US residential cruise ship Odyssey suspends world voyage in Cambodia over fuel costs Villa Vie Residences suspended the Odyssey's three-year residential world voyage in Cambodia after fuel costs surged to as much as $8,000 per cabin per month, forcing 203 passengers to leave the ship. A US cruise ship on a residential world voyage suspended its operations in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to abandon their floating homes. The Odyssey, operated by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, set sail two years ago on a three-year voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. The company said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia during the war in Iran.Villa Vie Residences Cites Fuel CostsVilla Vie Residences said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surge in fuel costs. We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses, it said. Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees while it tries to restructure.Sihanoukville Autonomous Port said in a statement last week that the ship docked on Oct. 23 for a five-day visit. It was to head to Vietnam but remained in the port Wednesday. The ship carried 203 passengers with 15 nationalities, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. It had a capacity of 650 residents.Passengers have been told to leave the ship, but the crew's status was unclear. The Odyssey had a confirmed itinerary into November 2027. The company planned for a second residential cruise ship to enter service in early 2029, but the statement on the suspension of the Odyssey's voyage did not address the second ship. Images of the vessel showed the Odyssey docked at the Harland and Wolff ship repair facility in Northern Ireland on Aug. 30, 2024, before the suspension.Passengers Face Living UncertaintyThe Odyssey was marketed as a floating home for long-term residents, offering global travel while living at sea across the seven continents. Its halt in Cambodia leaves passengers who sold or left behind land-based homes facing uncertainty about where to live next. Villa Vie Residences said it is now focused on supporting residents, crew, and employees as it tries to restructure its operations.The company has not said whether the Odyssey will resume its world voyage or remain docked in Cambodia.