Soaring Fuel Costs Force US Cruise Ship to Halt World Voyage in Cambodia

A United States cruise ship on a multiyear trip around the world has suspended its voyage in Cambodia, leaving hundreds of passengers ashore with no confirmed date for resuming the journey.

The MV Odyssey, run by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Friday. The company said fuel costs per cabin each month, which have historically averaged $1,800, had climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia.

Villa Vie said it tried to cut consumption by slowing the vessel and spending more time in port, but those steps were not enough to offset the higher prices. "We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses," the company said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that passing the full increase on to residents was not a realistic solution.

The price surge is linked to disruption in global energy markets. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been curtailed since the United States-Israel war on Iran began, tightening supplies of petroleum-based fuels and pushing up prices, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Cambodian officials said the ship was carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members. Some passengers said they were given only seven hours notice to disembark and had to arrange their own accommodation.

Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming who boarded 17 months ago, said they had expected to live at sea for years. They said the company had already struggled with itinerary changes, unreliable internet and declining food quality. "We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything," Lynn Montoya said, alleging mismanagement and unpaid crew members.

Other passengers voiced hope that a new company or an effort led by residents could rescue the venture. Carol Larson, 69, who bought her cabin for $120,000 in instalments, said she did not regret taking the risk. "I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising," she said.

The ship left Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 on a trip originally planned to last three and a half years. Built in 1993, it was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023 and offered cabins for long-term living, with lifetime-vessel suites initially priced from about $230,000.

Cambodian officials said the vessel was expected to refuel and depart on Saturday, although the operator had not publicly confirmed a departure date.