AROUND 200 PASSENGERS who paid to live aboard a cruise ship travelling the world have been left in Cambodia after its operator suspended operations, citing soaring fuel costs.

The Villa Vie Odyssey, which spent several months docked in Belfast before beginning its voyage in 2024, had been offering residents the opportunity to buy or rent cabins for long-term life at sea.

However, passengers were given just seven hours to pack and disembark during a scheduled stop in Sihanoukville, according to Long Dimanche, deputy governor of Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province.

He said 203 guests and 156 crew had arrived from Thailand on 23 October, with the ship due to continue to Vietnam.

“The sudden order to disembark has left many retirees and remote workers homeless thousands of miles from their home countries,” he said in a statement reported by AFP.

Some passengers have since taken flights out, while others remain in the city. The ship is due to refuel and leave on 31 October, according to the official.

US-based operator Villa Vie Residences confirmed on Tuesday that it had suspended operations in Cambodia while seeking new financing and examining options to restructure the business.

The company said monthly fuel expenses, calculated on an equivalent per-cabin basis, had risen from a historical average of around $1,800 (€2,000) to between $6,000 and $8,000 (€5,000 and €7,000) in parts of Asia.

Since the conflict with Iran began in late February, it said it had attempted to reduce consumption by slowing its itinerary and spending longer in port.

“Those measures have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and 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.”

Villa Vie said it was working towards restructuring and securing new capital over the next 60 days, but warned that “no outcome is assured”. No financing or transaction has been finalised.

The ship had already made headlines in 2024 after spending four months stranded in Belfast because of repair issues and paperwork.

It had been due to leave in May that year, but only departed the harbour on 30 September. Even then, it remained anchored in Belfast Lough for several days before finally heading towards France.

At the time, cabins were advertised for sale at prices ranging from around €107,000 to €310,000. Owners were promised a minimum of 15 years in their rooms, with ownership lasting for the ship’s operational lifetime.

The prolonged Belfast stay also brought an unexpected romance: passengers Gian Perroni and Angie Harsanyi got engaged after meeting during the delay.

Passenger and cruise blogger Randy Cassingham described the latest developments as a “cascade of problems” in a post titled ‘Abandon Ship!’.

He said the vessel had never reached its capacity of 650 residents, peaking at around 350, and accused the company of doing “absolutely nothing to help” stranded passengers.

Villa Vie said it was working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary accommodation.

It acknowledged that this was “a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees”, adding that it was working to support those affected.

Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh