Luxury World Cruise Suspended, Leaving Passengers Stranded in Cambodia

A luxury cruise ship on a multi-year voyage around the globe has suspended operations because of sharply higher fuel costs, leaving its passengers stranded in Cambodia. The US-based operator of the Villa Vie Odyssey said it is working with those on board on disembarkation plans and "temporary living arrangements".

The number of people on the ship is not clear, though the vessel, which is nearly 200m (656ft) long, can hold up to 650 passengers. Reports suggest around 200 were aboard when they were told to leave the ship in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville. The town was once a sleepy beach destination but has gained global notoriety in recent years as a hub for scam centres.

The company blamed the Iran war, which began earlier this year and has pushed global fuel prices sharply higher. It said the monthly fuel cost per cabin in parts of Asia has climbed to as much as $8,000 (£6,000), up from $1,800.

The operator said it had cut fuel use by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port. Those steps were not enough to "offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs". It added that "passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution". The company plans to spend the next 60 days on "restructuring and recapitalisation", but said "no outcome is assured".

The Villa Vie Odyssey left Belfast in October 2024 on a "continuous voyage around the world". According to its website, the trip was expected to last 3.5 years and visit nearly 150 countries. The departure was delayed while the ship underwent repairs, which left passengers stranded in Belfast for months and cost the company millions of pounds. The ship was more than 750 days into its circumnavigation when it announced the suspension on Tuesday.

Onboard facilities include several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court. Permanent cabin residencies are priced from $120,000 to $440,000, and cabins can also be rented from $3,500 a month. Last year, the company launched a lifetime residence programme aimed at people who want to spend their retirement years at sea. In 2024, days after Donald Trump won a second term as US president, parent company Villa Vie Residences announced a four-year "Skip Forward" package.

Passenger Holly Hennessey told the BBC from Cambodia that the situation was unexpected. "It was not on my bingo card of places where I'd be spending a lot of time," she said. "We're all in different hotels; there are a number of shipmates in the hotel that I'm in. We're just waiting."

She said residents had earlier been asked to consider paying a fuel surcharge as prices rose, and that the itinerary had been "severely curtailed". Some people chose to leave the ship and continue their travels on land.

Hennessey is among those staying in Cambodia in the hope that the ship will sail again. "Until they say we are done, done done, I am not giving up. I could never duplicate this lifestyle. The idea of going home? It would be so trite," she said. "Cambodia's not the worst place to hang out."