A luxury cruise ship on a multi-year round-the-world voyage has suspended operations because of exceptionally high fuel costs, leaving passengers in Cambodia.
This is reported by the BBC.
The US-based operator of the ship, "Villa Vie Odyssey", said it is currently working with passengers on plans for them to disembark and arranging “temporary accommodation”.
The exact number of people on board is unknown, but the nearly 200-metre-long vessel is designed to carry up to 650 passengers. It set off from Belfast in October 2024 on a “continuous round-the-world voyage”.
Global fuel prices rose sharply after the start of the war involving Iran earlier this year. According to the ship’s operator, in some parts of Asia monthly fuel costs per cabin have risen from $1,800 to $8,000.
Villa Vie Residences said it had taken “significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the pace of travel and increasing time spent in ports”. However, these measures proved insufficient to “offset the extraordinary rise in fuel costs”.
According to available information, around 200 passengers were on board when they were instructed to disembark in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville — once a quiet seaside town that in recent years has become known worldwide as a hub for Chinese casinos and scam centres.
According to information on the website, the “Villa Vie Odyssey” voyage was due to last 3.5 years and cover nearly 150 countries.
The ship’s departure was delayed due to the need for repair work. As a result, passengers were forced to remain in Belfast for months, and the company incurred losses of millions of pounds sterling.
Permanent residence in cabins ranged from $120,000 to $440,000. These cabins could also be rented for $3,500 a month.
Last year, the company launched a lifetime residency programme so people could spend their retirement years at sea.
- In 2024, a few days after US President Donald Trump won his second term, Villa Vie Residences announced a four-year “Fast Forward” package for those wishing to sit out the Republican’s leadership outside the United States.