OMM Newsroom
Hundreds of people who lived aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey have been forced to disembark in Cambodia as sharply rising fuel costs made the ship’s operations financially unsustainable, AnewZ reported. The increase has been linked to the Iran war.
The Villa Vie Odyssey had been travelling around the world for more than 755 days. It offered passengers the option to rent or buy long-term and permanent accommodation aboard the ship.
The ship’s owner announced on Tuesday that operations had been suspended and passengers would disembark in Cambodia. The company is trying to find temporary accommodation for them.
According to the company, fuel costs that previously averaged about $1,800 per cabin per month had risen to $6,000-$8,000 in some parts of Asia. The company said it could not pass on additional costs of that scale to residents, while the resulting shortfall was putting unsustainable financial pressure on its existing operating model.
Ship had 203 passengers and 156 crew members
The ship can accommodate up to 650 people. Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said there were 203 passengers and 156 crew members aboard when operations were suspended.
Some passengers have already left Cambodia by plane, while others have remained in the port city of Sihanoukville. Dimanche added that the ship is expected to refuel before leaving Cambodia on Saturday.
Residents given hours to leave the ship
Randy Kasingham, who lived aboard the Odyssey with his wife and writes about the lifestyle on ResidentialCruising.com, said the head of the Florida-based company, Kathy Villaba, sent residents a message shortly before 7 a.m. in Cambodia, telling them they had to leave the ship by 2 p.m.
“It was a chain of problems piling up one after another, from the business model and management mistakes to the cited crisis over fuel prices and availability,” Kasingham said.
Videos shared by residents on social media show a range of reactions. Some expressed disappointment and uncertainty, while others said they planned to use the unexpected extra time to travel around Southeast Asia.
Villa Vie Residences said it had taken steps to reduce fuel consumption after the Iran war began in late February, including slowing the ship and spending more time in ports. But these measures did not offset the impact of the sharp increase in fuel prices.
The company said it could not continue operating while incurring losses. It also said it would seek to restructure and raise additional capital over the next 60 days, but no financing agreement had yet been finalized.
