OMM Newsroom
Passengers aboard the “Villa Vie Odyssey”, a luxury cruise ship on a years-long voyage around the world, have been left stranded in Cambodia after its operator suspended operations because of exceptionally high fuel costs, BBC reported.
The US-based operator said it was working with passengers on plans to disembark and on “temporary living arrangements”. It is unclear how many people were on board. The nearly 200-metre (656-foot) vessel can carry up to 650 passengers.
Fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia have risen to as much as $8,000 a month, up from $1,800, the company said. Global fuel prices have surged since the Iran war began earlier this year.
The operator said it had taken “significant steps to reduce fuel consumption”, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port. But those measures were not enough to “offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs”.
“Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution,” the company said.
The company said it would spend the next 60 days on “restructuring and recapitalisation”, adding that “no outcome is assured”.
The voyage was expected to last 3.5 years and cover nearly 150 countries, according to the ship’s website. The vessel departed Belfast in October 2024.
Its departure had been delayed while the ship underwent repairs, leaving passengers stranded in Belfast for months and costing the company millions of pounds.
The “Villa Vie Odyssey” was more than 750 days into its circumnavigation when it announced on Tuesday that the voyage was suspended, leaving passengers stranded in Cambodia.
The ship has several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court, according to its website. Permanent cabin residencies cost between $120,000 and $440,000, while cabins are also available to rent for $3,500 a month.
Around 200 passengers were on board when they were told to disembark in Cambodia, Bloomberg reported, citing the cruise operator’s founder.
