Tourismupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 12 September 2014Villa Vie Residences Strands 203 Guests In Sihanoukville After Fuel Costs Rise
4 Other4 Western Mainstream2 Asian1 Local WesternPhoto: Dmitry Makeev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Around 200 passengers stranded in Sihanoukville after Villa Vie suspended voyage due to fuel costs. Operator says it is working with passengers on disembarkation plans and temporary living arrangements.
Odyssey Suspends in Sihanoukville
Villa Vie Residences suspended operations of the Villa Vie Odyssey in Cambodia after fuel costs rose sharply, leaving passengers stranded in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville. Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province, said 203 guests and 156 crew arrived aboard the Bahamas-flagged ship from Thailand on October 23 and were due to go on to Vietnam.
The operator said it gave passengers seven hours to disembark during a scheduled stop, and the ship itself was due to refuel and leave on October 31. BBC reporting said the nearly 200m (656ft) vessel can carry up to 650 passengers, and it departed Belfast in October 2024 for a “continuous voyage around the world.”
Fuel Costs, Disembarkation Timing
Villa Vie Residences said it blamed “extraordinary” fuel costs following the Iran war for halting operations, and it said passing the full increase on to residents was “not a realistic solution.” The BBC reported that passengers Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin were informed by Villa Vie Residences' chief executive at 6am on Tuesday that they had to leave by 2pm on the same day.
AP said the Odyssey set sail two years ago on a 3 1/2-year voyage to the seven continents, and it said the company said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 had reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia during the war in Iran. The company said it would spend the next 60 days on “restructuring and recapitalisation,” while it worked with passengers on disembarkation plans and “temporary living arrangements.”
What Happens Next for Residents
Villa Vie Residences said it was working to find temporary accommodation for residents, crew members and employees while it restructures and recapitalises over the next 60 days. AP said the Odyssey carried 203 passengers with 15 nationalities, mostly Americans, and it said passengers have been told to leave the ship while the crew’s status was unclear.
The BBC said the voyage was expected to span 3.5 years and cover nearly 150 countries, and it said the ship was more than 750 days into its circumnavigation before announcing its suspension on Tuesday. The operator’s press release said “Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees” while it tries to restructure, and it warned that “no outcome is assured.”