200 Cruise Residents Told to Leave Their Floating Homes in Cambodia

A residential cruise that invited customers to make a ship their permanent home has suspended its world voyage in Cambodia, leaving 203 passengers facing an unexpected move ashore. The MV Odyssey was docked in Sihanoukville when its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said it could no longer absorb soaring fuel costs.

The voyage began in Belfast in October 2024 and was marketed as a long-term journey around seven continents. The company advertised suites purchased for the lifetime of the vessel beginning around $230,000. Residents were not simply ending a conventional vacation: some had organized daily living around a ship they expected to remain aboard for years.

What forced the shutdown

Villa Vie put the fuel problem in concrete terms: historical monthly fuel costs per cabin averaged roughly $1,800 but had reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The operator attributed the increase to disruption related to the war in Iran. Slowing the itinerary and extending port visits did not offset the operating losses, the company said, and charging residents the full increase was not realistic.

What the passengers face

Passenger and blogger Randy Cassingham disputed the company’s description of the assistance being arranged. He wrote that shuttle buses took passengers into town without hotel recommendations or paid accommodation. CBS/AP could not immediately obtain the operator’s response to his specific criticism; his account should not be generalized to every resident.

The ship had arrived in Sihanoukville on October 23 and had been expected to continue toward Vietnam. Cambodian officials discussed a possible refueling and Saturday departure, but Villa Vie had not confirmed when the voyage might resume. Leaving the port would not itself establish that the original multi-year itinerary was restored.

Disembarking residents faced immediate decisions about accommodation, transportation and belongings left aboard. Whether costs would be reimbursed, or whether residents had additional contractual remedies, depended on their agreements and later decisions by the operator; the advertised suite price alone does not establish the amount any individual might recover.

References: U.S. cruise ship suspends 3-year around-the-world voyage in Cambodia due to fuel costs