‘Abandon ship!’ 200 cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia as company runs out of cash

Around 200 passengers who had signed up to travel the world aboard a residential cruise ship were forced to leave the vessel in Cambodia after its operator ran into financial trouble, disrupting plans for those who had paid to make life at sea their permanent home. The US-based company Villa Vie Residences announced on Tuesday (Oct 27) that it had “suspended operations in Cambodia”, citing a sharp rise in fuel expenses following the Iran war. Passengers reportedly received just seven hours to pack their belongings and disembark during a scheduled stop in Sihanoukville.

Seven hours to leave their floating homes

According to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province, the Bahamas-flagged Odyssey arrived from Thailand on October 23 with 203 guests and 156 crew members. The ship was scheduled to continue to Vietnam.

“The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries,” Dimanche said.

While some passengers managed to book flights out of Cambodia, others remained in the port city, he added. The vessel was expected to refuel before departing on October 31.

The 200-metre-long ship began its continuous voyage from Northern Ireland in October 2024. Its business model allowed customers to purchase or rent cabins, offering an alternative to conventional retirement and long-term travel. Some residents reportedly sold their possessions to fund their new lives aboard the vessel.

‘Cascade of problems’ behind the crisis

Passenger and cruise blogger Randy Cassingham described the disembarkation as the culmination of a “cascade of problems”.

In a post titled “Abandon Ship!”, he said the vessel's Belfast departure had been delayed by four months. The ship also struggled to reach its planned capacity of 650 residents, with numbers peaking at around 350, he wrote.

Cassingham said the cruise was affordable rather than “luxury”, but alleged that the company eventually began “begging for money”. He also accused Villa Vie Residences of doing “absolutely nothing to help” passengers left stranded.

Fuel costs put pressure on operations

Villa Vie Residences said monthly fuel expenses per cabin had risen from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000-$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,” the operator said.

The company added that it was coordinating disembarkation and seeking temporary accommodation for affected residents.

“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.