In brief
An MV Odyssey residential cruise ship departed Cambodia’s Sihanoukville port on the night of November 3 following a fuel‑funding crisis that forced the evacuation of more than 200 passengers. Local officials confirmed the ship’s departure, while the operator cited soaring fuel prices and a broader financial crisis. The vessel’s next destination remains unknown as the cruise has been suspended.
The MV Odyssey, a residential cruise ship operated by Florida‑based Villa Vie Residences, departed Cambodia’s Sihanoukville port on the night of November 3, 2026, after the vessel’s owners faced a fuel‑cost crisis that forced the evacuation of more than 200 passengers.
According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port director Tang Sochetkresna confirmed that the ship left at 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday following a refueling stop.
"The cruise ship left the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port at 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday after refueling,"Tang said. He added that the vessel departed with a partial crew, as the remaining members had already left the country by air, and that the ship’s next destination remained unknown.
Villa Vie Residences’ Facebook page reported that the company forced 203 passengers and 156 crew members to disembark on October 27, citing a lack of money for fuel. The post noted that monthly fuel expenses for the ship had risen from an average of US$1,800 per cabin to between US$6,000 and US$8,000 in parts of Asia, and that the insurer traced the root of the financial crisis back to early 2026.
Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Sokha said that shortly after the passengers were forced to disembark, the General Department of Immigration issued tourist visas to the stranded 15‑nationality group, effectively allowing them to leave the country on a flight. The minister’s statement, released on Xinhua, highlighted the broader economic backdrop of soaring fuel prices.
The Khmer Times reported that the MV Odyssey had departed from Sihanoukville on Nov. 4 after the ship’s operator suspended its global voyage. While the outlet confirmed the departure, it did not detail the circumstances surrounding the evacuation or the conditions that prompted the suspension.