Odyssey cruise ship that left 200 passengers stranded, impounded in Singapore

A cruise ship whose passengers were left stranded in Cambodia after its operator ran out of money has been seized by authorities in Singapore, where it arrived on Sunday. The Odyssey, which was supposed to take passengers on a continuous journey around the world, was impounded following its arrival from Cambodia.

Around 200 guests had been forced to leave the vessel at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville after its US-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, suspended operations. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority confirmed that the ship had been seized following a court order.

"The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order," the authority said in a statement, without providing further details. It added that the crew were safe and that arrangements for their welfare were being handled by the ship's creditors. "There are no passengers on board," the statement said. The authority also confirmed that the vessel "is currently anchored in Singapore port waters".

The ship had reached Sihanoukville last month as part of its scheduled itinerary. However, passengers were caught off guard when Villa Vie Residences announced that it was suspending the cruise's operations, bringing the planned round-the-world voyage to an abrupt halt nearly two years after it began. The company blamed "extraordinary increases" in fuel costs linked to the US-Israel war with Iran for its decision.

The Odyssey had been marketed as an affordable way to travel around the world, with customers given the option of buying or renting cabins either for a holiday or as a permanent residence. Some passengers reportedly sold all their possessions to afford the journey. They were given just seven hours to pack their belongings and leave the 200-metre-long vessel, which had been carrying 203 guests and 156 crew members. Villa Vie said the monthly fuel cost for each cabin had risen from an average of $1,800 to an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia, making it increasingly difficult to keep the voyage running.