
The world tour, which was planned to last for years, was stopped due to skyrocketing fuel costs after the Iranian War.
The luxury cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey suspended operations due to fuel prices quadrupling after the Iran War, leaving approximately 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia.
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Villa Vie Odyssey set out from Belfast in October 2024 with the vision of an uninterrupted world tour.
NEWS CENTER / According to the BBC, the luxury cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey, which was on a journey planned to last for years around the world, announced that it had suspended its operations due to "extraordinarily high" fuel costs, causing its passengers to be stranded in Cambodia. The ship's operators claim that fuel prices have quadrupled since the start of the Iran War.
The US-based operator of Villa Vie Odyssey stated that they are cooperating with passengers on disembarkation plans and "temporary accommodation arrangements".
THE JOURNEY COMPLETED ITS SECOND YEAR
According to Bloomberg's news, citing the founder of the cruise operator, there were an estimated 200 passengers on the ship, which was 200 meters long and had a capacity of 650 people.
The ship set sail from Belfast in October 2024 with the vision of an “uninterrupted world tour”.
GLOBAL FUEL PRICES ON ‘UNSTOPPABLE INCREASE’
The Iran war, which started earlier this year, has been causing global fuel prices to rise from day one. The operator of the ship also stated that monthly fuel costs per cabin increased from $1,800 to $8,000 in some parts of Asia.
The company said it was “taking significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including reducing cruise speeds and spending more time in ports.” However, it turned out that these measures were insufficient to "compensate for the extraordinary increase in fuel costs."
IT WOULD BE A JOURNEY COVERING 150 COUNTRIES
Although the company will devote the next 60 days to "restructuring and capital increase" efforts, it stated that no results are guaranteed.
Villa Vie Odyssey's journey was expected to last 3.5 years and cover approximately 150 countries, as stated on its website. Last year the company launched a lifetime residency program for people to spend their retirement years at sea.
The ship had already passed the 750th day of its world tour when it announced the suspension of its voyage on Tuesday.
In 2024, just days after US President Donald Trump won his second term, Villa Vie Residences announced a four-year “Skip Forward” package. The company's CEO told Fox Business at the time that it was "the perfect product for those who say they will leave the country if 'XYZ' wins the election."
THEY WERE ALSO TRAPPED IN NORTHERN IRELAND
There were delays in the departure of the ship due to repairs, which caused passengers to be stranded in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, for months and caused millions of pounds of damage to the company.
According to Villa Vie Odyssey's website, the ship has several bars and restaurants, a pool deck and a pickleball court.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The company will spend the next 60 days on restructuring
Likely · Within months
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