Odyssey cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia as operator suspends voyage
publishers 44articles 48first reported 27 Oct, 15:23 UTCdeveloping since 27 Oct · 6 editionstop 25 #22
About 200 residents of the Odyssey cruise ship were ordered to disembark in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, after operator Villa Vie Residences suspended operations amid a funding shortfall and sharply higher fuel costs.
Cambodian deputy provincial governor Long Dimanche said the Bahamas-flagged ship arrived from Thailand on October 23 carrying 203 passengers and 156 crew members. Passengers were given about seven hours to leave during the scheduled port call, though some had bought cabins as permanent homes. Some have since flown out, while others remain in Sihanoukville.
Villa Vie said fuel expenses per cabin in parts of Asia had climbed from a historical average of about $1,800 a month to between $6,000 and $8,000 following the Iran war, making its operating model unsustainable. Founder Mikael Petterson told The Irish Times that the company was covering local lodging and transportation but not passengers’ travel out of Cambodia. The company has been seeking financing, while CBS News reported that its chief executive plans to file for bankruptcy.
The 200-metre Odyssey began its continuous world voyage from Belfast in October 2024 after a four-month delay for repairs. Passengers could buy or rent cabins, but the vessel never reached its 650-resident capacity. Passenger Holly Hennessey told RTÉ that residents were waiting to learn whether an investor or resident-led consortium could finance the voyage’s continuation. The ship had been scheduled to travel next to Vietnam.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 48 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 44
- Source articles
- 48
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 48 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →