A cruise ship which allowed passengers to purchase suites to remain onboard for years has ended operations early due to fuel shortages.
The Villa Vie Odyssey, which was stranded in Northern Ireland for months in 2024 as repairs were carried out, has now ended its journey in Cambodia.
Passengers – mostly from North America – were able to rent their suites for 35 to 120 days or buy them for around £90,000 to £260,000 for a ‘never-ending’ (three year) cruise.
Some planned to stay onboard for years, with one couple, Melody and John Hennessee, from Palm Beach, Florida, hoping to live out the rest of their lives onboard.
But this week, passengers were told: ‘Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations. As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems.
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‘All residents must disembark by 2pm today. For those who are unable to collect all their belongings before disembarking, please coordinate with Guest Services to arrange an orderly return using the shuttles.’
Passengers paid around £70 each day for rent, utilities and food, meaning the increase in fuel prices because of the war in Iran made the model unsustainable.
A spokesperson for Villa Vie said: ‘Since the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port.’
‘We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses. Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution.’
It remains unclear if the company is helping passengers with accommodation or refunds.
The cruise has stopped operations in Cambodia – and parts of Asia have seen the price of fuel triple since Trump began the war in Iran.
In the UK, petrol has soared 41p higher than it was seven months ago, before the war in Iran began.
In September, it was reported that emergency fuel shortage plans were unveiled and could soon be brought in.
They included ‘diesel rationing’, reducing speed limits to 50mph, and priority filling for emergency services and public transport.
Despite widespread worries of further price hikes, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero told that supplies are not an issue.
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