The US cruise ship MV Odyssey, sold as a way to live aboard while sailing around the world, has suspended its voyage in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after fuel costs surged. AP and others reported that 203 passengers were given less than a day's notice to disembark.
According to AP and Al Jazeera, the 1993-built ship was bought in 2023 by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences. It left Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 on a voyage planned to last three and a half years, with a later cruise tentatively running to August 2030. Against a capacity of 650, it carried 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew.
광고 문의 · 300×250The operator said in a statement, ‘We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses’, adding that passing the full increase to residents was not realistic. It said it is restructuring and helping residents find temporary housing.
Fuel up several-fold, Hormuz in the background
AP reported that monthly fuel costs per cabin, historically about $1,800, have risen to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The company slowed the ship and spent more time in port, which did not offset the increase. Outlets attributed the jump to restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Israeli war on Iran, which tightened supply and lifted prices especially in Southeast Asia.
Passengers gave their own accounts. A retired Wyoming couple said they were asked for fuel money every two to four weeks and cited itinerary changes, unreliable internet and declining food, and alleged unpaid crew. The unpaid-wages claim comes from passengers and the company's position on it was not confirmed. A 69-year-old who paid for her cabin in installments said she felt ‘blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising’.
What next
Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk deputy governor told AP the ship would refuel and leave on Saturday, but the operator has not confirmed a date. Some passengers hope a new operator or a resident-led effort can revive the venture. Lifetime suites were marketed from about $230,000.
We could not confirm developments after late October in this reporting. The case shows how global fuel prices can reach private housing and leisure ventures, and how exposed long-stay cruise products are to changes in fuel and financing conditions, as some observers put it.