US Residential Cruise Odyssey Halts in Cambodia Amid Fuel Costs

Passengers aboard the MV Odyssey received a seven-hour warning to leave the vessel before it docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The ship, marketed as a floating home for a multi-year circumnavigation, suspended operations due to soaring fuel expenses. Operators stated that monthly costs per cabin, historically around $1,800, surged to between $6,000 and $8,000 in parts of Asia. This spike was attributed to the war in Iran, which has restricted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and tightened fuel supplies across Southeast Asia.

The Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said it attempted to mitigate the financial hit by slowing the itinerary and increasing port stays. However, these measures failed to offset the operating losses. A statement issued on Tuesday noted that passing the full cost increase to residents was not realistic. The company is now restructuring and working to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements for those leaving the ship.

According to Cambodian officials, the vessel carries 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. The ship has a maximum capacity of 650. It arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday and was originally scheduled to depart on Wednesday. Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk province, Long Dimanche, indicated the ship is expected to refuel and depart on Saturday, though the operator has not publicly confirmed that date.

The Odyssey began its current voyage in October 2024 from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The trip was designed to last three and a half years, with a second cruise tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030. Villa Vie Residences purchased the 1993-built ship in 2023 after it sat idle during the pandemic. The company marketed the experience by offering suite purchases starting around $230,000, promising customers they could make the vessel their permanent home.

Several residents described the final days aboard as chaotic. Paul Montoya, a retired resident from Wyoming, said the shipowner lacked the expertise to keep the business sustainable. He noted that rising fuel costs were publicized as the primary reason for the halt, but he believed the company had been struggling prior to the recent spike in prices. He cited itinerary changes, unreliable internet, and declining food quality as factors that led many residents to leave in recent months.

His wife, Lynn Montoya, said residents faced repeated requests for additional funds to cover fuel and other expenses. The crew also went unpaid. “We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything,” she said. “We had hopes but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement.”

Others viewed the venture as a calculated risk. Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, spent 18 months in separate cabins. Larson bought her cabin for $120,000, paid in installments, under a plan that promised up to 15 years of residence. She blamed the Iran war and poor management for the current crisis but said she did not regret the investment. “Because it was a startup company, I believe that it was a risk,” she said. “I still feel that way. I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising.”

Lavering said her health improved during her time at sea and that she no longer requires a cane to walk. “You come to this ship to live … it’s just sad that it’s all over,” she said. Both siblings expressed hope that residents might form a group to purchase the ship and continue the voyage.

This is not the first time a cruise ship has found refuge in Sihanoukville during a crisis. In February 2020, the MS Westerdam docked there after being rejected by five other ports due to COVID-19 fears. At the time, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen allowed the 1,455 passengers to disembark for humanitarian reasons. The Odyssey, with its smaller passenger count, now shares that history in the Gulf of Thailand.