Passengers on a US luxury cruise ship stranded in Cambodia have criticised the operator's 'mismanagement' after their three-year voyage was abruptly halted. Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based operator, said the decision to make hundreds of passengers disembark the MV Odyssey was due to rising fuel prices. The voyage had been marketed as a trip to the seven continents, combining long-term living at sea with global travel.
Adverts told passengers to 'make the Odyssey your permanent home', with suites priced from around $230,000 (£172,000) for the lifetime of the vessel. Initially scheduled to leave Belfast in May 2024, the ship was delayed for months due to unexpected repairs. It eventually set sail in October, heading for France, but is now docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.
Fuel costs and delays
The ship, which has a 650-passenger capacity, has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian officials. Villa Vie Residences said monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800 (£1,351), have reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 (£4,500-£6,000) in parts of Asia. The company attributed this to the war in Iran and said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but admitted it was unable to offset the surging costs.
In a statement, Villa Vie Residences said: "We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses. Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees" while it tries to restructure. The company added: "The company is working with residents to co-ordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements."
Passengers react to sudden disembarkation
Furious passengers said they received no support and had to make their own arrangements after being given seven hours' notice on Tuesday (October 27) to disembark. Many expressed hope that a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea can continue.
Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, boarded the ship 17 months ago in Panama. They had bought a window cabin and expected to sail for years. Mr Montoya, who is in favour of residential cruising, said the shipowner lacked the expertise to make the business financially sustainable. Despite the company blaming rising fuel costs, he said they had already been struggling.
He claimed that many residents were pushed to leave the ship in recent months due to changes to the itinerary, unreliable internet access and declining food quality. Additionally, Mrs Montoya claims that residents were repeatedly asked to contribute additional money for fuel, including funds to get out of Cambodia. She also said that crew members were not paid.
Residents hope for a rescue
"We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything. We had hopes, but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement," Mrs Montoya said.
Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, from California, hope the cruise will be resurrected, describing the suspension as heartbreaking. "I hope there is a movement for the residents to buy the ship and I am hoping that goes through because it's a dream to live on the ship and I don't want it to end," Ms Larson said. She bought her cabin for $120,000 (£90,072), paid in instalments in addition to monthly maintenance fees, under a plan that promised the possibility of living aboard for up to 15 years.
Ms Larson blamed US President Donald Trump for the rise in fuel prices and highlighted poor management on the ship, saying: "Because it was a start-up company, I believe that it was a risk. From the very first day, I said to myself that if it lasts a year, I can walk away and feel like I got my money's worth… I still feel that way. I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising."
Arriving in Sihanoukville last Friday (October 23), the ship was scheduled to depart on Wednesday (October 28), according to a statement from Long Dimanche, the deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. It was now expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday (October 31), but the ship's operator has not yet publicly confirmed any date.
