Cruise ship leaves Cambodia after forcing hundreds of passengers off

People on the strand close to Bangor Marina watch on as the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship is anchored off the coast on Bangor, Northern Ireland. The luxury cruise ship became marooned in Belfast for four months due to unexpected repair works. File picture

After disembarking more than 200 passengers who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years, the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship departed Cambodia early on Wednesday.

Last week, the vessel's owner, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, suspended operations and forced passengers off the ship at the port town of Sihanoukville, saying ‌fuel price increases from the Iran war had made operations prohibitively expensive.

Monthly fuel expenses that historically ⁠averaged approximately $1,800 per cabin (€1,600) have 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," it said last week.

The ship left Cambodia with no passengers and around 50 crew, according to Taing Sochitkrishna, head of the Sihanoukville tourism department. 

He said around 100 passengers remained in Cambodia, while the others largely flew to other destinations in the region.

Passengers unloaded their last belongings from the vessel on Tuesday, and many said they did not expect to return to the ship.

"There are still many things on the ship that I wish I could take with me," said Shirine Thomas, of Wilmington, North Carolina, shortly after collecting some final items.

The Villa Vie Odyssey had been cruising the world for at least 755 days as one of only a handful of ships that offered passengers the opportunity to rent or buy long-term or even permanent ​residences on board.

The ship's final destination was unconfirmed. Some passengers and maritime tracking websites indicated the ship was bound for Singapore. Villa Vie Residences did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment.

Sixty-seven-year-old retired high school teacher Mary Ann Demsar from Ontario, Canada, said the owners had provided no information on whether the voyage would continue.

"We don't get any clear indication from the owners of Villa Vie as to what is happening," she said. "They've been so quiet, the only information we get is from the wonderful government and the representatives here in Cambodia."

Reuters