The founder of the doomed “never-ending” cruise company, Villa Vie, has admitted that he is the “villain” in the story, after 200 passengers were left stranded in Cambodia when the ship ran out of fuel.

“I feel awful,” Mikael Patterson said, adding that he is considering bankruptcy for his company, during an interview with Business Insider.

Villa Vie Residences promised customers a choice of 509 cabins on its luxury cruise ship, the Odyssey, for a six-figure sum, allowing them to sail around the world for the rest of their lives.

But unexpected mechanical problems, combined with the war in Iran sending fuel prices soaring, ended up scuppering the dream cruise, Patterson claimed.