Residents aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, a cruise designed to sail continuously, have been ordered to disembark after the operating company suspended operations in Cambodia, citing extraordinary increases in fuel costs.
On Monday morning, the journey halted in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Randy Cassingham, one of up to 650 people living on the 195-metre, 24,344 gross tonnage ship, said a message on the internal messaging board told residents: "Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations. As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems. All residents must disembark by 2.00 PM today."
Fuel costs blamed for suspension
A spokesperson for Villa Vie Residences told the Express that the company "has suspended operations in Cambodia as the company works to address extraordinary increases in fuel costs and evaluate restructuring and recapitalisation alternatives."
The company attributed the rise to the bombing campaign by Israeli and US forces against Iran, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a drop in global oil supplies. The spokesperson added: "Fuel costs have risen sharply in the regions where the company has been operating. On an equivalent per-cabin basis, monthly fuel expense that historically averaged approximately $1,800 (£1,350) has recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia."
Residents face disruption
The company said it is "working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements," acknowledging that this is "a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees."
Villa Vie's website promotes the ship's continuous voyage visiting 147 countries and more than 425 ports of call, circumnavigating the globe every 3.5 years. However, since February, the ship has spent less time at sea, with the company slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port to reduce fuel consumption. The spokesperson said those measures "have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs," and the company is working toward restructuring and recapitalisation over the next 60 days, though "no outcome is assured."
Passengers have invested heavily in the voyage. Meredith Shay, who signed up for the Villa Vie Odyssey after a previous cruise venture failed, rented a fifth-floor suite for five years at a cost of $159,000, with $7,999 a month in homeowner fees, bringing the total to around $630,000. The ship had earlier been delayed in Belfast for more than four months due to issues with its rudder stocks.
