A US cruise ship on a three-year voyage around the world has suspended its journey in Cambodia because of soaring fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to leave the vessel.
The MV Odyssey is docked at Sihanoukville, on the Gulf of Thailand, with no confirmed date for its departure. The ship is carrying 203 passengers, most of them Americans, and 156 crew members.
Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based operator, said fuel costs that had historically averaged about $1,800 a month per cabin had risen to between $6,000 and $8,000 in parts of Asia.
The company blamed the increase on the war in Iran, which it said had curtailed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, squeezed fuel supplies and sharply increased prices, particularly in south-east Asia.
Average US diesel prices rose from $3.76 a gallon on February 27, 2026, the day before the war began, to $6.52 late last month, according to AAA.
Villa Vie Residences said it had tried to reduce consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending longer in port, but could not absorb the additional costs.
“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” the company said in a statement. “Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution.”
The operator said it was restructuring and working to support passengers, crew and employees, while coordinating disembarkation and temporary accommodation for those leaving the ship.
However, passenger and blogger Randy Cassingham alleged that the company had provided little assistance. He said passengers could not walk out of the port and were taken by shuttle bus to central Sihanoukville.
“They didn’t even give us a list of hotels, let alone help us get there or pay for them,” Mr Cassingham wrote. The company could not immediately be contacted for comment.
MV Odyssey voyage put on hold
The ship arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday and was due to leave on Wednesday. Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said it was expected to refuel and depart on Saturday, although the operator has not publicly confirmed that timetable.
The Odyssey left Belfast in October 2024 after being refitted for a voyage originally planned to last three and a half years. Villa Vie Residences had marketed the ship as a long-term home at sea, offering lifetime suite purchases from about $230,000.
The vessel, which can carry up to 650 passengers, was built in 1993 and has operated under several cruise lines. It was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023.
A second cruise had tentatively been scheduled to finish in August 2030.
