Cruise ship leaves Cambodia after forcing hundreds of passengers off

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — After disembarking more than 200 passengers who had paid tens of thousands of dollars to live on board for years, the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship departed from Cambodia early Wednesday.

Last week, the vessel’s owner, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, suspended operations and forced passengers off the ship at the port town of Sihanoukville, saying ‌fuel price increases from the Iran war had made operations prohibitively expensive.

The ship left with no passengers and around 50 crew members, according to Tang Sochetkresna, head of the Sihanoukville tourism department. He said around 100 passengers remained in Cambodia, while the others had largely flown to other destinations in the region.

Passengers unloaded their last belongings from the vessel on Tuesday, and many said they did not expect to return to the ship.

“There are still many things on the ship that I wish I could take with me,” Shirine Thomas, of Wilmington, North Carolina, said shortly after collecting some final items.

The Villa Vie Odyssey had been cruising the world for at least 755 days as one of only a handful of ships that offered passengers the opportunity to rent or buy long-term or even permanent ​residences on board.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world