More than 200 passengers who paid up to $300,000 each for a lifetime at sea found themselves suddenly stranded in a Cambodian port city last week — an abrupt end to what was supposed to be a three-year around-the-world voyage. Now, the ship at the center of that disruption has sailed away, leaving nearly 100 of those passengers still waiting in Sihanoukville.
The MV Odyssey, a cruise ship owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, departed Cambodia late Tuesday carrying only crew and other personnel on board, according to Cambodian officials. Tang Sochetkresna, director of the Tourism Department of Preah Sihanouk province, confirmed the ship’s departure but said he had no information on its next destination.
The vessel had been making a scheduled stop at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand when, on October 28, its 203 passengers were abruptly told they had to leave the ship within a matter of hours. The ship has a capacity of 650 passengers and had 156 crew members on board, though it was unclear how many left with the vessel.
Tang noted that nearly 100 passengers remained in Sihanoukville at the time of the ship’s departure. Others had traveled to different parts of Cambodia or moved on to other countries. Most of the passengers were American citizens.
Fuel Costs Behind the Collapse
Villa Vie Residences cited a dramatic surge in fuel costs as the reason for suspending its operations. The company reported that monthly fuel expenses per cabin that had historically averaged around $1,800 climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The company attributed the spike to the ongoing war in Iran.
Fuel supplies, particularly in Southeast Asia, have been squeezed significantly since traffic was curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of that conflict. The Strait is a critical chokepoint for global petroleum shipments, and its disruption has sent prices sharply higher across the region.
Villa Vie said it attempted to manage the rising costs by slowing the ship’s pace and extending time spent in port to reduce fuel consumption, but those efforts were not enough to keep the voyage financially viable.
A “Floating Home” That Came With a High Price Tag
The MV Odyssey had marketed itself as more than just a cruise ship. It positioned itself as a floating residence — a permanent home at sea that combined long-term living with global travel. Some passengers reported paying more than $300,000 for a suite for the lifetime of the vessel, making the sudden shutdown all the more jarring for those on board.
Reports had also surfaced in the months leading up to the suspension that the company had been asking passengers to make financial contributions to help keep operations running — a detail that fueled debate on social media about whether the business model was ever sustainable.
There has been no official announcement from Villa Vie Residences about future plans for the ship. Media reports suggest that a creditor has taken over management of the vessel and is having it sailed to Singapore, Southeast Asia’s main maritime hub.
The Odyssey was built in 1993 and operated under various names by several cruise lines before the COVID-19 pandemic. Villa Vie Residences purchased it in 2023, and after a refit in Belfast, Northern Ireland, its current voyage launched in October 2024. The company had also announced plans for a second cruise and the acquisition of a second ship before operations were suspended.