Due to rising fuel prices, a round-the-world cruise was interrupted; more than 200 passengers were disembarked in Cambodia.

According to the Associated Press, there were 203 passengers from 15 countries, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members on board the ship. The ship arrived on October 23 at the port of Sihanoukville, from where it was supposed to depart for Vietnam five days later. However, on October 27, passengers were suddenly informed that they had to leave the ship.

According to Cambodian authorities, passengers were given seven hours to pack their belongings and disembark. Some passengers chose to leave Cambodia immediately, while others stayed in hotels in the hope that the cruise would continue.

Odyssey set sail from Belfast in October 2024 on a circumnavigation of the world expected to take approximately three and a half years. The company offered passengers not just tourist trips, but the opportunity to live permanently on the ship by purchasing or renting cabins.

According to representatives of Villa Vie Residences, due to the war with Iran, fuel costs have risen sharply. If previously monthly fuel costs per cabin were about $1,800, in some areas of Asia they reached $6,000-8,000.

The company tried to cut costs by reducing the ship’s speed and increasing the duration of stays in ports, but this did not help. According to Bloomberg, company founder Mikael Petterson said that due to soaring costs, the company can no longer finance the continuation of the cruise.