The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship has departed Cambodia after around 200 passengers, who had paid thousands of dollars to live aboard the vessel for several years, were ordered off following the suspension of operations by its operator, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences.
The latest development follows Afloat's earlier report on the financial difficulties facing residential cruise ships, which detailed the Odyssey's troubled history, including its delayed departure from Belfast in October 2024.
The Sihanoukville Tourism Department has confirmed the ship's departure from the Cambodian port.
According to local media reports, the vessel sailed without passengers but with approximately 50 crew members remaining aboard. Around 100 passengers are reportedly still in Cambodia.
Villa Vie Residences, which marketed the vessel as a floating residential community, attributed the suspension of operations to rising fuel prices, which it said had made continued operations prohibitively expensive.
The ship's next destination remains unconfirmed, although Singapore has been mentioned as a possibility.
Villa Vie Residences has made no further comment on the departure.
