Fuel costs halt US cruise ship's round-the-world voyage in Cambodia
A US cruise ship has suspended its multi-year round-the-world voyage in Cambodia, leaving hundreds of passengers ashore with no confirmed date for departure.
The MV Odyssey, run by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, docked at Sihanoukville on Friday. The company said monthly fuel costs per cabin, which usually averaged $1,800, had risen to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. Slowing the ship and spending longer in port failed to offset the increase.
"We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses," Villa Vie Residences said in a Tuesday statement, adding that passing the full increase on to residents was not realistic. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been reduced since the US-Israel war on Iran began, tightening petroleum-based fuel supplies and driving up prices, especially in Southeast Asia.
Cambodian officials said the ship carried 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew. Some passengers said they had only seven hours' notice to disembark and had to find their own accommodation.
Paul and Lynn Montoya, retired Wyoming residents who boarded 17 months ago, said they had expected to live at sea for years. They cited itinerary changes, unreliable internet and declining food quality. "We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything," Lynn Montoya said, alleging mismanagement and unpaid crew.
Other passengers hoped a new company or a resident-led effort could save the venture. Carol Larson, 69, who bought her cabin for $120,000 in instalments, said she did not regret the risk: "I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising."
The ship sailed from Belfast in October 2024 on a voyage planned to last three and a half years. Built in 1993, it was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023, with lifetime suites initially priced from about $230,000. Cambodian officials said the ship was expected to refuel and leave on Saturday, though the operator had not publicly confirmed a departure date.