The tanker Villa Vie Odyssey left the shores of Cambodia on Wednesday after over 200 passengers who had lived on the ship for years were forced to disembark. This ship, owned by Villa Vie Residences based in Florida, halted its operations in Cambodia due to the sharp rise in fuel costs caused by the war in Iran and has been disembarking passengers at the port of Sihanoukville.
Date and Details of Departure
After disembarking the passengers, the ship left with about 50 crew members, and according to Tayng Sochitkrishna, head of the Sihanoukville Tourism Department, around 100 other passengers remain in Cambodia. Many passengers flew to other destinations in the region. The ship's departure occurred while the last passengers were removing their belongings from the ship, and some expressed that they do not expect to return to the ship.
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Financial Implications and Future of the Fleet
Villa Vie Odyssey had been traveling for 755 days and was one of the only ships that allowed passengers to live on it long-term or even permanently. The ship's final destination has not yet been confirmed, but some passengers and maritime tracking websites have reported that the ship is heading towards Singapore. Meanwhile, Villa Vie Residences has not responded to emails and phone calls for comments.
Mary Ann Damsar, a 67-year-old retired teacher from Ontario, Canada, said that the owners have provided no information about the continuation of the journey. She stated, "We are not receiving any clear signs of the current situation from the owners of Villa Vie. They are very quiet, and the only information we receive is from the government and representatives in Cambodia."
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