teacher659. What is wrong with that? Why shouldn’t they delete negativity & insults. It is their channel. They don’t have to defend themselves or their vlog to you or anyone else. Why should they bother with negativity? They are just sharing their experiences for people like me who are interested in the progress of the ship and the destinations they visit. If you don’t like how they do their channel there are hundreds of others to choose from…
@ They asked for an answer and I gave them one. Nowhere is it implied that we as viewers and commenters have to fall in like sheep and agree that everything is perfect with rainbows and unicorns for all. You are obviously a formally educated person who thinks you know what’s best for all and do not allow yourself to hear others opinions. God forbid people get any pushback to their Fairy Tale. And yes, they most certainly do have to defend themselves as they are the ones putting their lives out there. Since when is the truth an insult ? I guess if you’re a lib.
@@Teacher659 I loved your comment until you stated only a ‘lib’ would find the truth an insult…I am a ‘lib’ in the fact I have a flexible mind. A flexible mind, however, still knows a scam when it sees one.
Jenny must be suing for triple damages and fraud which could have dire consequences for Mike and Kathy. She mentioned libel as well. So now money that should be used to repair and run this ship will have to be used to defend the Company, i.e. Mike and Kathy.
@georgettenorth2776 a cruise lawyer had said (not Jenny's lawyer) that if what the ceo had said was true and they voted her out then they could also have culpability. I don't know if her lawyer has involved them but one would think it would be logical for them to try to. Potential culpability would not necessarily be limited to Jenny. If Founders review or agree to other decisions that later become the subject of lawsuits, they could also become a party in those suits and they might have just a touch more $ at that point than VV.
VV management will play games, stall, get continuances, et... If she actually wins, they are in another country, so good luck to her trying to collect a judgment.
Nope, I don’t even know that TV show. I lived in NJ before I sold my home, car, and many possessions before leaving in May to join the VV Odyssey. I’ve been a nomad ever since.
Could you do a video explaining the background of your channel, and why & how your channel has become mainly a place of reporting about things related to Villa Vie? I ran across it, not sure how you came to cover mainly this one topic, seems like there must be a story there. Thanks
Hi Ryan. At first I thought "Nobody would be interested in that!" But then I saw that your comment got 7 likes (so far). I'll see if I can put something together on that for this weekend. Yes, there's a story, but I'm sure that while some will find it interesting, others will find it boring. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment. I appreciate it.
Lady Whistledown is very accurate 😂 Villa Vie is something else I love hearing what’s new
It would be interesting to see how the are capitalizing a reserve fund, if one exists, for future repairs. This could turn out to be a floating version of a Florida Condo that collapses because they deferred repairs and had insufficient funds to do regular maintenance. Florida condo owners are getting slammed with assessments to bring buildings back into compliance and to fully fund a maintenance program (now required by law). I see the cost for this on the VV as only going in one direction - UP.
Absolutely, anybody buying a unit on the ship should have been provided with a full set of financial statements. I asked this question of midlife, cruising, and they said that they were not provided financial statements. Only the founders have access to that information. Obviously maritime wall is different fromFlorida condo wall so they may not have had to provide prospective owners with full financial statements and projections. But certainly if I were buying in and spending six figures or more I would want to see the financial projections before I open my checkbook.
The only reason the large cruise lines get rid of old ships is because its not viable to keep them. They are too costly to maintain, parts are obsolete and always require ongoing expensive maintenance. The money will soon run out, sadly.
Per a resident "Until we have 250 passengers we only have one dining area at a time. Currently we have main dining on Wednesdays and Saturdays for dinner from 6:30 - 8 :30." Buffet for all other meals during short hours (12-2 for lunch). There are currently 188 residents onboard (29% of capacity), very close to the number there were when they got to Dakar.
No way this tub is going to finish it’s itinerary before it runs out of money
That's what I suspect. It must be costing so much money to run this ship day to day, let alone capital repairs going into the future.
I wonder if there has been any resales of cabins?? I bet the resale price is dramatically lower
Villa Vie is ick. They don't handle things well and that's all I need to see.
Agree
I would have thought the most negative effect to the 'community' would be the dreadful performance of VVR Executives and owners. Who IMHO, are clearly not up to the task in hand, namely keeping promises/contract T&Cs and delivering a fully functioning ship
- have they never heard of negative PR!? In short, a shambles 😫
The cost of attorneys far outweighs returning Jenny’s payments in full since they kicked her off. Now they will likely have to pay that plus her attorney’s fees plus damages. The “owners”, and residents, should be wary of ghis floating disaster.
Amen……it’s a disaster …….just wait it will be life in a soap opera …..love .divorce , sexual inappropriate behavior and then the truth ….omg I can’t wait until they all can tell the true story
I posted the following in reply to a thread of exchanges on the previous video, and am reposting my thoughts here, as I think it also ties into the issue of limited recourse, and the engagement by the posters and many other followers of this saga:
For me - I think there are 3 preliminary questions of interest, at this point. 1) Has VV failed to deliver on the product they marketed and promised? 2) Is VV still failing to deliver on the product that they are still marketing, with its various promised amenities, "luxuries", itineraries, and VV's current knowledge of the realities? 3) Are those who have "bought in" satisfied with the product that is being delivered? (And I realize that each one leads down a path to further questions, etc...)
In my view, the answer to the first two is yes. The answer to the third is more nuanced, as some obviously are satisfied with their experience and adventure, notwithstanding any failed deliverables. Others, from their posts and comments, are not at all satisfied, and I have the impression that portion also feels trapped financially given their investment or expenditure, as the experience is not what they thought they were signing up for, and they have virtually no recourse. Consumer protection options would normally exist in many of these other, similar types of scenarios, but most likely, not here.
Good luck to Jenny leading the way on some of this.
There are two big issues here one is this is probably subject to Maritime law and number two. This is a relatively new concept in the cruising industry so there probably is not a lot of settled law here. But at the end of the day, I do not believe that theowners are being truthful in their marketing promises so the only real protection you have is caveat and tour. Let the buyer beware.
I’m laughing re: Bridgerton comment. 😂 your channel is blowing up! Congrats! For me-I’m interested in the lessons learned for this company so when I’m ready to join them-all the kinks are worked out.
Hold onto your money. Most of the budget cruisers on this ship have been sold on the idea that future customers will be paying for the increased costs to run and maintain this ship, not them because of their "contract". Their contracts have already been breached by the condition of the ship not being what was promised.
Surely somebody is goig to make a movie or TV series about this drama?
Yes, I want Susan Sarandon to play me! And, extremely coincidentally, I met her in October filming a movie in Edison NJ at Harold’s NY Deli! The name of the movie, coming out in 2025, is “The Accompanist”. Another friend of ours want to be played by Kathy Bates!
Whistledown-I laughed out loud!😂
Re: Antarctica. I keep seeing it referred to as a "sail by".
Everyone’s dream is to wave at Antartica 🤪🤣
Until very recently I had not seen VV nor any resident refer to it as a "drive by" so I don't know if this is a new admission or new change but it didn't seem to be publicly and clearly stated before.
@ exactly, and hey had actually ports listed in Antartica last time I looked at the itinerary
haha You are! You got me hooked on this drama 😂
Need more popcorn for these.
That's a shame. Lawyers always come out in front.
Good luck Jenny, hope you win
So Jenny basically got kicked off because she and others were complaining? That seems like an exagerated response-who wouldn't complain after being stuck for four months. So it's their fault she's off the ship, why not give her money back? What am I missing? I'll assume the fact she got lawyers involved and maybe the other woman did not, is why she was not invited back on....
don't forget that after kicking her out, and keeping her money, they also kept (could one use the word stole here???) her possessions that were already on board, for several months, until negotiating a return.
HI, this is Jenny, after what Villa Vie did to me I had no desire to get back on the ship, I simply wanted my money and my possessions back which they said they would return at the time of termination . Myself and the other woman spent two months attempting to get a refund and to get our possessions before we involved any media. When they refused to refund I found an attorney to take my case . Bonny still had an interest in getting back on the ship so she continued to negotiate. After I found an attorney he negotiated getting my possessions back after 3 months. My case is seeking a long list of damages and it is now in the hands of the attorneys. Hopefully they will be able to reach a settlement and if not we will proceed to court.
Thank you, Jenny, for telling my and our story accurately!
@@bonnykelter7162 I hope this all works out for you the way you want and I hope everyone on the ship is nice to you.
Good to hear that Jenny finally got her things back. If Jenny is in Florida, and VV sent her things back(obviously they did because she just got them), it does not surprise me that it took this long. My husband and I lived in Scotland for 6 years and returned to California a little over two years ago. We had to use a shipping company to send our things back to the states, and it took three months to get them. The company picked them up about two weeks before we flew home, and the things were delivered to our new home three months later. This is a normal timeframe for shipping things from one continent to another, unless you pay a crazy amount of money to ship by air. Why VV did not tell Jenny they had already shipped her things is a mystery, and it would have saved her a lot of turmoil if they had. So now the big question is the refund. Lawyers being the only real winners is why I wish society wasn’t as litigious as it is. It will be interesting to see what happens next and also to see how long it will take.
@gerriebell2128 Jenny only got her things back because she got a lawyer. The lawyer contacted VV and that's why they were finally returned.
@@RetiredZGrt well I just know how long things take to get from Belfast to the U.S. , from personal experience. Jenny said that the last she knew, her things were on the ship. In Belfast. Shipping from Belfast to Florida is slow, unless you spend a LOT of money to fly them. And nobody is mentioning details, like about a timeline and whether she got notice of the shipping date. Knowing that date would be indication of how long it did take them to finally send the things. The lawsuit should continue till she gets her money back. If they give the full amount back without a lawyer taking a cut that would be great. I hope she gets it ALL back. In her own pocket.
The company never shipped my belongings, I know that for a fact because I have friends on the ship that located them in the storage room. It was a day or two after I retained my attorney and the ship had just started sailing that I was notified that Kathy and Mike were flying back to Florida so my attorney contacted them and informed them if they brought my luggage back with them it would reduce their damages in the lawsuit, that's what it took for me to get my things back after 4 months of begging.
@@JennyatSeathank you for this info. I wondered about that. So Mike and Kathy brought your things back themselves? That was the cheapest fastest option. As I said, if they shipped the stuff from Belfast it would have taken 3 months, and they would supposedly have told you. It all sounds so extremely stupid on their part. Such a simple thing, they had a few options for doing it, but no, it took a threat from a lawyer. Good lawyer! Hope he makes them see the light about your money.
They are vindictive. They are mad Jenny had the nerve to defend herself
Most of the Vloggers on that ship are vindictive as well. They all delete comments that don’t share their views.
@@Teacher659. What is wrong with that? Why shouldn’t they delete negativity & insults. It is their channel. They don’t have to defend themselves or their vlog to you or anyone else. Why should they bother with negativity?
They are just sharing their experiences for people like me who are interested in the progress of the ship and the destinations they visit. If you don’t like how they do their channel there are hundreds of others to choose from…
@ They asked for an answer and I gave them one. Nowhere is it implied that we as viewers and commenters have to fall in like sheep and agree that everything is perfect with rainbows and unicorns for all. You are obviously a formally educated person who thinks you know what’s best for all and do not allow yourself to hear others opinions. God forbid people get any pushback to their Fairy Tale. And yes, they most certainly do have to defend themselves as they are the ones putting their lives out there. Since when is the truth an insult ? I guess if you’re a lib.
@@Teacher659 I loved your comment until you stated only a ‘lib’ would find the truth an insult…I am a ‘lib’ in the fact I have a flexible mind. A flexible mind, however, still knows a scam when it sees one.
@@Teacher659really going to bring politics into this? 🤦♀️
Lol! Lady Whistledown!
Jenny must be suing for triple damages and fraud which could have dire consequences for Mike and Kathy. She mentioned libel as well. So now money that should be used to repair and run this ship will have to be used to defend the Company, i.e. Mike and Kathy.
Are the founders also implicated in this law suit or do they have protections by contract?
@georgettenorth2776 a cruise lawyer had said (not Jenny's lawyer) that if what the ceo had said was true and they voted her out then they could also have culpability. I don't know if her lawyer has involved them but one would think it would be logical for them to try to. Potential culpability would not necessarily be limited to Jenny. If Founders review or agree to other decisions that later become the subject of lawsuits, they could also become a party in those suits and they might have just a touch more $ at that point than VV.
If I were a founder, I would be rereading my contract now. @@RetiredZGrt
My attorney is considering that
VV management will play games, stall, get continuances, et... If she actually wins, they are in another country, so good luck to her trying to collect a judgment.
It will still cost them a lot of money. Hourly rates for defense lawyers add up fast.
Ambulance Chaser!
Mike Fraudster!
Is Bonnie the same woman on the television show where the people lived in Alaska?
Nope, I don’t even know that TV show. I lived in NJ before I sold my home, car, and many possessions before leaving in May to join the VV Odyssey. I’ve been a nomad ever since.
The “founders” of Villa Vie need to reread the US Constitution.
No, it's a Bahamian registered vessel.