World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Fuel costs halt world voyage, leaving cruise passengers in Cambodia
Villa Vie Odyssey has suspended its world voyage because soaring fuel costs made its operations difficult to sustain.
The luxury ship is moored in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, where passengers are being helped to disembark and find temporary accommodation.
The ship set off from Belfast in October 2024 on a planned 3.5-year trip covering nearly 150 countries.
Its cabins are sold or rented as residences, so passengers live aboard rather than taking a typical cruise.
Monthly fuel costs per cabin rose from about $1,800 to as much as $8,000, despite efforts to save fuel by slowing the journey and spending longer in port.
The company says it cannot pass on the full increase to residents, and it has not said how many passengers were aboard or where they will go after leaving the ship.
The company will spend 60 days considering restructuring and recapitalisation, but says no outcome is assured.
Villa Vie Residences suspended operations of its Odyssey cruise ship, leaving passengers in Cambodia.
The company cited soaring fuel costs, which it said had made its operating model extremely challenging.
The ship is moored in Sihanoukville, and the company is coordinating disembarkation and temporary living arrangements.
The company said it is evaluating restructuring and recapitalisation alternatives over the next 60 days.
Odyssey left Belfast in October 2024 on a planned continuous voyage around the world.
- Who
- Passengers on Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey cruise ship.
- What
- The company suspended operations, leaving passengers in Cambodia while it arranges disembarkation and temporary accommodation.
- When
- The suspension was announced on October 27, 2026.
- Where
- The ship is moored in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
- Why
- The company cited exceptionally high fuel costs, which it said its efforts to reduce consumption could not offset.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Odyssey departed Belfast on a planned continuous voyage around the world.
The Iran conflict began, after which the company said it tried to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port.
The company announced it had suspended operations, citing fuel costs, and said it was coordinating passenger disembarkation and temporary living arrangements.
The company said it would evaluate restructuring and recapitalisation alternatives.
- Ship
- Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey
- Current location
- Sihanoukville, Cambodia
- Passenger capacity
- Up to 650
- Fuel cost per cabin
- As much as US$8,000 a month, up from about US$1,800
- Planned voyage
- 3.5 years and nearly 150 countries
- Company review period
- 60 days
3 sources
What people are saying
The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents.
Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution.