Around-the-World Residential Cruise Halts Voyage in Cambodia as Fuel Costs Soar

A U.S. cruise ship that promoted its cabins as permanent floating homes has suspended its around-the-world voyage in Cambodia, citing surging fuel costs and forcing hundreds of people to leave the vessel.

The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a trip to all seven continents, pitched as a blend of long-term living at sea and global travel. Its operator invited buyers to "make the Odyssey your permanent home," with suites for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230,000 US, or about $323,000 Cdn. The ship is now docked at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.

Cambodian officials said the ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members. Its capacity is 650 passengers.

Florida-based Villa Vie Residences said monthly fuel costs per cabin, which historically averaged $2,527 Cdn, have climbed to an estimated $8,425 to $11,234 in parts of Asia because of the war in Iran. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been curtailed since the conflict began, squeezing supplies of petroleum-based fuels, especially in Southeast Asia. The company said it slowed the itinerary and spent more time in port to cut consumption but could not offset the increases. "We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses," it said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that passing the full increase on to residents was not realistic.

Passengers said they were given seven hours' notice on Tuesday to disembark and received no support, having to make their own arrangements. The company said it is working with residents to co-ordinate disembarkation and find temporary living arrangements while it tries to restructure.

Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, bought a window cabin and boarded in Panama 17 months ago, expecting to sail for years. Paul said the company was already struggling before the suspension, pointing to itinerary changes, unreliable internet and declining food quality that had led many residents to leave in recent months. Lynn said residents were asked every two to four weeks for money for fuel and other costs, and that crew members were not paid. "We had hopes but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement," she said.

Others remained grateful for the experience. Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, lived in separate cabins for 18 months. Larson paid $168,000 Cdn in installments, plus monthly maintenance fees, under a plan promising the possibility of living aboard for up to 15 years. She blamed both U.S. President Donald Trump, over fuel costs tied to the Iran war, and poor management, but said she did not regret the investment. "I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising," she said. She hopes residents might buy the ship. Lavering said her health improved aboard and she no longer needed a cane.

The ship arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday and was due to leave Wednesday, according to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. He said it is now expected to refuel and depart on Saturday, though the operator has not publicly confirmed a date.

Built in 1993, the Odyssey sailed under several names and for various cruise lines before the coronavirus pandemic halted it in 2020. Villa Vie Residences bought it in 2023. The current cruise, intended to last 3½ years, began in October 2024 in Belfast, where the ship was refitted. A second cruise had been tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030.