The Villa Vie Odyssey, a luxury cruise ship, has suspended its voyage due to high fuel costs, leaving around 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia.
What happened
The ship's operator, Villa Vie Residences, announced that it was working with passengers on disembarkation plans and temporary living arrangements. The company cited extraordinarily high fuel costs as the reason for the suspension, with monthly fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia rising to as much as $8,000 from $1,800.
Passengers on board the ship had been informed of the company's financial difficulties and had been asked to consider paying a fuel surcharge as global prices soared. Some passengers had already disembarked and traveled on land due to the severely curtailed itinerary.
The ship, which can carry up to 650 passengers, had been on a years-long voyage around the world, covering nearly 150 countries. The voyage was expected to span 3.5 years, but the ship's operator has now announced a 60-day period of restructuring and recapitalization, with no guaranteed outcome.
Passengers have expressed disappointment and heartbreak at the sudden suspension of the voyage, with some having paid thousands of dollars for permanent residencies on the ship. Despite the setback, many passengers have made plans to settle together off the ship and continue their sense of community on land.
