Posted on 10/28/2026 7:20:29 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) — A U.S. cruise ship on an around-the-world voyage that touted its cabins as floating homes suspended its three-year voyage in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark.
The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. Its operator had offered to “make the Odyssey your permanent home,” with the purchase price of a suite for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230,000.
For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.
The ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian officials. It has a 650-passenger capacity.
Its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia due to the war in Iran. The company said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.
Traffic has been curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz since the war in Iran began, squeezing supplies of all kinds of petroleum-based fuels, especially in Southeast Asia, and sharply increasing prices.
“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” Villa Vie Residences said in a statement issued Tuesday. “Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees” while it tries to restructure.
“The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements,” it said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I think you have to read between the lines on fuel costs. Various articles pin passengers onboard around 200. Full capacity is ~650. Various articles say fuel prices have jumped from $1.8K per month per room to $6K to 8K per month. somebody is eating the cost for the empty cabins/suites.
Maybe they should have dropped the price on the empty cabins.
Just like other tour companies will do.
I would guess they were making a little bit of money being only 1/3 capacity.
The fuel cost made them lose money.
IF they had the other 2/3 of the rooms sold at even half the price they would probably still be operating.
it started out as a pleasure Cruise
onboard a worldly ship
a three year tour
a three year tour
the economy starting getting rough
the luxury ship went broke
with an abandoned ship and crew
the tour voyage was lost
the tour voyage was lost
The ship became stranded in a far East Land
Stuck in a foreign port
everyone who set sail that day
failed to get what they paid
Their Dream voyage a bust
Their Dream voyage a bust
The papers blamed the Iran war
the fault of orange man bad
The man who saved America
Turned the bad guys mad!
Turned the bad guys mad!
That is my assumption as well. I think the problem with their business model is how many people are actually going to sell everything to become anchor babies or go on 3 months cruises with a bunch of hidden costs.
Maybe this is the “October Surprise” everybody’s been waiting for?
I’d be pissed if I were to be stranded in Asia. Of course, I’d never GO to Asia in the first place.
Strand me in the Bahamas or similar.
wut, no one had the b*lls to yell mutiny? Throw the captain overboard and start keel hauling the 156 crew until you get one that can steer.
At the very least this cruise line needs to be seized and sold off for parts.
Indelible in the hippocampus.
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