Abandon ship! Around 200 ‘cruise for life’ passengers stranded in Cambodia

Around 200 passengers who paid to live on a cruise ship while travelling the world were abruptly left in a Cambodian port after the company ran out of money, an official said on Wednesday.US-based operator Villa Vie Residences said it had “suspended operations in Cambodia”, citing an “extraordinary” rise in fuel costs since the Iran war began that had made its current operating model “extremely challenging”.“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,” the company said. “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.