In brief
The MV Odyssey, operating as a residential cruise ship under Villa Vie Residences, departed Sihanoukville early Wednesday after refueling, following a decision to suspend operations because of soaring fuel costs. More than two hundred passengers and a reduced crew remain on board with the vessel’s next destination unknown. The incident followed earlier disembarkation of passengers on Oct. 27 after a shortage of fuel funds and the issuing of tourist visas by Cambodian authorities.
The MV Odyssey left the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port at 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday after refueling, according to Tang Sochetkresna, director of the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Department of Tourism, before it set off into the open sea. More than 200 passengers remained on board, along with a reduced crew, as the ship departs Cambodia with its next destination still unknown.
The residential cruise, operated by Florida‑based Villa Vie Residences, originally arrived in Sihanoukville on Oct. 23 from Thailand with 203 passengers and 156 crew members. On Oct. 27 the operator forced all passengers to disembark, citing a lack of money for fuel. Almost immediately after disembarkation, Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Sokha reported that the General Department of Immigration issued tourist visas to the stranded passengers, who come from 15 different nationalities.
"The cruise ship left the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port at 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday after refueling," Tang Sochetkresna told Xinhua via telephone, noting that the vessel departed with a partial crew, as many members had already exited the country by air.
Villa Vie Residences announced it has suspended the cruise ship’s operations due to skyrocketing fuel costs. The company disclosed that monthly fuel expenses, which historically averaged around US$1,800 per cabin, had recently surged to between US$6,000 and US$8,000 in parts of Asia, an increase that the company says makes continued operations unsustainable.
The financial crisis that triggered the suspension is traced back to early 2026, when the company saw its fuel budget expand from its initial projections. The surge in fuel prices, combined with the increased cost of maintaining a floating residence for passengers on a global cruise, forced the operator to shut down the voyage and disembark passengers.
Following the departure from Cambodia, the MV Odyssey carries a crew that has been reduced by air evacuation and will proceed with a skeleton crew. The next port of call has yet to be announced, and the ship’s itinerary for the remainder of its planned three‑and‑a‑half‑year global voyage remains uncertain.
The MV Odyssey began its circumnavigation in October 2024 from Belfast, Northern Ireland, after extensive repairs. The planned journey had been designed to offer long‑term residents floating homes that would travel around the world, addressing a niche market of cruise residents. The abrupt halt in Cambodia has highlighted the vulnerability of such ventures to volatile fuel markets and the difficulties of sustaining a floating community across international waters.