The ship was carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members
That is the reality facing more than 200 passengers aboard the MV Odyssey, a residential cruise ship whose ambitious round-the-world journey has been suspended in Cambodia amid soaring fuel costs. The vessel, which set sail from Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 for a journey spanning all seven continents and more than 400 destinations, arrived at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville last Friday. The company advertised lifetime cabin ownership, with prices for some berths starting at around $230,000, alongside rental options. Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming who boarded the ship 17 months ago, said changes to the itinerary, unreliable internet access and declining food quality had prompted some residents to leave.
Because the voyage can no longer afford to keep sailing, imagine selling your house, giving up life on land and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to make a luxury cruise ship your permanent home, only to be told to disembark thousands of miles away from home. Its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, subsequently announced that mounting operating expenses had made continuing the voyage financially unsustainable, leaving passengers scrambling to arrange accommodation and alternative travel. NBC News reported that passengers were given only a few hours’ notice to leave the vessel, leaving some to arrange their own accommodation and travel.
The company said it had attempted to limit the impact by reducing fuel consumption, slowing the ship’s itinerary and spending more time in port. Cambodian officials said some passengers had already flown out, while others remained in Sihanoukville. However, some residents told the Associated Press that the company had faced financial difficulties even before the latest fuel price surge.
However, these measures failed to offset the increase in operating costs. The Odyssey was marketed as a floating home, offering passengers the opportunity to combine long-term living at sea with global travel.