Thirteen terminally ill children and their families who were set to take in the spectacle of the Vancouver Olympics may see that last wish dashed after accommodation plans fell through less than two weeks before the Games.

The families are among approximately 800 people who were supposed to stay in a cruise ship that was to serve as a floating hotel during the Games. But the investment company behind the project cancelled the plan. Many people are left with nowhere to stay, including the children who had planned to attend the Games with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Edmonton's Newwest Special Projects confirmed it pulled the plug on accommodations for the Norwegian Star cruise ship because sales were slow and expenses were too great. It's a business decision that throws into turmoil the Olympic travel plans of people from around the world.

Make-A-Wish Foundation executive director Ross Hetherington said he had just crossed the t's and dotted the i's on the children's itineraries on Saturday and was confident they would get their Olympic wishes.

He had been working for three to four months with Utah-based marketing company Shindig to secure the travel packages with Newwest Special Projects. When the company cancelled their arrangements Monday, they panicked.

Luckily, Shindig had been helping them find alternative accommodations, but it's been tough so late in the game, he said.

"Today was one of the worst days I've experienced because I couldn't imagine how I could tell these families and Wish kids that they wouldn't be able to have their wishes," he said. "[But now] I have optimism and faith in people because of the outpouring of support."

Once the public heard the children - aged 8 to 17, all suffering from life-threatening illnesses - would be stranded, Mr. Hetherington was inundated with offers from Vancouverites offering up a bedroom in their homes. Unfortunately, these offers had to be declined due to insurance and legal issues.

"What we're really looking for is angels out there connected to corporate partners if they'd think of us and our kids and open up a floor," he said, adding that he's also reached out to local hotels, many of which are fully booked but are seeking ways to accommodate the visiting families.

The children are coming from Canada, the United States and even as far as Australia. For many, their last wish is to witness the opening ceremonies or watch the gold-medal hockey games.

The disappointment also extends beyond the Make a Wish families to those who must scramble to make alternative plans on their own to make it to the Olympics.

Customers could have to pay nearly three to four times as much as originally planned as they seek alternative accommodations, says FlightCentre's Allison Wallace. They had about 30 bookings for about 100 people to stay on the cruise ship, she said. Each of those individuals will be refunded if they haven't departed yet. "It's really frustrating," she said. "I don't think a lot of people are going to have a lot of choice," she said.

Calls to Newwest Special Projects were not returned last night.

With a report from The Canadian Press