What the Odyssey Cruise Ship Shutdown Means for 203 Residents Who Lived Aboard
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Hundreds of people who made a cruise ship their permanent home are being told to leave it. The Odyssey, a U.S. residential cruise ship on a world voyage, has suspended operations in Cambodia because of rising fuel costs, according to ABC News and NPR.
The Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said it could not keep absorbing the losses. The ship carried 203 passengers of 15 nationalities, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members, and the company is now trying to restructure.
What the fuel costs did to the voyage
The Odyssey set sail two years ago on a three-year journey to the seven continents that was marketed as a mix of long-term living at sea and world travel. Villa Vie said monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800, recently climbed to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia during the war in Iran.
The company said it tried to cut fuel use by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but that did not offset the surge. In its statement, Villa Vie said it had been unable to continue carrying the operating losses and that passing the full increase on to residents was not a realistic solution.
What this means for the people on board
For residents, the cruise was not a vacation but a home. Passengers have been told to leave the ship, so those who lived aboard now have to find somewhere else to live. The company said its focus is on supporting residents, crew and employees as it works through the restructuring.
The picture for the crew is less clear. ABC and NPR reported that the crew's status was unclear, so it is not known what will happen to the 156 people who worked on the ship.
The size of the cost jump explains the decision. A monthly fuel expense per cabin that went from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 is an increase the operator said it could not pass fully on to the people living aboard. The three-year journey to the seven continents, which began two years ago, has now ended in Cambodia.
The company has not said how it will help residents find new housing, and the nationalities on board, 15 in all, mean the people affected face very different circumstances depending on where they call home.
Where the ship is now
Sihanoukville Autonomous Port said in a statement last week that the Odyssey docked on Oct. 23 for a five-day visit. The ship was due to continue to Vietnam, but it was still in port on Wednesday. The ship had a capacity of 650 residents.
What's at stake for the company and future plans
The Odyssey had a confirmed itinerary into November 2027, so the suspension ends the journey well before the planned date. Villa Vie also planned for a second residential cruise ship to enter service in early 2029. The company's statement on the suspension did not address that second ship, leaving its future unclear.
For now, the immediate questions are for the residents who must leave and for a company that says it needs to restructure after fuel costs made the voyage too expensive to continue.
