The Odyssey, the MV Odyssey residential cruise stranded in Cambodia on Tuesday, was halted by Villa Vie Residences after the company ordered passengers to disembark because of soaring fuel costs. The ship’s stop has left residents sorting out temporary living arrangements while flights and port-side waiting rooms became the immediate next stop for some aboard.
On Wednesday, a Cambodian official said 203 passengers and 156 crew members were still on the 642-foot ship, which can accommodate 650 residents. Some passengers had already departed on flights, while others were waiting in Sihanoukville as the company worked through the disruption.
Villa Vie Residences and the fuel squeeze
Villa Vie Residences said The Odyssey had taken significant measures to reduce fuel consumption, but those steps did not offset the spike in fuel costs. The company said it was working to identify “temporary living arrangements” for people aboard the ship, a phrase that effectively means residents now have to bridge the gap between shipboard life and whatever housing or travel they can secure on short notice.
The ship’s promise had been built around a very different pitch. Villa Vie Residences described The Odyssey as offering “An unparalleled lifestyle of luxury and exploration” as it toured the planet, with cabins available for sale or rent. The company also said in a release this year that The Odyssey was 85% sold, even as it faced the cost pressure now forcing passengers off the vessel.
Randy Cassingham and Pamela Reckamp
For residents, the shutdown landed with almost no runway. Randy Cassingham said his journey was over after a company official posted a note on a message board shortly after 7 a.m. Monday saying the ship was entering a “temporary lay up” period and everyone had to disembark by 2 p.m. That sequence left little room for planning, especially for people treating the ship as home rather than a holiday cabin.
Pamela Reckamp, who rented a cabin with her husband and disembarked this month, said she attended a meeting in early September where a company official asked cabin owners to help raise $1 million so the ship could leave Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Reckamp recalled being told the ship had about four days of running left if the money was not raised, and she said, “If we don’t get this money, we have about four days of the ship running. Then the lights will go off and the AC will go off.”
Preah Sihanouk Province and Saturday
Long Dimanche said on Wednesday that the ship was scheduled to refuel before leaving Cambodia on Saturday. Villa Vie Residences said it was focusing on supporting residents, crew, and employees while it worked toward restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days, adding, “Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees while we work toward restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days. That work is ongoing, and no outcome is assured.”
That leaves passengers with the most practical question first: where they sleep, how they travel, and whether the ship that was supposed to carry them around the world can still do so after refueling and the next 60 days of restructuring.
