203 cruise residents left stranded in Cambodia after fuel cash ran out
What's next: Villa Vie Residences plans 60 days of restructuring as passengers dispute its claim that lodging was provided.
More than 200 residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey were forced off the ship in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after the operator ran short of money for fuel and suspended the voyage. Villa Vie Residences, a U.S.-based company, said surging fuel prices had pushed monthly fuel costs in parts of Asia from about $1,800 per cabin to $8,000, making operations unsustainable. The ship had marketed a multiyear, around-the-world lifestyle at sea, with some passengers paying hundreds of thousands of dollars. Passengers told media they had little notice and had to find their own accommodation, contradicting the company’s statement that temporary housing was being coordinated.