Passengers stranded in Cambodia after cruise halted due to high fuel costs
Also reported by BBC Business
Summary
The operator of the Villa Vie Odyssey suspended its world cruise, leaving 203 passengers in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, as fuel costs strained its finances. The company is arranging temporary housing and reviewing restructuring options, but the ship’s departure date is unclear.Key Facts
- The ship is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand.
- Cambodian officials said the ship carried 203 passengers, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members.
- The cruise began in Belfast in October 2024 and was planned as a continuous voyage around the world.
- The operator said fuel costs had put its operating model under unsustainable financial pressure and said it would assess restructuring and recapitalization options over 60 days.
- The company said monthly fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia had risen to as much as $8,000 from $1,800.
- The article links rising fuel prices to the U.S. war on Iran and says the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since February 28.
- Passenger Carol Larson said she paid $120,000 in installments for her cabin, plus monthly maintenance fees, under a program offering up to 15 years aboard.
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