Hello and welcome to the details of ‘Abandon ship’: 200 ‘Cruise for life’ passengers stranded in Cambodia after company runs out of money and now with the details
Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Passengers walk down from Villa Vie Residences’ cruise ship Odyssey, as it is docked at Sihanoukville port in Preah Sihanouk province October 28, 2026. Around 200 passengers who paid to live on a cruise ship while travelling the world were abruptly left in a Cambodian port after the company ran out of money, an official said today. — AFP pic
First Published: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 3:15 PM MYT
Last Modified: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 3:16 PM MYT
SIHANOUKVILLE, Oct 28 — Around 200 passengers who paid to live on a cruise ship while travelling the world were abruptly left in a Cambodian port after the company ran out of money, an official said today.
US-based operator Villa Vie Residences announced yesterday it had “suspended operations in Cambodia” as it worked to address “extraordinary increases” in fuel costs following the Iran war.
The 200-metre Odyssey left Northern Ireland in October 2024 for a continuous voyage for which residents could buy or rent rooms for a holiday or for life — some passengers selling everything they had to pay for it.
However, passengers were given just seven hours to pack their bags and leave during a scheduled stop in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, according to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province.
He said in a statement 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived aboard the Bahamas-flagged ship from Thailand on October 23, and had been due to go on to Vietnam.
“The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries,” he said.
Some passengers took flights out while others remained in the city, he said, adding that the ship itself was due to refuel and leave on October 31.
Randy Cassingham, a passenger on board who runs a cruise blog, wrote that the disembarkation order followed a “cascade of problems”.
Under a post entitled “Abandon Ship!”, he said its Belfast launch was delayed by four months, while the ship never reached its capacity of 650 residents, peaking at around 350.
He said it was not a “luxury” ship but affordable — until the company started “begging for money”.
Villa Vie said in its statement per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had gone from an average of US$1,800 (RM7,348) to an estimated US$6,000 to US$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.
Cassingham accused the company of doing “absolutely nothing to help” stranded passengers.
Villa Vie said it was “working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements”.
“Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop,” it said. — AFP
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