Cruise ship stops in Cambodia as fuel bills triple, stranding 203 passengers

Hundreds of people living aboard the MV Odyssey have been forced to leave their cabins as the vessel halted its multi-year global voyage in Cambodia. The ship, which marketed itself as a floating home, is currently docked in Sihanoukville with no confirmed departure date.

Cambodian officials confirmed the ship carries 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. The vessel has a total capacity of 650 passengers. It arrived in the port last Friday and was originally scheduled to depart Wednesday.

Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based operator, attributed the suspension to a sharp rise in fuel costs. The company stated that monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800, have climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. This increase is linked to curtailed traffic in the Strait of Hormuz following the war in Iran.

The operator said it attempted to lower consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port but could not offset the surging prices. In a statement issued Tuesday, the company said it was unable to continue carrying the operating losses and that passing the full increase to residents was not realistic.

Residents reported receiving only seven hours notice to disembark on Tuesday. Many had to arrange their own temporary living situations. Paul Montoya, a retired passenger from Wyoming, said the company had struggled with financial sustainability before the fuel crisis. He noted that unreliable internet and declining food quality had already pushed some residents to leave.

Lynn Montoya, Paul's wife, said the crew was unpaid and residents were repeatedly asked for additional money for fuel. "We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything," she said. "We had hopes but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement."

The ship began its current three-and-a-half-year cruise in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024. The vessel was built in 1993 and previously operated by several cruise lines before Villa Vie Residences purchased it in 2023. The company is now working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements.

Deputy Governor Long Dimanche of Preah Sihanouk province said the ship is expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday, though the operator has not publicly confirmed the date. The Odyssey is not the first vessel in crisis to use the port, as the MS Westerdam docked there in February 2020 after being rejected by five other nations during the early stages of the pandemic.