Stranded MV Odyssey cruise finally sets sail but leaves tourists stranded in Cambodia

Stranded MV Odyssey cruise finally sets sail but leaves tourists stranded in Cambodia The MV Odyssey, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, allows passengers to live on the vessel permanently - but people were given a 'get off the ship order' A cruise ship that forced all its residents to disembark in Cambodia due to rising fuel costs has now left the country - with just the crew on board. The MV Odyssey, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, allows passengers to live on the ship permanently and was travelling around the world when its planned three-year voyage was suspended. It had been docked for a scheduled stop at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, when on October 28 its 203 passengers were suddenly told they had to disembark within a few hours. The ship left Sihanoukville late on Tuesday with only crew and other personnel on board, said Tang Sochetkresna, director of the Tourism Department of Preah Sihanouk province. He said he didn't know the ship's next destination. Nearly 100 passengers remained in Sihanoukville, he said, while others went on to visit other parts of Cambodia or travelled to other countries. Most of the ship's residents are Americans. MV Odyssey has a capacity of 650 passengers and had 156 crew members on board. It is not clear, however, how many left with the ship. There has been no official announcement of future plans for the cruise ship. Media reports suggested that a creditor had taken over its management and was having it sailed to Singapore, Southeast Asia's main maritime hub. The evacuation comes as Villa Vie Residences announced on October 27 that it had suspended operations in Cambodia "as the company works to address extraordinary increases in fuel costs and evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives". A statement reads: "Fuel costs have risen sharply in the regions where the company has been operating. On an equivalent per-cabin basis, monthly fuel expense that historically averaged approximately $1,800 has recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. "The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure. The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. "Villa Vie Residences recognizes that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop." Some passengers explained they paid more than $300,000 for a suite for the lifetime of the vessel. The firm said that, since the beginning of the war in Iran, it took "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption", including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in ports. "Those measures have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and we have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses," it said. A statement added: "Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees while we work toward restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days. That work is ongoing, and no outcome is assured." The company added that no financing or transaction has been finalised. One of the residents on the ship, Randy Cassingham, said people were given a "get off the ship order", with some choosing to remain in Cambodia and figure out their next steps, while others flew back to the US. Mr Cassingham, who lives on the ship full-time with his wife, Kit, said they have received great support from Cambodian authorities as residents. He said the hospitality has made him "comfortable". He wrote on his blog: "The provincial governor set up a dinner where around 60 of us gathered at a hotel near the water where we could all — those of us still in town, at least — get together, perhaps for the last time. "See what I mean by 'hospitality'? And it was a good meal with local flavors: fish, crab, shrimp, pork ribs, and more, with beer or other drinks as we wished. We are fine. Exhausted, but fine." Built in 1993 and operated under different names by several cruise lines over the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Odyssey was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023. Its current cruise began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted. A second cruise, along with the purchase of a second ship to operate in a similar capacity, had already been planned.