The key facts

  • Villa Vie Odyssey, which had spent more than 750 days on a round-the-world voyage, was stopped in Sihanoukville, Cambodia; on board were 203 guests and 156 crew members
  • Villa Vie Odyssey, more than 750 days into its round-the-world voyage, was stopped in Sihanoukville, Cambodia; there were 203 guests and 156 crew members on board
  • The operator attributes the stop to rising fuel costs — from $1,800 to $6,000–8,000 per month per cabin in Asia — and speaks of restructuring within 60 days
  • Passengers give conflicting assessments: some do not regret the trip, others accuse the company of providing no help
  • Passengers give conflicting assessments: some do not regret the trip, others accuse the company of providing no assistance

The three-and-a-half-year voyage was cut short in Sihanoukville

The cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, which set sail from Belfast in October 2024 on a 'continuous voyage around the world', has been stopped in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville. The vessel had been underway for more than 750 days of a planned three and a half years and nearly 150 countries. According to Long Dimanch, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, on 23 October the ship, flying the flag of the Bahamas, arrived from Thailand carrying 203 guests and 156 crew members; the route was then supposed to continue to Vietnam. This was reported by euronews citing the official.

The reason: fuel prices have multiplied

The US-based operator Villa Vie Residences said it had suspended operations in Cambodia due to an 'extraordinary' rise in fuel costs following the outbreak of the war with Iran in late February. According to the company, monthly fuel costs per cabin rose from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000–8,000 in some regions of Asia. The BBC cites the upper bound — up to $8,000 (£6,000). The company says it tried to offset the increase by slowing the route and extending port stays, but that 'passing the increase fully on to residents is unrealistic'. Over the next 60 days it intends to pursue restructuring and recapitalisation, noting that 'the outcome cannot be predicted'.

Seven hours to pack

During a scheduled stop, passengers were given about seven hours to disembark, Long Dimanch said. According to him, 'the sudden order to disembark left many pensioners and remote workers without shelter, thousands of kilometres from their home countries'. Some passengers flew out, while others stayed in the city; the ship itself, according to euronews, was due to refuel and depart on 31 October. Bloomberg, citing the operator's founder, put the number of passengers at roughly 200; the vessel, with a capacity of up to 650 passengers, is about 200 metres long.

Who these passengers are and what they lost

The 'residential cruising' model involved buying or renting cabins for periods ranging from a holiday to a lifetime: according to euronews, the cost of apartments for the vessel's entire service life started at around $230,000, while the BBC gives a range of $120,000 to $440,000 and rentals from $3,500 a month. Some passengers sold all their possessions to take part. American Randy Cunningham and his wife had been on board since the departure from Belfast and, according to him AFP, spent about a million dollars on a trip that was meant to last at least 15 years. Carol Larson, 69, from California, paid $120,000 for a cabin, not counting monthly fees — and a year and a half later found herself 'stranded' in Sihanoukville.

Conflicting assessments and the project's earlier troubles

Passengers assess the situation differently. Cunningham, who runs the blog ResidentialCruising.com, accused the company of 'doing absolutely nothing to help': according to him, AFP reported that people were taken to the city centre without even being given a list of hotels — yet he himself does not regret the trip and would return on board if the cruise resumes. Barbara Fiegel told AFP that over the past four months the company 'kept asking for more and more money', but 'I don't think we were scammed — the costs were underestimated for us'. Larson placed most of the blame on the US president and the war in the Middle East, as well as on the cruise's management. Villa Vie did not respond to an AFP request, but said in a statement that it 'is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and find temporary accommodation'.

The ship's background

This is not the project's first setback: its departure from Belfast in 2024 was delayed due to ship repairs, and passengers waited in Northern Ireland for months, which cost the company millions of pounds, the BBC notes. The liner itself was built in 1993, changed several operators, sat idle during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was purchased by Villa Vie Residences in 2023. Sihanoukville had already received the liner in a crisis situation: in February 2020, the MS Westerdam docked there after five ports in other countries refused it entry over COVID-19 concerns. It remains unknown whether the restructuring will succeed and whether passengers will receive compensation — sources do not report on this.

A large white cruise ship sails through deep blue ocean waters near a chain of green, hilly islands under a clear sky.Image source, Villa Vie Residences
Image caption,

The Villa Vie Odyssey was more than 750 days into its voyage around the world when it came to a stop in Cambodia

Treated image of a cruise ship on a blue background imposed on a scene showing a tropical island with orange sky and seapeople in protective gear on board the MV Hondius in RotterdamA woman with grey short hair in a purple raincoat is hugging a man with short brown hair in a green hoody. They are both smiling with their eyes closed.