Odyssey Cruise Ship Leaves Cambodia Without Passengers

The cruise ship Odyssey departed Cambodia late on November 3, leaving behind passengers who had been aboard for its planned three-year journey. Cambodian officials said the vessel sailed from the port of Sihanoukville with crew and other personnel. It was unclear how many of its 156 crew members were aboard when it left, and officials did not know its next destination.

Nearly 100 passengers were still in Sihanoukville, while others had traveled elsewhere in Cambodia or onward to other countries. Most passengers were American. They had been ordered off the ship within hours on October 28, during what had been scheduled as a port stop.

The ship’s owner, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, suspended the voyage as fuel prices surged. The company said monthly fuel costs per cabin, once about $1,800 on average, had risen to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. It had tried to cut consumption by slowing the route and spending longer in port, but those steps did not make up for the increase.

The vessel is now under creditor management, and its eventual destination and future remain unsettled. It could be taken to Singapore and potentially auctioned, while Villa Vie founder Mike Petterson said the company hoped to regain the ship through a restructuring and an operating partnership. Passengers had paid more than $300,000 for some suites, which were marketed as homes for the ship’s lifetime. The Odyssey began its current voyage in Belfast in October 2024.