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The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship has finally left Cambodia, sailing out of Sihanoukville early on Wednesday with no passengers on board and a crew of around 50.
The departure came after more than 200 passengers, who had paid tens of thousands of dollars for years of life at sea, were made to disembark.
Taing Sochitkrishna, head of the Sihanoukville tourism department, gave the figures for those on board as the ship pulled away.
He said around 100 passengers were still in Cambodia, while most of the others had flown on to destinations elsewhere in the region.
The vessel’s owner, Villa Vie Residences, which is based in Florida, suspended operations last week and ordered passengers off the ship at the port town.
The company said fuel price increases from the Iran war had made operations prohibitively expensive.
Passengers spent Tuesday unloading the last of their belongings from the vessel, and many said they did not expect to come back to the ship.
“There are still many things on the ship that I wish I could take with me,” said Shirine Thomas, of Wilmington, North Carolina, shortly after collecting some final items.
The ship had been cruising the world for at least 755 days.
A drone view of the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship departing from Sihanoukville Autonomous Port without passengers after residents living aboard the vessel were forced to disembark in Cambodia, as the operator said rising fuel prices linked to conflict involving Iran had made operations prohibitively expensive, in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia, November 4, 2026. REUTERS/Soveit Yarn (Reuters)
It was one of only a handful of vessels offering passengers the chance to rent or buy long-term or even permanent residences on board.
Mary Ann Demsar, a 67-year-old retired high school teacher from Ontario, Canada, said the owners had given no information on whether the voyage would continue.
“We don’t get any clear indication from the owners of Villa Vie as to what is happening,” she said. “They’ve been so quiet, the only information we get is from the wonderful government and the representatives here in Cambodia.”
A drone view of the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship departing without passengers after residents living aboard the vessel were forced to disembark in Cambodia, as the operator said rising fuel prices linked to conflict involving Iran had made operations prohibitively expensive, in Preah Sihanouk province, Cambodia, November 4, 2026. REUTERS/Soveit Yarn (Reuters)
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin were among hundreds of guests who looked forward to a new life at sea when they boarded residential world cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey in October 2024.
The 56-year-olds sold a business to fund a $100,000 (£75,000) cabin on the ship – plus monthly maintenance fees of $3,500 (£2,633). Lanette ran a windshield-replacement company from the ship, and the pair documented their journey on their Living Life on a Cruise YouTube channel.
From ‘We are heartbroken’ – the guests left stranded by Villa Vie Odyssey, 28/10/2026
The ship’s final destination was unconfirmed.
Some passengers and maritime tracking websites indicated it was bound for Singapore.
Villa Vie Residences did not respond to emails or phone calls seeking comment.
