Sea

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — A U.S. cruise ship on an around-the-world voyage that touted its cabins as floating homes suspended its three-year voyage in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark.

The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. Its operator had offered to “make the Odyssey your permanent home,” with the purchase price of a suite for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230,000.

For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.

The ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian officials. It has a 650-passenger capacity.

Its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia due to the war in Iran. The company said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.

Traffic has been curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz since the war in Iran began, squeezing supplies of all kinds of petroleum-based fuels, especially in Southeast Asia, and sharply increasing prices.

“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” Villa Vie Residences said in a statement issued Tuesday. “Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees” while it tries to restructure.

“The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements,” it said.

Those on the ship had hoped to sail for years to come

Passengers, however, said they received no support and had to make their own arrangements after being given seven hours notice on Tuesday to disembark. Some were devastated and expressed hope a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea can continue.

Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, said they bought a window cabin and had expected to sail for years. They boarded the ship 17 months ago in Panama.

Paul praised the concept of residential cruising but said the shipowner lacked the expertise to make the business financially sustainable. While rising fuel costs had been cited publicly as the reason for the suspension, he said the company had already been struggling. Changes to itinerary, unreliable internet access and declining food quality had pushed many residents to leave the ship in recent months, he said.

Lynn said residents were repeatedly asked to contribute additional money for fuel and other expenses, including a fresh call to raise funds for fuel to get out of Cambodia. She said the crew members were also not paid.

“We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything,” she said. “We had hopes but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement.”

The company could not immediately be contacted for comment.

For some, the venture was a risk worth taking

Yet for some, even the financial and logistical turmoil couldn’t outweigh the extraordinary experience of traveling the world and living at sea.

Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, occupied separate cabins aboard the ship for 18 months. The siblings, from California, described the suspension as heartbreaking, and hoped the cruise would be resuscitated.

“I hope there is a movement for the residents to buy the ship and I am hoping that goes through because it’s a dream to live on the ship and I don’t want it to end,” Larson said.

Lavering said her health improved during her time on the ship, and that she didn’t need to use a cane to walk anymore. “You come to this ship to live … it’s just sad that it’s all over.”

Larson bought her cabin for $120,000, paid in installments, in addition to monthly maintenance fees, under a plan that had promised the possibility of living aboard for up to 15 years. She said she blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for the ship’s woes as fuel costs spiked due to the Iran war, in addition to poor management. But she said she didn’t regret her investment.

“Because it was a startup company, I believe that it was a risk. From the very first day, I said to myself that if it lasts a year, I can walk away and feel like I got my money’s worth … I still feel that way. I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising,” she said.

The cruise began in Northern Ireland in 2024

The ship arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday and was scheduled to depart Wednesday, according to a statement from Long Dimanche, the deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. He said it was now expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday, but the ship’s operator has not yet publicly confirmed any date.

Built in 1993 and operated under different names by several cruise lines over the years before being becalmed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Odyssey was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023.

Its current cruise, originally intended to last 3 1/2 years, began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted. A second cruise had been tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030.

The Odyssey is not the first cruise ship Sihanoukville has hosted in crisis.

In February 2020, the MS Westerdam was allowed to dock in Cambodia after being turned away at five ports in other nations because of fears of COVID-19, which just a month earlier had started to spread from China. It carried 1,455 passengers, more than 600 of them American citizens.

After being stranded at sea for two weeks, Cambodia’s then-Prime Minister Hun Sen allowed it to dock for what he said were humanitarian reasons. Cambodia won plaudits as passengers were welcomed ashore and arrangements were made for them to fly home.

Cheang writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.

PERCHED on the Sheringham promenade is a beautiful holiday home with views across the Norfolk coast.

Now, it’s a modern little escape, but visitors might be shocked to discover that what it used to be.

It was first built in 1897 and was used as a public toilet for over 100 years until its closure in 2006.

It was then bought by its current owner who transformed it into what is now called the Wee Retreat.

The coastal holiday home has spiral staircases and sleeps up to four people across two double bedrooms – both have with a private shower room.

For those wanting to make the most of the views, make sure to bag the bedroom on the first floor which has French doors which open onto a veranda.

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It has a modern kitchen with all the appliances for a self-catering break.

The open-plan lounge has a cosy seating area and is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows to let in all the natural light.

It also has a wrap around balcony where in the summer you can enjoy the sunshine, or during the winter, cosy up inside and turn on the underfloor heating.

To keep guests occupied, the Wee Retreat has some books and games too.

With Host Unusual, Wee Retreat can be booked from £611 for seven-nights – or £21pppn.

Guests have left reviews calling it a “one-of-a-kind”, others described it as “peaceful and beautiful”.

Of course, with Blue Flag beach on its doorstep, visitors can make the most of taking a dip into the sea or making sandcastles.

Aside from that, it’s minutes away from the centre of Sheringham which has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, and even a theatre.

It’s home to the Poppy Line, a heritage steam railway, which takes visitors into the Georgian town of Holt.

Holt was recently named one of Britain’s poshest towns.

Travel Reporter Jenna Stevens, who is also a Norfolk local, suggests popping over for a visit.

She said: “Growing up in Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk, Holt was always seen as the posh next door neighbour town.

“Byfords sits smack-bang in the centre offering afternoon tea – it even includes a free top-up on sandwiches.

“It’s definitely worth popping into Dottie and Oscar’s Children’s Boutique. Here you can pick out a new childhood teddy together or pretty, handmade outfit to rock on the beach.

“So if you’re visiting on a day trip, make sure to bring your extra pocket money, as this town’s full of independent boutiques and shops you’ll want to grab a souvenir from – but be warned, it’s easy to splurge.”

Also not too far away is Cromer, a seaside town that has been revealed to be one of the cheapest holiday destinations in the country.

It has a long sandy beach, soft serve ice cream parlours, sunny beer gardens and award-winning fish and chip shops.

A HUGE new airport is coming to Turkey and it will be built directly on the sea.

The new airport in the Black Sea province of Trabzon in Turkey will be the country’s third airport built on the sea and is set to cost £732million.

The airport will eventually have a 3,000 metre runway that will be 45 metres wide, meaning it will be able to handle larger planes.

There will also be a taxiway next to the runway of the same width and length.

As for the terminal, it is set to span 110,000-square-metres and will be able to handle up to 10million passengers a year.

There will also be a new air traffic control tower.

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Currently, the airport has one runway that is 2,640 metres long and handles around three million passengers a year.

In order to build the new airport, more than 100million tonnes of ‘fill’ will need to be dumped into the Black Sea to create the airport.

A 6,000 metre breakwater will also need to be built.

Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that the current runway is not suitable for the growing passenger numbers at the airport.

According to Daily Sabah, Uralogu added: “We will give Trabzon a new, higher-capacity, modern airport that meets international standards.”

The airport is set to be completed by the early 2030s.

The city of Trabzon is home to around one million people and is known for its cliffside monasteries as well as rolling green hills.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from left-wing politicians and environmentalists.

The United Kingdom’s government has approved a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland, as the Labour government seeks to balance its climate goals with energy security concerns.

Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said on Wednesday that the Jackdaw gasfield would begin supplying energy to UK homes by the end of the month and would help to boost the country’s energy security.

The government said the North Sea project would increase UK gas production by about 6 percent at its peak.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the decision will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy.

The government also announced a New Energy Wealth Fund, which will invest in renewable and low-carbon energy projects as part of the green transition.

The fund has been established with an initial 2 billion pounds ($2.7bn), with plans to raise additional funds through tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas.

Higher energy prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war and the United States-Israel war on Iran have weighed on households and businesses, dragging on Britain’s economy.

Fahnbulleh told UK radio station LBC that the development of Jackdaw would not bring down household energy bills.

“I think it’s really important that we’re honest about this,” Fahnbulleh said.

“That was not a consideration in the decision because it won’t mean cheaper bills. This was about energy security.”

The announcement has drawn criticism from left-wing politicians and environmental groups.

Zack Polanski, the leader of the opposition Green Party, described the decision as “climate vandalism”.

“Surreal to hear [the] energy secretary try and say this is a ‘pragmatic decision’,” Polanski wrote in a post on X.

“It will do nothing to lower bills. It will do lots for the profits of the oil and gas companies. And will continue us further down the path of floods and wildfires.”

Environmental group Greenpeace said the decision showed “the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy”.

“True pragmatism means severing our reliance on expensive oil and gas that leaves British households broke, supercharges extreme weather, and leaves our energy security at the mercy of petrostates,” said Ami McCarthy, head of politics at Greenpeace UK.

If you’d like to live near the water along the spectacular California coast at some point in your life, you have a number of options.

You can settle in, say, Culver City, which is several miles inland, and wait for rising tides to arrive.

Or, if you just can’t wait that long, I saw a listing you might be interested in. It’s in Capitola, near Santa Cruz, right next to the wharf. The three bedroom, two bath, 1,850-square-foot condo, one of a string of Venetian, pastel beachfront homes, is listed for $3,995,000.

“The beach is your backyard, the cool ocean is your pool,” says the promo.

Given what’s happening right now along the California coast, you might not have to leave that condo to go for a swim. But UC Santa Cruz oceanographer and geologist Gary Griggs, who has seen the thrashing of that row of homes in previous years, is not going to make an offer.

“I’ve got a number of photos,” he said, “that show waves breaking over the top.”

Someone will buy the place, eventually, despite the chance of it becoming a fish tank. California is flush with dumb money and bad judgment, and an insatiable romance with an epic 1,200-mile shoreline.

But it’s time to rethink the relationship.

Last weekend in Long Beach I said a few words at the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act, which has kept our shoreline from looking like Atlantic City or Miami Beach by balancing sensible development with conservation and public access.

“The coast is never saved, it’s always being saved,” I said at the 50th, borrowing as I often do from the late Peter Douglas, hammering home the need for constant stewardship, from one generation to the next.

But in an ironic twist, part of the parking lot was underwater, a tractor had raised a berm to hold back the ocean, and just to the south, homes were being thrashed by waves. The coast wasn’t being saved, it was being reclaimed by the sea.

From there I headed south for a friend’s planned birthday party on the sand in Newport Beach, but city streets had been flooded and beaches were closed. The party was moved indoors.

We have not seen the worst of it, with a fall forecast that includes the possibility of an epic Super El Niño that could coincide with king tides, Kelvin waves and a peak lunar nodal cycle, all of which my colleague Rosanna Xia laid out a couple of days ago.

It’s not going to rain hammerheads and sea horses, I don’t think, but coastal destruction could be dramatic.

“We’re likely going to break a number of water level records,” said Timu Gallien of the UCLA Coastal Flood Lab. “It’s not implausible to see some of the piers wiped out, or breakwaters or jetties.”

“This is a glimpse of our future,” said former California Coastal Commission Director Jack Ainsworth. “This is it. It’s here.”

Some low-lying communities have been warned for years to prepare for rising sea levels, Ainsworth said, but have put off the inevitable.

In some areas, the only sane maneuver is what’s called “managed retreat,” meaning relocation of structures farther inland. But that is fraught with legal and political challenges and resistance.

Look, if you want to live on the sand and can afford to do so, good for you. But the general public should not be on the hook for your losses. Along the entire coast, public infrastructure that we all benefit from is under threat, including roadways, parks and railroad tracks, and that’s where any public investment ought to go.

Among the tools available are sand berms, cobble berms (sand on top of small stones), jetties, dredging and relocating sand, and below-surface breakwaters. Living shorelines, such as those along the Orange and San Diego county coasts, involve piling sand atop boulders or smaller stones and covering the berms with vegetation.

But these projects don’t happen overnight, Gallien said. “Right now we’re seeing reactive responses. OK, let’s throw up some sandbags and plywood.”

Kelsey Ducklow, coastal resilience director for the Coastal Commission, said the agency has awarded millions in grants for local planners to study the threat to their communities and come up with plans. Some locales are further along than others, Ducklow said, but there’s no single strategy that will work everywhere, and one typical response is, “Yeah, we know we need to do something. But where’s the money to do it?”

The three choices we have are mitigation, adaptation and suffering, Griggs said. We’re likely to do some of each, but on the mitigation end of things, sea walls, rock revetments and armored cliffs are temporary fixes.

“In the long run, there’s nothing we can do to hold back the Pacific Ocean,” said Griggs, 83, who has been teaching for 59 years. “Everything we do is a Band-Aid, and comes with different price tags and lifespans.”

Griggs was featured in Xia’s award-winning book “California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline,” which explores the impact of sea level rise and community responses that range from denial to respectful intervention.

Precious ecosystems are under threat, Xia wrote, “trapped between rising water on one side, pavement on the other.” And multiple Southern California beaches that are “so deeply tied to the state’s heart and soul” could be lost.

I asked Xia what she thought about the rising threat this year.

“So many people think about the coast as a place — a place that doesn’t move,” she said. “But the coast in reality is a living dynamic process that changes every time a wave crashes ashore. That’s the heart of the issue — we’re fundamentally trying to impose permanence onto a space that is meant to be constantly changing.”

We haven’t been the best stewards of the planet, and maybe what’s happening now is a bit of a reckoning. From the first time I saw the California coast as a young lad on vacation from the hot interior, I think I understood that the truest way to love the sea was to fear and respect it.

I now have more fear and more respect.

And maybe, too, a deeper love.

steve.lopez@latimes.com

Latest missile launch appears to be a show of force since South Korea’s hypersonic missile test-fire, Seoul says.

North Korea has fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s military says.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said one of the missiles flew more than 900km (559 miles) from the Pyongyang area on Monday. The joint chiefs did not specify how many missiles were detected.

Japan’s coastguard said on Monday that North Korea had fired two unidentified projectiles, believed to be ballistic missiles, which appeared to have already fallen.

South Korea’s presidential office said that Pyongyang’s repeated missile launches violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, urging an immediate stop.

Monday’s missile launch adds to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as both countries have been conducting weapons tests.

Escalating tensions

JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young said the latest missile launch appears to be a show of force since South Korea’s hypersonic missile test-fire.

On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country’s first test-firing of a hypersonic missile, a rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president.

Lee’s office said the hypersonic weapon, once fully developed, would enhance South Korea’s ability to strike key targets by surprise in the “Korean Peninsula theatre of operations”.

On October 3, North Korea also tested a hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to evade missile defences in South Korea and Japan.

Last week, Seoul demanded an apology after a landmine blast wounded three soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea. A joint South Korean-UN investigation concluded that two landmines were planted by North Korean forces about a year ago. Pyongyang dismissed the claim and accused South Korea of provocation.

Prior to the border mine blast, Seoul said it was conducting “preliminary coordination efforts” to facilitate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.

Lee pledged to reopen dialogue with North Korea in his first speech after taking office in 2025.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to flaunt his nuclear weapons programme, while rejecting US and South Korean offers to resume stalled diplomacy.

Talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump abruptly ended in 2019. Kim Jong Un’s government continues to demand that Washington abandon its “hostile” policy towards Pyongyang and drop demands for North Korea’s denuclearisation as a condition for talks.

OUR Spotlight On column uncovers the top things to see and do in the best holiday destinations, as well as lesser-known spots, in the UK and abroad.

This week, we’re shining the light on the already well-lit destination of San Diego, which sees more than 300 days of sunshine a year.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited, and said: “I love exploring Belmont theme park, which dates back to 1925, which felt like going back to the 50s with wooden rollercoasters and spinning ice cream rides.

“Then hop over to South Mission Beach for some insane sushi at Cannonball overlooking the ocean, before a drink in Part Time Lover, a very cosy listening bar with a vinyl shop at the back.

“Save time for Barrio Logan too, named one of the best neighborhoods in the world with fantastic independent stores and street art.”

Here are some of our other top tips.

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MUST SEE/DO

You’ll want to take advantage of that glorious weather.

So head to La Jolla Cove which was recently named the best beach in the USA in the Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards.

The shoreline is home to crystal-clear waters that are ideal for snorkelling in – keep your eyes peeled for wild sea lions slouched on the rocks and sand, too.

If you’re not much of a snorkeller, grab yourself a kayak from one of the many rental stores or indulge in one of the gorgeous clifftop hiking trails that will take you along the coast.

HIDDEN GEM

Ditch the tourist attractions and crowded shores. Instead you should make a beeline for North Park, where the locals and creatives hang out.

Make sure you come thirsty as this area is crammed with independent coffee shops and some of the best craft beer in the States.

Make sure to admire the colourful murals splattered along the streets and pop into the vintage stores for a souvenir.

Take a look at the historic Observatory North Park ahead of your visit as you may time if perfectly to catch one of the regular gigs,

BEST VIEW

Take a stroll from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, just south of Ocean Beach.

This dramatic 1.5-mile stretch of rugged coastline is one of San Diego’s most spectacular viewpoints, where you can watch the Pacific waves crashing into rock arches while the sun sets beyond the horizon.

If you’re not one for a nature walk, then Mister A’s is a cracking rooftop restaurant perched high above downtown with sweeping panoramic views across San Diego, the bay and the flight path into the city’s airport.

Cocktails are being continually shaken and the atmosphere is warm and buzzy.

RATED RESTAURANT

Exciting new openings are cropping up all over the city, including Ikaria in La Jolla which is due to open towards the end of this year.

The restaurant is inspired by the Greek island which shares its name and will feature a vibrant Mediterranean menu alongside wine tastings session and cooking classes.

For a slap-up brunch, Morning Glory is set a few streets back from the waterfront, near the Harbor View area, and stars in the Michelin guide for good reason.

Decorated in hues of candy floss pink, with mirrored furniture and a champagne vending machine, it’s got an air of Palm Springs about it.

Star dishes include the indulgent souffle pancakes and fried chicken and waffles.

BEST BARS

Swap your cocktail for a pint from one of San Diego’s independent breweries – after all, this city is known as the IPA capital of the world.

Mujeres Brew House in Barrio Logan is run entirely by women and offers a whole host of craft pours including crisp lagers and bold West Coast IPAs.

It hosts regular events, live music sessions and pop-up food stalls in a casual but lively setting.

HOTEL PICK:

The 4* Pearl Hotel in Point Loma is affordable and elegant, with retro-inspired furniture and decor that make it feel like its from another era.

It’s quickly become one of San Diego’s coolest places to stay with stylish rooms, excellent cocktails and easy access to both downtown and the beach.

Rooms cost from £115 per night based on two people sharing a double. See thepearlsd.com.

Syrian authorities questioned why search and rescue operations were called off before the fate of 10 sailors was known.

Syria has called for an “independent and transparent” investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea, demanding answers over the fate of the ship’s 10 crew members, including nine Syrians and an Egyptian, who remain unaccounted for.

The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan, went down in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone early on Tuesday, amid a rising number of drone strikes hitting Black Sea shipping during the Russia-Ukraine war.

It is unclear who carried out the attack.

Mazen Aloush, from the Syria’s port authority asked the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Bulgarian authorities to find out why a search and rescue mission was called off, before the missing sailors were found.

“Their fate is still unknown” said Aloush, adding that “the reasons that led to the suspension of search and rescue operations” had to be established.

The attack on Tuesday also hit the Palau-flagged Able, setting it ablaze. Eighteen Turkish and Indian crew members were rescued from the burning vessel, while the Alfa Watan sank.

Both commercial ships were managed by Turkey-based companies, according to the Equasis merchant shipping database.

The Syrian sailors’ union said contact with the ship’s crew had been lost and no survivors had been found after search operations were halted.

Aloush condemned the targeting of a civilian commercial vessel saying it was a serious breach of maritime security and a threat to sailors.

He said Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs was closely monitoring the incident.

He urged ⁠authorities to use all available technical means to locate and inspect the wreckage to help establish what caused the ship to sink.

He called for international and maritime bodies to strengthen measures to help commercial shipping as attacks in the Black Sea rise.