Passengers on board luxury 'cruise for life' are dumped in Cambodian port after company 'begs for cash' and then cancels voyage due to fuel costs Around 200 passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey were given just seven hours to disembark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after the company suspended operations due to soaring fuel costs. The cruise, which offered multi-year living, left residents stranded and searching for temporary accommodation. A passenger aboard a luxury 'cruise for life' has described how the company 'begged' its guests for money before it dumped hundreds of travellers in a Cambodian port. US-based operator Villa Vie Residences announced on Tuesday it had 'suspended operations in Cambodia' as it worked to address 'extraordinary increases' in fuel costs following the Iran war. The 200-metre (656-foot) Odyssey left Northern Ireland in October 2024 for a continuous voyage for which residents could buy or rent rooms for a holiday or for life - some passengers selling everything they had to pay for it.Passengers Abandoned In Cambodia PortHowever, around 200 passengers were given just seven hours to pack their bags and leave during a scheduled stop in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, according to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. He said in a statement 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived aboard the Bahamas-flagged ship from Thailand on Friday - and had been due to go on to Vietnam on the $120,000 (£90,000) cruise.'The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries,' Mr Dimanche said. Some passengers took flights out while others remained in the city, he said, adding that the residential ship itself was due to refuel and leave on Saturday, October 31. Randy Cassingham, a passenger on board who runs a cruise blog, wrote that the disembarkation order followed a 'cascade of problems'. Were YOU on the cruise ship?Email [email protected] Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship pictured off the coast on Bangor, Northern Ireland, in October 2024 Passengers pictured as they disembark the Odyssey after it was docked at Sihanoukville port in Preah Sihanouk province in Cambodia Under a post entitled 'Abandon Ship!Villa Vie Blames Fuel Cost Surge', he said its Belfast launch was delayed by four months, while the ship never reached its capacity of 650 residents, peaking at around 350. Mr Cassingham said it was not a 'luxury' ship but affordable - until the company started 'begging for money'. Villa Vie said in its statement per-cabin monthly fuel expenses had gone from an average of $1,800 (£1,354) to an estimated $6,000 (£4,516) to $8,000 (£6,021) in parts of Asia.'The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure,' it said. Mr Cassingham accused the company of doing 'absolutely nothing to help' stranded passengers.'There were shuttle buses that dropped us in the middle of town, Sihanoukville, Cambodia, the end,' he said. 'They didn't even give us a list of hotels, let alone help us get there or pay for them. ' It comes as guests paid between $99,999 (£75,212) and $899,000 (£676,169) for the multi-year cruise. Villa Vie said it was 'working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements'.'Villa Vie Residences recognises that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop,' it said. An aerial view shows the cruise ship Odyssey docked at Sihanoukville port in Preah Sihanouk province in Cambodia today It is understood guests were given just hours to disembark from the residential cruise after receiving the order via message.Emergency Disembarkation Order Issued To GuestsEarly on Monday morning, chief executive Kathy Villalba wrote to guests on the ship's internal messaging system to explain they had hours to pack up their things. An announcement on the internal messaging board, according to Residential Cruising, said: 'Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations.'As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems. 'All residents must disembark by 2pm today. For those who are unable to collect all their belongings before disembarking, please coordinate with Guest Services to arrange an orderly return using the shuttles.' It follows a chaotic launch for the Villa Vie Residences Odyssey in 2024, which was scheduled for a May departure - but ended up being delayed for months. It eventually left almost five months later than planned, following numerous delays and last-minute repairs. The ship, built in 1993, has sailed for several different cruise lines, including Cunard (as Crown Dynasty) and, most recently, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines as Braemar.