Australians stranded in Cambodia after cruise ship suspends operations

A Queensland woman has handed over $63,500 from her superannuation for a dream retirement at sea — only to watch it unravel before she even stepped onboard.

Lisa McKay was weeks away from joining the luxury residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey when she discovered passengers had been forced off the vessel in Cambodia after it ran out of money.

The former teacher said she feared she would never see her money again after paying for a voyage she hoped would transform her retirement.

"This was going to be my trip of a lifetime," Ms McKay said.

"I don't have that money to waste and lose. It's just been devastating, absolutely devastating."

On Tuesday, more than 200 passengers were told to pack their bags during a scheduled stop in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, with the company no longer able to cover the costs of operating the cruise.

The US ship set sail from Belfast in 2024 on a three-and-a-half year round-the-world voyage, promising residents visits to 425 destinations across 147 countries.

"Extraordinary increases in fuel costs have placed our current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure," Villa Vie Residences said in a statement.

Brisbane passenger Rina Cavazza is among those left scrambling to find accommodation and make arrangements to leave Cambodia after being forced off the ship.

Ms Cavazza, who paid $170,000 to live aboard the Odyssey, still had 18 months remaining on her voyage when passengers were told to disembark.

She is now staying in a local hotel and is making arrangements to return to Brisbane.

"It's been a sad time for many," Ms Cavazza said.

"We have had no word and no idea what is happening. I just know that this is our last day of access to the ship and I'll have one opportunity to go back and collect my belongings."

Questions about finances

The bulk of passengers onboard the Florida-based ship were from the US and Canada, according to the Cambodian government.

Some had sold their homes to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the years-long cruise, marketed as an alternative to retirement options.

Ms Cavazza said passengers were asked for funds to help pay for fuel, as far back as February and again, just before docking in Cambodia.

"Some people paid hundreds of thousands of dollars extra to help out with fuel," Ms Cavazza said.

Ms McKay, a former Brisbane school teacher, said she used her superannuation to pay for the trip via a direct bank transfer, and was due to board in Kuala Lumpur on November 15.

She said she had concerns about the company's finances after reading negative comments online and raised them with a booking agent, before paying.

In messages seen by the ABC, the booking agent said she "wouldn't be working for them if [she] thought they were in trouble" and that if the ship could no longer operate, the "company would arrange another ship".

"My chances of getting my money back [are] very, very slim," Ms McKay said.

"Travel insurance doesn't cover boutique ships."

Sign of things to come

In a statement, Villa Vie Residences said monthly fuel costs per cabin had averaged about $US1,800 but were now $US6,000 to $US8,000 in parts of Asia, due to the ongoing war in Iran.

"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," it said.

It is not the only cruise company feeling the fuel crunch.

The world's largest cruise operator, Carnival Corporation, said higher fuel prices had added about $US150 million to its 2026 outlook.

The company recently announced it was halving its fleet in Australia next year.

Other major cruise operators such as Disney and Royal Caribbean no longer operate full-time in Australia. 

Royal Caribbean said its fuel costs rose 27 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, from $US279 million to $US355 million.