Cruise ship leaves Cambodia after forcing hundreds of passengers to get off

A cruise ship that disembarked over 200 passengers who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on the vessel for three years left a Cambodian port this week, with only staff on board. The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship docked in the Cambodian town of Sihanoukville last week and suspended operations after its Florida-based operator said the rising costs of fuel from the Iran war made its journey financially untenable, leaving those living on board stranded. Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Huot Hak (R) and Captain Emanuele Giudice (C) disembark from the Villa Vie Residences’ cruise ship Odyssey at Sihanoukville port in Preah Sihanouk province on October 29, 2026. Getty Images The ship ​left with no passengers and around 50 crew members on Tuesday, according to ⁠Taing Sochitkrishna, head of the Sihanoukville tourism department, Reuters reported. He told the U.K. news agency that around 100 ​passengers were still in Cambodia, and that others had mostly flown to other destinations ​in the region. Story continues below advertisement Passengers were able to unload their remaining belongings from the vessel on Tuesday; many said they did not expect to come back to the ship. Get daily N...