U.S. cruise ship halts 3-year journey in Cambodia

A U.S.-owned cruise ship has suspended its three-year around-the-world voyage in Cambodia due to rising fuel costs. The MV Odyssey, which set sail two years ago with the aim of combining long-term living at sea with global travel, has now been forced to dock in Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand. This unexpected stop has left hundreds of passengers stranded, as the ship’s operator, Villa Vie Residences, has struggled to keep up with the soaring fuel expenses.

The ship originally promised to make its passengers permanent residents, offering cabins for the lifetime of the vessel. However, the Florida-based company has now said it has been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses. The company is now working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements, but passengers have reported that the company has done little to help them.

The Odyssey was built in 1993 and operated under different names by several cruise lines over the years. It was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023, and its current cruise, originally intended to last 3 1/2 years, began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted.

The Odyssey is not the first cruise ship Sihanoukville has hosted in crisis. In February 2020, the MS Westerdam was allowed to dock in Cambodia after being turned away at five ports in other nations because of fears of COVID-19. After being stranded at sea for two weeks, Cambodia's then-Prime Minister Hun Sen allowed it to dock for what he said were humanitarian reasons. Cambodia won plaudits as passengers were welcomed ashore and arrangements were made for them to fly home.

The Odyssey was scheduled to depart Cambodia on Saturday, but the ship's operator has not yet publicly confirmed any date. The company said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.

The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel the day before the war started, Feb. 27, 2026, was $3.76, according to AAA, and was $6.52 late last month, an increase of $2.76.