Odyssey cruise ship leaves Cambodia with crew only after stranding passengers

Passengers on the Odyssey cruise ship were left in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after the vessel departed the port late Tuesday carrying only crew and other personnel. Tang Sochetkresna, the director of the Tourism Department for Preah Sihanouk province, confirmed the departure but said he did not know the ship's next destination. Multiple sources familiar with the matter indicated the vessel will likely be moved to Singapore, where it may face an auction.

The ship, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, had been marketed as a floating home for a planned three-year around-the-world voyage. It was docked for a scheduled stop when 203 passengers were told on Oct. 28 that they had to disembark within a few hours. Most of the passengers were Americans. While the ship has a capacity for 650 passengers, it carried 156 crew members. It is not yet clear how many crew members left with the vessel.

New management now controls the ship, according to a message sent to residents. Media reports suggest a creditor took over operations and is steering the vessel toward Singapore, the region's main maritime hub. No official announcement has been made regarding the ship's future, though it is currently under new administrative control.

Mike Petterson, the company's founder and executive chairman, said the leadership team remains optimistic about reclaiming the ship if they find an operational partner. He described the process as taking between 30 and 90 days, during which the company aims to complete a financial restructure.

Fuel costs were a primary driver of the financial strain. Villa Vie Residences stated that monthly fuel expenses per cabin, which historically averaged $1,800, have jumped to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia. The increase is linked to the war in Iran, which has curtailed traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and squeezed petroleum-based fuel supplies in Southeast Asia. The company said it tried to mitigate these costs by slowing its itinerary and spending more time in port, but the efforts were insufficient.

Several passengers reported paying more than $300,000 for a suite for the lifetime of the vessel. The company had been asking residents for contributions to keep the ship operating for several months. An active debate on social media has questioned whether the operation was ever financially viable. Internal communications reviewed by CBS News showed the ship was in financial difficulty for at least three months before it reached Cambodia. Additional documents indicated the company felt urgency to secure more funds from residents.

In an internal PowerPoint presentation from a meeting in early August, the company noted the need to distinguish between residents who could not contribute and those who were unwilling to pay more. Sochetkresna said nearly 100 passengers remained in Sihanoukville, while others traveled to other parts of Cambodia or different countries.

The Odyssey was built in 1993 and operated under various names by different cruise lines before the pandemic. Villa Vie Residences bought the ship in 2023. Its current cruise began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, following a refit. A second cruise and the purchase of a second ship for similar operations had already been planned before the current financial issues emerged.