Residential Cruise Ship Odyssey Halts World Voyage in Cambodia Over Fuel Costs; 203 Passengers Must Leave Their Homes
A US residential cruise ship on a world voyage has suspended its operations in Cambodia because of fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers who lived on board to abandon their floating homes.
The Odyssey set sail two years ago on a three-year voyage to the seven continents. The voyage was marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel.
The Florida-based company said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia during the war in Iran.
Villa Vie Residences said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surge in fuel costs.
The company said it has been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses. Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution, it said, and its focus now is on supporting residents, crew and employees while it tries to restructure.
Sihanoukville Autonomous Port said in a statement last week that the ship docked on 23 October for a five-day visit. It was to head to Vietnam but remained in the port on Wednesday.
The ship carried 203 passengers of 15 nationalities, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. It had a capacity of 650 residents.
Passengers have been told to leave the ship, but the crew's status was unclear.
The Odyssey had a confirmed itinerary into November 2027. The company planned for a second residential cruise ship to enter service in early 2029, but the statement on the suspension of the Odyssey's voyage did not address the second ship.
