Luxury cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia due to soaring fuel costs

ByKoh Ewe and Claire Graham, BBC News NI. 28 October 2026, 03: 05 GMT.

Key points

• In 2024, days after US President Donald Trump won his second term, Villa Vie Residences confirmed a four-year "Skip Forward" package.
• Permanent residencies in its cabins range from $120, 000 to $440, 000.
• It is unclear how plenty of were on board but the almost 200m (656ft) vessel can carry up to 650 passengers.
• The Villa Vie Odyssey's voyage was projected to span 3.5 years and cover almost 150 countries, according to its website.
• But some, like Hennessey, have decided to stick around in Cambodia in the hopes that the Villa Vie Odyssey will set sail again shortly.

Meanwhile, a luxury cruise ship on a years-long voyage worldwide remarked it suspended operations due to extraordinarily high fuel costs, leaving passengers stranded in Cambodia.

In practice, the US-based operator of Villa Vie Odyssey remarked it was working with passengers on disembarkation aims and "temporary living arrangements".

It is unclear how plenty of were on board but the almost 200m (656ft) vessel can carry up to 650 passengers. It departed Belfast in October 2024 for a "continuous voyage around the world".

Global fuel rates have soared since the Iran war kicked off earlier this year. The ship's operator remarked the monthly fuel cost per cabin in parts of Asia has risen to as much as $8, 000 (£6, 000) from $1, 800.

Notably, the firm stated it had taken "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port". But those measures turned out to be insufficient to "offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs".

"Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution, " it remarked.

Though "no outcome is assured", it stated, the firm would spend the next 60 days on "restructuring and recapitalisation".

There were reportedly around 200 passengers on board when they were ordered to disembark in the Cambodian port city of Sihanoukville, a once sleepy beach town that has gained global notoriety over recent years as a hub for scam centres.

Notably, the Villa Vie Odyssey's voyage was projected to span 3.5 years and cover almost 150 countries, according to its website.

Its departure had faced delays as the ship underwent repairs, leaving passengers stranded in Belfast for months and costing the firm millions of pounds.

Notably, the ship was more than 750 days into its circumnavigation before announcing its suspension of its journey on Tuesday – which means its passengers would now be stranded in Cambodia.

"It was not on my bingo card of places where I'd be spending a lot of time, " one passenger, Holly Hennessey, informed the BBC from Cambodia.

"We're all in different hotels; there are a number of shipmates in the hotel that I'm in. We're just waiting."

For context, the Villa Vie Odyssey is equipped with a number of bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court, according to its website.

Permanent residencies in its cabins range from $120, 000 to $440, 000. These cabins are additionally additionally available for rent from $3, 500 a month.

Last year, the firm rolled out a lifetime residence programme for individuals to spend their retirement years at sea.

In 2024, days after US President Donald Trump won his second term, Villa Vie Residences confirmed a four-year "Skip Forward" package. Its CEO informed Fox Business at the time that it was the "perfect product for those who said they'd leave the country if 'XYZ' wins the election".

Hennessey remarked the ship's residents had earlier been asked to consider paying a fuel surcharge as global costs soared, and that their itinerary had been "severely curtailed". Some individuals decided to disembark and travel on land, she stated.

"Until they say we are done – done done – I am not giving up. I could never duplicate this lifestyle. The idea of going home? It would be so trite, " she remarked. "Cambodia's not the worst place to hang out."

Are you affected by problems covered in this story? Are you a passenger on the Villa Vie Odyssey? Share your experiences. You can additionally secure in touch by after this link.

Obtain our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.

In short, luxury cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia due to soaring fuel costs is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.