# The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-cursed-cruise-how-the-dream-of-never-ending-luxury-at-sea-became-a-nightmare/
- Published: 2026-10-31T03:00:31+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T03:33:20+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/oct/31/mv-odyssey-cruise-passengers-nightmare-stranded-cambodia
- Topics: Americas, Business, World

## Key points

- Rising fuel costs ended the Odyssey’s residential cruise.
- More than 200 passengers were taken ashore in Cambodia.
- The company is considering restructuring over the next 60 days.

## Summary

Villa Vie Residences has ended the MV Odyssey’s around-the-world voyage, leaving more than 200 passengers to disembark in Cambodia after the company ran out of money. The ship had been marketed as a way to escape political turmoil and spend years at sea, but a surge in oil prices linked to the war in Iran made its operating costs unsustainable.

The 642ft vessel, formerly the cruise liner MS Braemar, set sail from Belfast in October 2024. A couple could pay $319,998 for a four-year voyage, with monthly fees for services including food, drinks and wi-fi; fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia had climbed from $1,800 to as much as $8,000. Passengers were given seven hours to leave and taken by bus to Sihanoukville, while the company said it was considering restructuring and recapitalisation over the next 60 days.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.