Some 200 Villa Vie Odyssey residents were given just seven hours to disembark in Cambodia after the operator suspended operations, citing soaring fuel costs

A cruise ship selling “permanent homes at sea” has abruptly suspended operations, leaving around 200 residents stranded in Cambodia as its operator blamed soaring fuel costs caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The 200-meter (656-foot) Odyssey, with a capacity for 650 passengers, departed Belfast in October 2024 on a “continuous” round-the-world “forever cruise.” It offered cabins for rent, purchase, or lifetime ownership starting at $59,999 and reaching $440,000, plus monthly fees for meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and other services.

On Monday, Florida-based operator Villa Vie Residences (VVR) ordered passengers – some of whom reportedly sold their homes or spent their life savings on cabins – off the ship during a stop in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville.…