MV Odyssey sails from Cambodia, leaving stranded passengers in Sihanoukville

The cruise ship MV Odyssey has left Cambodia with only crew and other personnel on board, after forcing all of its passengers to disembark at the port of Sihanoukville last week. Cambodian officials said on Wednesday that nearly 100 passengers are still in Sihanoukville, while others have travelled elsewhere in Cambodia or on to other countries.

Key facts

• 28 October 2026: the ship's 203 passengers were told to disembark within a few hours during a scheduled stop at Sihanoukville.
• 3 November 2026: the MV Odyssey departed Sihanoukville with only crew and other personnel aboard.
• Nearly 100 passengers remain in Sihanoukville; most of the passengers were Americans.
• The ship has a capacity of 650 passengers and carried 156 crew members.
• The planned three-year around-the-world voyage was suspended because of a sharp rise in fuel costs.

What happened to the passengers?

The MV Odyssey, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, was docked at Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand for a scheduled stop when its 203 passengers were suddenly ordered off the ship on 28 October. Tang Sochetkresna, director of the Tourism Department of Preah Sihanouk province, said nearly 100 of them are still in Sihanoukville, while others are visiting other parts of Cambodia or have continued to other countries.

Several passengers said they had paid more than $300,000 for a suite for the lifetime of the vessel. Passengers also said the company had been asking them for contributions to keep the ship operating for several months.

Why was the voyage suspended?

Villa Vie Residences said monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800, had reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia because of the war in Iran. The company said it tried to cut fuel use by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but could not offset the surging costs.

Traffic has been curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz since the war in Iran began, squeezing supplies of petroleum-based fuels, especially in Southeast Asia, and sharply increasing prices.

Where has the ship gone?

The vessel left Sihanoukville late on 3 November with only crew and other personnel aboard. Tang Sochetkresna said he did not know the ship's next destination, and it was unclear how many of the 156 crew members departed with it. There has been no official announcement of the ship's future plans. Unconfirmed reports suggested a creditor had taken over its management and was having it sailed to Singapore.

What this means for travellers

Passengers still in Sihanoukville or elsewhere in Cambodia have been left to arrange their own onward travel, as the ship has departed without them. Anyone still affected may want to confirm their own onward arrangements and keep track of any official announcements about the vessel.

The Odyssey was built in 1993 and operated under different names before the COVID-19 pandemic. Villa Vie Residences bought it in 2023, and its current cruise began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted. A second cruise, and the purchase of a second ship for a similar role, had already been planned.