The Villa Vie Odyssey, a luxury residential cruise vessel operated by US‑based Villa Vie Residences, stopped its multi‑year world tour on Tuesday, leaving roughly 200 passengers on shore in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Company officials gave passengers an eight‑hour notice at 6:00 am to vacate the nearly 200‑metre ship by 2:00 pm.

Villa Vie Residences said the decision was driven by a sharp rise in fuel costs, which climbed from $1,800 to as much as $8,000 per cabin in parts of Asia following the Iran conflict earlier this year.

Efforts to curb expenses, such as slowing itineraries and extending port stays, proved insufficient, leading the operator to launch a 60‑day restructuring and recapitalisation plan with an uncertain outcome.

Passengers were told that the location posed logistical challenges, as Sihanoukville is far from a major international airport, complicating onward travel.

The Villa Vie Odyssey was marketed as a permanent‑residence cruise, with cabins sold for $120,000 to $440,000 or rented from $3,500 a month, and featured amenities such as multiple bars, a pool deck and a pickleball court.

The vessel had already spent more than 750 days at sea and was slated for a 3.5‑year circumnavigation of nearly 150 countries before the suspension.

Earlier delays in Belfast for costly repairs and a failed investor due‑diligence process had already strained the project's finances.