1 hour ago
The disruption left 203 passengers facing disembarkation while the operator sought to restructure. However, the cabin costs have also increased with time. The authorities have also duly mentioned that the passengers can stay at the new prices or arrange their way back home, if possible.
The ship was scheduled to leave Cambodia on Wednesday, but its departure was delayed. (Credits: AFP)
A US cruise ship marketed as a floating home for people seeking a permanent life at sea has suspended its around-the-world voyage in Cambodia as soaring fuel costs linked to the Iran war made its operations financially unsustainable.
Hundreds of passengers have been forced to disembark, with the vessel’s next departure date uncertain.
The MV Odyssey, operated by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, is currently docked at Sihanoukville port on the Gulf of Thailand.
The ship had been on a multi-year voyage covering seven continents, offering passengers the option of living aboard while travelling around the world.
The company said its fuel expenses, which historically averaged around $1,800 (Rs 1.71 lakh) per cabin per month, had climbed to an estimated $6,000 (Rs 5.71 lakh) to $8,000 (Rs 7.61 lakh) in parts of Asia.
It attributed the increase to disruptions in fuel supplies and rising prices following the war involving Iran.
“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” the company said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
It added that passing the full increase on to residents was not a realistic solution and that it was focusing on supporting passengers, crew members and employees while attempting to restructure its operations.
203 PASSENGERS ABOARD SHIP WITH 650-PASSENGER CAPACITY
According to Cambodian officials, the Odyssey was carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members when it arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday. The vessel has a capacity of 650 passengers.
The ship was scheduled to leave Cambodia on Wednesday, but its departure was delayed. Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said the vessel was expected to refuel and depart on Saturday.
However, Villa Vie Residences had not publicly confirmed a departure date.
The company said it had attempted to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the ship’s itinerary and spending more time in ports. However, these measures were insufficient to offset the increase in operating expenses.
Villa Vie Residences said it was coordinating with passengers to arrange their disembarkation and identify temporary accommodation.
However, some passengers criticised the company’s handling of the situation. Randy Cassingham, a blogger who had been travelling aboard the ship, said passengers had received little assistance with accommodation or onward travel.
Cassingham wrote that shuttle buses had dropped passengers in Sihanoukville without providing hotel recommendations or helping them arrange accommodation. The company could not immediately be reached for comment on his criticism.
IRAN WAR DISRUPTS FUEL SUPPLIES, PUSHES UP PRICES
The suspension comes amid disruptions to global energy supplies following the war involving Iran. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, has been curtailed, affecting petroleum-based fuel supplies and contributing to higher prices, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) cited in reports showed that the average US diesel price rose from $3.76 (Rs 378) per gallon on February 27, 2026, the day before the war began, to $6.52 (Rs 621) late last month.
The increase has added pressure to businesses that depend heavily on fuel, including cruise operators. For the Odyssey, the rising costs have disrupted a voyage built around long-term residential travel.
CRUISE MARKETED AS A PERMANENT HOME AT SEA
Villa Vie Residences had promoted the Odyssey as an opportunity for passengers to combine long-term living with global travel. The company had offered buyers the chance to make the vessel their permanent home, with the purchase price of a suite for the lifetime of the ship starting at around $230,000.
Built in 1993, the vessel had operated under different names for several cruise lines before being sidelined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Villa Vie Residences purchased the ship in 2023 and refurbished it for residential cruising.
The current voyage began in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 and was originally planned to last around three and a half years. A subsequent cruise had tentatively been scheduled to end in August 2030.
The suspension now raises questions about the future of the voyage and the arrangements for passengers who had invested in an extended life at sea.
CAMBODIA PREVIOUSLY HOSTED CRUISE SHIP STRANDED DURING PANDEMIC
Sihanoukville has previously received a cruise ship caught in an international travel crisis. In February 2020, Cambodia allowed the MS Westerdam to dock after five other ports turned it away amid concerns over COVID-19.
The ship was carrying 1,455 passengers, including more than 600 American citizens, and had been stranded at sea for two weeks. Cambodia’s then-prime minister, Hun Sen, permitted it to dock on humanitarian grounds, and arrangements were made for passengers to return home.
The circumstances surrounding the Odyssey are different, with the suspension driven by rising operating costs rather than a public health emergency. However, both cases have placed Cambodia at the centre of a cruise ship crisis involving passengers unable to continue their planned journeys.
- Ends
