Passengers on the luxury ship Villa Vie Odyssey must leave the ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The ship stopped its trip around the world because fuel is now very expensive. The ship was at sea for more than 750 days. The company cannot continue the journey because of these high costs.
The Villa Vie Odyssey left Belfast in October 2024. Many passengers wanted to live on the ship for a long time. Some people paid between $120,000 and $440,000 to live in cabins. Other travelers paid $3,500 every month to rent space. The ship can carry up to 650 passengers. Many people expected to travel for many months or years.
Fuel prices are the main problem. The cost of fuel went up because of a conflict in Iran. In parts of Asia, the monthly fuel cost for one cabin rose from $1,800 to $8,000. This is a very large increase. Because of this, the ship cannot follow its original plan.
Now, the passengers are in Sihanoukville. They expected a luxury life with things like pickleball courts. Instead, they must find places to stay in a port city. The company is working to find temporary homes for the people. The company will spend the next 60 days trying to fix its money problems. They want to find new ways to pay for the trip. The future of the voyage is not clear. The 650 passengers must wait to see if the ship will travel around the world again.