Villa Vie Residences: Luxury cruise ship halted in Cambodia over fuel costs

Villa Vie Residences stopped operations for The Odyssey in Cambodia on Tuesday. The Florida-based company told residents to leave the 642-foot ship. This decision followed a sharp rise in fuel prices that outpaced the vessel's budget.

The company announced it is seeking temporary housing for the passengers. It plans to restructure and recapitalize the business within the next 60 days. An executive named Mikael Petterson declined to provide further details in an email sent to NBC News.

Randy Cassingham, a resident on the ship, learned of the halt through a message board post. A company official notified residents shortly after 7 a.m. local time on Monday. The message stated the ship would enter a temporary layup and required all passengers to disembark by 2 p.m. that day.

Cassingham described the situation as a cascade of problems. He runs the website ResidentialCruising.com. Pamela Reckamp, 59, rented a cabin on the Odyssey with her husband. She left the ship earlier this month and said she was not surprised by the closure.

Reckamp recalled a meeting in early September where a company official requested $1 million from cabin owners. The goal was to secure funds to depart Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. The official warned that without the money, the ship would have only four days of power remaining before lights and air conditioning shut off.

During a subsequent meeting, another woman shared her personal financial sacrifice. She stated she sold her house and her car in August to buy a cabin on the ship. She noted she had not been informed of the financial struggles before making the purchase.

The Odyssey launched from Belfast three years ago. The company promised an unparalleled lifestyle of luxury and exploration. The vessel can accommodate 650 residents. Petterson previously stated that The Odyssey was 85% sold. The company said it had taken measures to reduce fuel consumption, but those steps did not offset the cost spike. It added that passing the full increase to residents was not a realistic solution.