Fuel costs force US cruise ship to suspend multi-year voyage in Cambodia

The MV Odyssey, a cruise ship operated by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, has suspended its around-the-world voyage in Cambodia, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark with no confirmed departure date. The ship arrived at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Friday, cutting short a journey that had been planned to last three and a half years.

Fuel was the breaking point. The company said monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which had historically averaged $1,800, had climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. It tried to reduce consumption by slowing the ship and spending more time in port, but said those steps could not offset the rising costs. In a statement on Tuesday, the operator said it could no longer absorb the resulting operating losses and that passing the full increase on to residents was not a realistic solution.

The wider backdrop is a squeeze on fuel supplies. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been curtailed since the United States-Israel war on Iran began, tightening supplies of petroleum-based fuels and pushing up prices, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Cambodian officials said the ship was carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. Some passengers said they received only seven hours' notice to disembark and had to arrange their own accommodation. Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming who boarded 17 months ago expecting to live at sea for years, said they had grown frustrated by repeated requests for extra fuel payments and alleged mismanagement and unpaid crew members.

Other passengers still hoped a new company or a resident-led effort could save the venture. Carol Larson, 69, who bought her cabin for $120,000 in instalments, said she did not regret taking the risk. The ship set sail from Belfast in October 2024, was built in 1993, and was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023 to offer long-term living at sea. Cambodian officials said it was expected to refuel and leave on Saturday, although the operator had not publicly confirmed a departure date.