Fuel bill hits $8,000 per cabin, halting three-year cruise in Cambodia

Monthly fuel costs for a single cabin on the MV Odyssey have jumped from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000, forcing the vessel to suspend its three-year global voyage. The ship is currently docked at the port of Sihanoukville on Cambodia's Gulf of Thailand coast.

Villa Vie Residences, the Florida-based operator, cited the war in Iran as the primary driver for the expense spike. The conflict has curtailed traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, tightening supplies of petroleum-based fuels and driving prices up sharply in Southeast Asia. The company stated that slowing the itinerary and increasing port stays failed to offset the rising bills.

The Odyssey began its journey in October 2024 from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The voyage was marketed as a permanent living arrangement, with suite prices starting around $230,000 for the lifetime of the vessel. The ship carries 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. It has a total capacity of 650 passengers.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Villa Vie Residences explained that passing the full increase to residents was not a realistic solution. The company said it is now restructuring to support residents, crew, and employees. It added that it is working with passengers to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements.

Randy Cassingham, a blogger aboard the ship, criticized the operator's response to the halt. He wrote that the company provided little assistance, noting that shuttle buses dropped passengers in the middle of Sihanoukville without a list of hotels or help with transportation. "They didn’t even give us a list of hotels, let alone help us get there or pay for them," Cassingham said on his website. Villa Vie Residences could not immediately be reached for comment.

Long Dimanche, the deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said the ship arrived last Friday and was originally scheduled to depart Wednesday. He indicated that the vessel is expected to refuel and leave Cambodia on Saturday. The operator has not yet publicly confirmed that specific date.

The Odyssey was built in 1993 and operated under different names for several cruise lines before being becalmed by the pandemic in 2020. Villa Vie Residences purchased the ship in 2023. Its current voyage was intended to last three and a half years, with a second cruise tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030.

Sihanoukville previously hosted a cruise ship in crisis in February 2020. The MS Westerdam was allowed to dock after being turned away at five other ports due to COVID-19 fears. It carried 1,455 passengers, more than 600 of whom were American citizens, and was permitted to dock for humanitarian reasons.