Stranded cruise ship Odyssey leaves Cambodia with no passengers

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A U.S. cruise ship that removed all its passengers from Cambodia after ceasing operations last week has sailed away, leaving crew members on board, officials announced on Wednesday. The MV Odyssey, financed by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, had been sailing on a global cruise when it suspended its three-year voyage due to soaring fuel costs.

The vessel arrived in Cambodia's Sihanoukville port for a scheduled stop on October 28, when it suddenly informed its 203 passengers to disembark within a few hours. The ship left the port late Tuesday, carrying only the crew and other personnel, according to Tang Sochetkresna, director of Preah Sihanouk province's Tourism Department.

He was uncertain about the ship's next destination, noting that around 100 passengers remained in Sihanoukville while others explored other parts of Cambodia or journeyed to other countries. The majority of the passengers were Americans. The ship, with a capacity of 650 passengers, had 156 crew members on board, but it was unclear how many left with the ship.

There has been no formal statement on the cruise ship's future plans. Media reports indicated that a creditor had taken over its management and intended to sail it to Singapore, Southeast Asia's principal maritime hub. The abrupt termination of the ship's journey has garnered considerable attention as it had advertised itself as a floating home, merging long-term coastal living with global travel.

Several passengers mentioned they had paid over $300,000 for a suite for the ship's lifetime. Villa Vie Residences reported that monthly fuel expenses per cabin, typically averaging $1,800, had surged to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia due to the Iran war. The company aimed to cut fuel consumption by reducing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the skyrocketing costs.

Fuel traffic has been restricted in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war commenced, tightening supplies of all petroleum-based fuels, particularly in Southeast Asia, and sharply raising prices. Passengers had said the company had been requesting contributions from them for months to keep the ship operating, and there has been vigorous debate on social media about the ship's financial viability from the outset.

Constructed in 1993 and operated under various names by several cruise lines before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odyssey was acquired by Villa Vie Residences in 2023. Its present cruise began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refurbished. A second cruise, alongside the purchase of a second vessel to operate in a similar capacity, had already been scheduled.