A US cruise ship suspends a global voyage in Asia due to fuel costs, stranding 200 passengers

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AP) – A U.S. Cruise ship on an around-the-world voyage that touted its cabins as floating homes suspended its three-year voyage in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark.

Key points

• The ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian authorities.
• For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.
• The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel.
• The firm stated it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.

Meanwhile, the MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. Its operator had offered to "make the Odyssey your permanent home, " with the purchase cost of a suite for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230, 000.

In practice, the ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian authorities. It has a 650-passenger capacity.

Its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, remarked monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1, 800 have reached an estimated $6, 000 to $8, 000 in parts of Asia due to the war in Iran. The firm stated it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.

In short, a US cruise ship suspends a global voyage in Asia due to is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.