Fuel costs force global cruise ship to halt in Cambodia

The MV Odyssey, a vessel marketed as a floating home for long-term residents, has paused its around-the-world journey in Cambodia. The stop is indefinite due to skyrocketing fuel prices.

The ship departed Belfast in Northern Ireland in October 2024 for a planned 3.5-year itinerary. Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based operator, sold cabins for approximately $230,000. The company promoted the ship as a permanent residence for up to 15 years.

The Odyssey arrived at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand on Friday. It was scheduled to depart Wednesday. Cambodian officials said the ship now has 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. The vessel has a total capacity of 650 people.

Villa Vie Residences stated that monthly fuel costs per cabin have jumped from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The company attributed the increase to the war in Iran. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been curtailed, squeezing petroleum supplies and raising prices in Southeast Asia.

The operator said it tried to slow its itinerary to save fuel but could not offset the losses. The company issued a statement on Tuesday saying it is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. It is now restructuring.

Passengers received seven hours' notice to leave the ship on Tuesday. Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, said they had been aboard for 17 months. They reported that the ship had already been struggling before the fuel crisis. They cited unreliable internet, changing itineraries, and declining food quality as factors that pushed other residents to leave. Lynn Montoya said the crew had not been paid.

Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, spent 18 months on the ship. Larson, who bought her cabin for $120,000, said she does not regret the investment. She described the experience as a risk worth taking for a startup venture. The ship, built in 1993, was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023 after being idled during the pandemic.

Cambodian officials expect the Odyssey to refuel and depart on Saturday. The ship's operator has not publicly confirmed that date. The vessel had been scheduled to depart Wednesday but is now waiting in port.