Cruise ship halts world tour in Cambodia as fuel prices spike

Long-term maritime travel has become a niche luxury for those seeking life on the water, but a recent halt in Southeast Asia exposes the financial fragility of such ventures. The MV Odyssey, a vessel operating under a Florida-based company, stopped its global tour at the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia on Friday.

Villa Vie Residences, the operator, attributed the suspension to a sharp rise in energy expenses. The company noted that fuel costs per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800 a month, reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. It stated that slowing the ship and increasing time in port failed to offset these higher prices. "We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The surge in costs stems from disruptions in global energy markets. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has decreased since the United States and Israel began a war with Iran, tightening petroleum supplies. These tighter supplies have pushed fuel prices up, particularly affecting routes in Southeast Asia. Villa Vie added that passing the full cost increase to residents was not a realistic solution.

Cambodian officials reported that the ship carried 203 passengers, mostly from the United States, along with 156 crew members. Some passengers said they received only seven hours' notice to leave the vessel. They had to arrange their own accommodation after disembarking. Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming who boarded 17 months ago, said they had expected to live at sea for years. "We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything," Lynn Montoya said. She alleged mismanagement and unpaid crew members.

Other residents expressed hope that a new company or a resident-led effort could save the project. Carol Larson, 69, who purchased her cabin for $120,000 in installments, said she did not regret 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 for a trip originally planned to last three and a half years.

Built in 1993, the vessel was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023. The company 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 specific departure date.