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Residential Cruise Ship Suspends Operations in Cambodia
· Confirmed
In Short: Residents aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey have been ordered to disembark in Cambodia after the company operating their residential world cruise suspended operations, citing rising fuel costs and losses, as reported by the International Business Times UK.
A luxury cruise ship on a years-long voyage around the world suspended operations, leaving passengers stranded in Cambodia due to soaring fuel costs. The Villa Vie Odyssey, which began its journey in fall 2024, offered permanent residency starting at $119,999, according to People.
The ship's operator, a Florida-based company, said it would spend the next 60 days on 'restructuring and recapitalisation', though 'no outcome is assured', as reported by the BBC.
The company cited extraordinarily high fuel costs, with monthly expenses per cabin rising to as much as $8,000 (£6,000) from $1,800 in parts of Asia, as noted by the BBC and NPR.
The operator had taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but these measures were insufficient to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, according to multiple reports.
The ship, which departed Belfast in October 2024, was more than 750 days into its journey when it announced the suspension of operations on Tuesday, as reported by Warpbeat.
Around 200 passengers aboard the luxury residential cruise ship have been told to disembark in Cambodia after its operator suspended operations, citing soaring fuel costs linked to the war involving Iran, according to Khaosod English and NBC News.
The company attributed the increases to the conflict with Iran, which began in late February and has disrupted energy markets and shipping operations worldwide, as reported by gCaptain.
Passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey were told to get off the 'residential' cruise ship with all their belongings, after CEO Kathy Villaba announced that the company was 'unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations', according to Futurism and Tmz.
The ship's operator said it was working with passengers on disembarkation plans and 'temporary living arrangements', as reported by the BBC.
'We're all in different hotels; there are a number of shipmates in the hotel that I'm in. We're just waiting,' one passenger told the BBC.
The suspension of flight operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, extended several times, has affected more than 900 flights, according to Indonesia's transportation ministry, as reported by Channelnewsasia (Singapore).
Background
A luxury cruise ship on a years-long voyage around the world has suspended operations, leaving passengers stranded in Cambodia due to soaring fuel prices.
What's confirmed
- The company would spend the next 60 days on "restructuring and recapitalisation", though "no outcome is assured", it said.
- The ship's operator said the monthly fuel cost per cabin in parts of Asia has risen to as much as $8,000 (£6,000) from $1,800.
- The company said it had taken "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port".
- But those measures turned out to be insufficient to "offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs".
- Cambodia – Around 200 passengers aboard a luxury residential cruise ship have been told to disembark in Cambodia after its operator suspended operations, citing soaring fuel costs linked to the war involving Iran.
- Amazon announced Sunday it has suspended its partnership with 21 Air after one of the cargo carrier’s planes loaded with Amazon packages overshot a Miami runway and killed five people earlier this month.
- Ash from the volcano was detected in the airspace surrounding Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, prompting authorities to suspend operations.
- "If the eruption happened last night and there were predictions of flight cancellations, we should have been notified from the start," she told Reuters.
- Amazon said Sunday it's decided to pause operations with 21 Air as the investigation into the crash continues.
What's still developing
- In an article published on 26th October, Cassingham reproduced what he described as an internal company announcement posted at 7.08am ship time.
- Residents aboard Ville Vie Odyssey have been told to disembark the permanent world cruise and it is unclear when they will return Residents aboard Ville Vie Odyssey have been told to disembark the permanent world cruise and it is unclear when they will return Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later?
- Mount Anak Krakatau erupted on Saturday, producing a fountain of lava and booming sounds that could be heard up to 700 kilometres (435 miles) away, the geology agency said in a statement. ransportation Ministry halted operations at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport outside Jakarta on Sunday after ash spewed from the Anak Krakatau volcano more than 150 kilometres away, impacting thousands of passengers.
- "After the tragic incident last weekend, we've spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we've decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598," Nantel said.
- “The latest paper test…showed positive results indicating the spread of volcanic ash in the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport area, consequently the airport closure was extended until Sunday at 09:30 am (0230 GMT),” the transport ministry said in a statement Sunday.