Villa Vie Residences Halts Odyssey Cruise in Cambodia Over Fuel Costs

Villa Vie Residences, a Florida-based company operating the MV Odyssey, suspended the ship's three-year global voyage in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The decision was driven by a sharp rise in fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark from the vessel. The ship is currently docked at the port on the Gulf of Thailand with no confirmed departure date.

The Odyssey launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024. The operator marketed the voyage as a residential experience, inviting passengers to treat the ship as a permanent home. The company offered lifetime suites for the vessel's duration, with prices starting at approximately $230,000. The ship carries 203 passengers, mostly from the United States, and 156 crew members. It has a total capacity for 650 passengers.

Fuel expenses have become the primary financial burden for the operator. Villa Vie Residences stated that monthly fuel costs per cabin, which previously averaged $1,800, have climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The company attributed the increase to the war in Iran, which has restricted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and tightened petroleum supplies in Southeast Asia. The operator said it attempted to mitigate costs by slowing the itinerary and extending port stays, but the measures were insufficient to offset the rising expenses.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the company said it was unable to continue absorbing the operating losses. It noted that passing the full cost increase to residents was not a realistic solution. The company is currently working with residents to coordinate their disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements while it seeks to restructure its operations.

Passengers reported receiving only seven hours' notice on Tuesday to leave the ship. Many stated they had to arrange their own lodging and support. Paul Montoya, a retired resident from Wyoming, said he and his wife Lynn boarded the ship 17 months ago in Panama. They had purchased a window cabin and expected to sail for years. Montoya said the shipowner lacked the expertise to maintain financial sustainability, noting that itinerary changes and service declines had already pushed residents away before the fuel crisis.

Lynn Montoya said residents were repeatedly asked to contribute additional funds for fuel and other expenses. She described a recent call to raise money for fuel to exit Cambodia. She said crew members were also not being paid. The couple expressed hope that a new company might take over the venture to allow life at sea to continue.

Other residents viewed the suspension as a disruption to a lifestyle they valued. Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, from California, had lived aboard separate cabins for 18 months. Larson bought her cabin for $120,000 in installments, under a plan promising up to 15 years of residence. She blamed the Iran war and poor management for the ship's troubles but said she did not regret the investment. She described the experience as a risk she was willing to take.

Lavering said her health improved during her time on the ship, noting she no longer required a cane to walk. She expressed sadness at the end of the voyage, saying residents came to the ship to live. The company could not immediately be reached for comment on the future of the vessel or the residents' next steps.

The Odyssey arrived in Sihanoukville on Friday. It was originally scheduled to depart on Wednesday. Long Dimanche, the deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said the ship was expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday. The ship was built in 1993 and operated under various names before Villa Vie Residences purchased it in 2023. Its current cruise was intended to last three and a half years, with a second cruise tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030.