Hundreds stranded in Cambodia after cruise suspended
About 200 passengers, who paid to live on a cruise ship while travelling the world, have been left at a Cambodian port as the firm grapples with high fuel costs.
A US cruise ship on a residential world voyage has suspended its operations in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to abandon their floating homes.
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 $US230,000 ($A326,556).
For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville 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 $US1800 have reached an estimated $US6000 to $8000 in parts of Asia due to the war in Iran.
The rooms were not ‘luxury’ despite the marketing, passenger Randy Cassingham says. Photo: Villa Vie Residences
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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.
“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” Villa Vie Residences said in a statement issued.
“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.
Randy Cassingham said passengers had to find their own way. Photo: Randy Cassingham
Passengers, however, said they received no support and had to make their own arrangements after being given seven hours notice to disembark.
Randy Cassingham, who lived on the Odyssey with his wife Kit, said passengers were notified at 7am that they had until 2pm to disembark.
Posting to his cruise journey website, he said the cruise company did “absolutely nothing to help”.
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“We couldn’t even walk out of the port, so there were shuttle buses that dropped us in the middle of town, Sihanoukville, Cambodia — the end,” Casssingham said.
“They didn’t even give us a list of hotels, let alone help us get there or pay for them.”
Later, he said the company offered a charter flight to the US for $US1100 per person.
Cassingham said some passengers were “shell-shocked” after spending their nest eggs to join the cruise.
“Residents run the full spectrum of the darker moods, from anger to resentment to bewilderment to ‘What am I going to do?’,” he said.
“A few are shell-shocked because they spent the majority of their nest-eggs to be here, and don’t know how or where they’ll live.
“A few in that situation have chosen to stay in Thailand or Vietnam because of the lower cost of living.
“Cambodia is certainly not a bad place, but it’s not the first choice of anyone I’ve spoken to. All want to go somewhere else.”
But he said the overwhelming sentiment was that the adventure, visiting 65 countries in two years, was “great while it lasted”.
“We made some great friends and have amazing memories, and saw things we never would have seen otherwise,” he said.
The company could not immediately be contacted for comment.
The cruise began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted.
-with AAP
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