Cruise ships

The cruise ship company, Villa Vie Residences, issued a statement explaining that it had to suspend operations because of the high cost of fuel in the wake of the Iran War

Hundreds of tourists claim to have been left stranded in Cambodia, after the company running their 15-year-long cruise around the world suddenly ‘suspended’ the trip.

Passengers aboard the Ville Vie Odyssey, owned by Florida-based Villa Vie Residences have been left abandoned in Sihanoukville in Cambodia, with ‘no help with accommodation or onward travel’, according to reports.

They claim that residents on the ship were given just seven hours’ notice to leave with all of their belongings after a ‘6.30am’ announcement on an internal message board, the Daily Mail has reported.

In an official statement, Villa Vie Residences blamed the high cost of fuel due to the Iran War for the decision. This has created ‘unsustainable financial pressure’, and the company will seek additional funding over the next 60 days.

On cruise discussion sites, residents and former residents slammed the ‘floating disaster’. One of the passengers who claims they were told to leave includes Californian Randy Cassingham, who writes about cruises. He was on board with his wife Kit, and wrote a post titled ‘Abandon Ship!’, the Daily Mail reports continue.

According to Cassingham, the news of the eviction arrived around 7am Eastern time on Monday, October 26. Posted on the internal messaging board by Villa Vie chief executive Kathy Villaba, it read: “Good morning, everyone.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the fuel necessary to continue operations. As a result, the Odyssey will enter a temporary layup this afternoon, with crew remaining onboard to maintain the vessel and its essential systems. All residents must disembark by 2pm today.”

Anyone who was unable to remove all of their belongings had to speak to guest services and coordinate an ‘orderly return’ to take them away, the Daily Mail reports add.

Cassingham wrote that residents on the Odyssey had been ‘well aware of the problems’ on board and the announcement ‘didn’t come out of the blue’. He said it was a ‘cascade of problems piling up on one another, from the business model to mistakes by management to the mentioned crisis in fuel cost and availability, and more’.

Cassingham also slammed Villalba for failing to apologise and said: “She’s the freaking CEO, and couldn’t bring herself to say it’.”

The Daily Mail says the ship was launched in 2024, with the 720-capacity Villa Vie Odyssey promising a ‘new model of global living at sea’ by allowing residents to live on board for months or years at a time.

Shirene Thomas, who is from Madison, Wisconsin, wrote on Facebook that she had been left ‘homeless’ by Villa Vie stopping business, reports continue. “This time in Cambodia,” she said.

“Note that as per usual Villa Vie has put their spin on things; they are offering no help with lodging, travel arrangements or anything.”

According to Thomas, she was ‘evicted’ at 2pm on Monday. She wrote: “They told us at 6.30am!”

In the message to residents, Villaba said that was all the information they had at the time, but the following day Villa Vie put out a statement explaining the ‘temporary layup’ was far more serious.

A statement from the company reads: “Villa Vie Residences today announced that it has suspended operations in Cambodia as the company works to address extraordinary increases in fuel costs and evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives.

“Fuel costs have risen sharply in the regions where the company has been operating. On an equivalent per-cabin basis, monthly fuel expense that historically averaged approximately $1,800 has recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia.

“The company cannot simply pass increases of that scale on to residents, and the resulting shortfall has placed its current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure.

“The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements. Villa Vie Residences recognizes that this is a difficult and disruptive period for residents, crew members, and employees, and is working to support those affected as plans develop.

“Since the conflict began in late February, we have taken significant steps to reduce fuel consumption, including slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port. Those measures have not been enough to offset the extraordinary increase in fuel costs, and we have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses.

“Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees while we work toward restructuring and recapitalization over the next 60 days. That work is ongoing, and no outcome is assured.”

Villa Vie Residences says it “continues to evaluate potential paths forward, but no financing or transaction has been finalized”, and that “the company will provide further updates as material developments occur”.

On Facebook, crew members told how they were ‘heartbroken’ at the news including Lucas Clyne, said the Daily Mail. He wrote: “As a crew member of Villa Vie Residences, it hurts to see residents leaving the place they have called home.

“For many people, this is not just a ship or a place to live. It is a home filled with memories, friendships, laughter, and moments that have become part of our lives.”

The Mirror has approached Villa Vie for comment.

An ‘overpowering sewage smell’ was reported on board, along with flies seen around uncovered food. Passengers have been complaining about various stomach issues

A group of 12 passengers who fell seriously ill onboard a P&O ship are taking legal action after their dream Mediterranean cruise turned into a “nightmare” holiday from hell. The British passengers were struck down with gastric illness and flu-like symptoms while travelling around the Greek islands on the P&O Azura.

The holidaymakers, who paid up to £3,000 each, claim they encountered an “overpowering sewage smell” on board and raised concerns about hygiene in buffet restaurants where flies could reportedly be seen around uncovered food. Many were confined to their cabins during the eight-night voyage between May 28 and June 4 this year, while others were left hospitalised upon returning to the UK and some say they are still feeling the effects now.

The group, who had been celebrating a 60th birthday, have now instructed international injury lawyers to investigate their illnesses. Julie Stones, 53, from Bolton, was among those who says the cruise left her battling a catalogue of health problems.

She first became ill on June 2 with a sore throat and diarrhoea before her condition spiralled. She suffered vomiting, severe stomach pain, fever, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, a persistent cough, and pain in her back and legs.

After returning home, she attended A&E, was diagnosed with a chest infection and later required further GP and hospital treatment. Julie, who has several underlying health conditions and uses a powered wheelchair, said she spent weeks largely confined to bed and relied on help from her husband and daughter.

Julie said: “This holiday was supposed to be a special celebration with friends and something I’d been looking forward to for months. Instead, it turned into a complete nightmare. It felt as though one thing after another kept going wrong and, as the holiday went on, I just got worse and worse.

“One thing that really stood out was the overpowering sewage smell near the Manhattan Bar. It was so noticeable that other passengers were commenting on it. I also had concerns about hygiene in the buffet areas. I remember seeing food left uncovered with flies around it and people entering the restaurant without sanitising their hands.

“Even after returning home, the symptoms didn’t go away. I’ve needed hospital treatment, GP appointments, and medication, but I’m still not back to normal. More than two months later, I’m still dealing with fatigue and headaches. I just want to understand what happened.”

Linda Chapman, from Bury, who was celebrating her 60th, also became seriously ill after developing symptoms on the final evening of the cruise. The mum and grandmother suffered chills, vomiting, breathlessness, wheezing, a sore throat, and a persistent cough.

Her condition worsened so badly after landing back in Manchester that she contacted NHS 111 and was taken to A&E, where she was prescribed antibiotics. Linda, who works as a housekeeper on an NHS stroke ward, was forced to take two weeks off work.

Linda said: “I remember being on the plane. The flight was only a few hours, but it felt like forever. People kept asking if I was okay and I must have looked as awful as I felt. I just kept telling myself that I’d be home soon and could finally go to bed.

“What I didn’t realise was that I’d end up spending weeks like that. In my view, hygiene onboard wasn’t up to scratch and the food often didn’t seem fresh at all, despite the cruise being very expensive. What did surprise me was just how ill I became. I was struggling to breathe and, combined with the stomach problems, I just couldn’t work out what was wrong with me. It was a very frightening and disorientating experience.”

Sharon Robinson, 51, from Wigan, was the first member of the group to fall ill. She initially believed she had a chest infection but later suffered stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, fever-like symptoms, and extreme fatigue.

Despite feeling unwell, Sharon tried to continue with the group’s planned celebrations but says she spent the rest of the cruise exhausted. Sharon said: “I’m unbelievably disappointed.

“Even though I felt awful, I kept trying to take part in as much as I could because I’d been looking forward to this cruise for a year. I was the first in our group to become ill, but after the first few days it felt as though everyone was dropping like flies.

“One thing that’s burned into my memory is the strong sewage smell onboard. It still makes me feel sick when I think about it. So many people in our group became unwell that it’s difficult not to have concerns about what caused it. I still feel very sad about the whole experience and I’m still suffering because of it.”

Jatinder Paul, the lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the passengers, said: “Cruise holidays should provide passengers with an opportunity to relax and enjoy their time away. However, they also involve large numbers of passengers sharing restaurants, bars and other facilities in confined space so robust hygiene measures are vital in helping to prevent illnesses from spreading.

“What’s particularly concerning for our clients is that so many from the same party became unwell, with several still having their lives affected by symptoms. Our clients understandably have questions about their illnesses and whether more should have been done to protect them.

“Nothing will make up for what they’ve been through, but we’re determined to provide them with the answers they deserve.”

P&O has been approached for comment.