Luxury Around-The-World Cruise Stranded In Cambodia Over Staggering Fuel Costs

Some people fantasize about escaping the world's problems by stepping on a cruise ship and drowning themselves in cocktails and gorging themselves on appetizers from all-you-can-eat buffets. But the real world seems to have gotten in the way of this escapist fantasy for some. The Villa Vie Odyssey announced on Wednesday that it has suspended operations amid rising fuel costs, stranding the ship's passengers in Cambodia. The cruise ship departed Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2024 to embark on a perpetual around-the-world cruise that has now abruptly ended after two years at sea.

The Villa Vie Odyssey wasn't immune to the U.S. war against Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting spike in fuel prices. The ship's operator, Villa Vie Residences, said the ship's monthly fuel costs have jumped to $8,000 per cabin in parts of Asia. That's a staggering increase, especially since the ship has 485 cabins and the average monthly fuel cost was previously $1,800 per cabin. The Villa Vie Odyssey tried to cut fuel use by spending more time in port. The operator even floated the idea of adding a fuel surcharge, but admitted it couldn't realistically pass the full increase on to passengers.

Passengers had little time to prepare for the voyage's sudden end in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. A couple onboard told the BBC that the CEO of Villa Vie Residences informed everyone onboard at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday that they had to disembark at 2:00 p.m. the same day. Many passengers and crew are now residing at hotels in the coastal resort city. Others are using the opportunity to travel on their own across Southeast Asia. Passengers purchased their cabin residences for between $120,000 and $440,000, and now they'll have to wait to hear the fate of the company and the ship.

Villa Vie Residences stated that it will "work toward restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days." The around-the-world cruise was a rocky operation before it even departed Belfast two years ago. The Villa Vie Odyssey was stuck in port for four months due to maintenance issues. As passengers waited out the delay in nearby hotels, one woman was banned from the cruise after complaining about it. When the Villa Vie Odyssey finally got underway, the ship remained anchored off the coast to complete paperwork. Despite the rough start and abrupt conclusion, passengers say that it was an unforgettable two years at sea.