Round-the-world cruise halted in Cambodia as passengers ordered off MV Odyssey within hours
US company Villa Vie Residences has suspended operations of the cruise ship MV Odyssey in a Cambodian port, giving passengers about seven hours to disembark. It cites sharply higher fuel costs and plans to begin insolvency proceedings.
A round-the-world cruise has been abruptly cut short in the southern Cambodian port of Sihanoukville. The US company Villa Vie Residences, which operates the cruise ship MV Odyssey, announced it was suspending operations and told passengers to leave the vessel. Many had chosen to live aboard long-term, so some are now without a home, while others must try to recover the money they invested.
Seven hours to disembark
On Tuesday morning, passengers learned they had to leave by 2 p.m. the same day. In total, 203 passengers and 156 crew members left the ship. Some travellers have already left the country, while others have sought hotel rooms. Elderly passengers who planned to spend their retirement aboard are in a particularly difficult position.
The company says it is working with passengers to coordinate disembarkation and find temporary housing. American passenger Lina Montoija, who with her husband Paul spent about €390,000 on the voyage, told Britain's Daily Mail that her family has received no real help.
Passengers' complaints about requests for money
According to Montoija, in April the company began asking for extra funds, citing higher oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict. She says 22 residents were asked for a joint $2.2 million loan that has not been repaid, that a further $1.5 million was requested in September, and $360,000 this week. After many refused to pay, they soon received the notice to leave the ship. Passengers also describe internet disruptions and worse food, and say some crew members had not been paid.
The company's explanation
The company says monthly fuel costs per cabin in Asia have risen from an average of $1,800 to roughly $6,000–8,000. Chief executive Mikael Petersson told CBS News that total monthly expenses climbed from about $400,000 to $2 million. He acknowledged the business model had become financially unsustainable; an investor is being sought, but the company plans to begin insolvency proceedings under US law.
The ship left Northern Ireland in October 2024, and the voyage was meant to last up to 15 years. Some packages cost up to $440,000. The operator had planned for the ship to take on fuel and leave Sihanoukville on Saturday, but its onward route and passengers' chances of returning aboard remain unclear.
