Seedy Sihanoukville! The Cambodian city of casinos and crime where hundreds of cruise passengers have been left stranded

After setting off on what was supposed to be a 3.5-year voyage around the world, hundreds of cruise passengers have found their dream adventure derailed in Cambodia — as their ship's operator struggles to stay afloat financially.Their unexpected destination? Sihanoukville, a once-sleepy beach resort that has become synonymous with casinos, cybercrime and scam compounds.Villa Vie Residences has told around 200 passengers aboard Villa Vie Odyssey to disembark in the Cambodian port city, turning what should have been another stop on an extraordinary global adventure into an uncertain new chapter for those on board.But Sihanoukville is a far cry from the tropical paradise many travellers might imagine.Just a decade ago, the coastal city was transformed by a wave of Chinese investment, with casinos and towering developments springing up along its coastline. The boom promised to turn the sleepy seaside resort into a thriving tourist destination.Instead, the pandemic and Cambodia's crackdown on online gambling helped bring the party to an abrupt end. As businesses struggled and casinos emptied, some properties were taken over by criminal networks and repurposed as bases for online scams, drawing Sihanoukville into the spotlight of a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime.Now, the city is struggling to recapture its former appeal. Cambodia's international visitor arrivals fell by 43.7 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to Bloomberg – adding to the challenges facing a destination already grappling with a tarnished reputation. Around 200 passengers were made to pack up and disembark from Villa Vie Odyssey earlier this week The cruise company called it quits in Sihanoukville, a port city in Cambodia, after struggling to keep up with costs The area has fallen under a nationwide crackdown on online scams and other crimeThese days in Sihanoukville, there are few tourists or even people working in scam compounds to fill local restaurants and businesses with trade since the clampdowns. Pov Chany, a waitress in a dumpling restaurant in the city's Chinatown, told the publication: 'I just sit here all day. There are no people here anymore.'The situation in Sihanoukville is so dire that Intrepid Travel announced in 2020 that it would stop including the destination on itineraries. The tour operator explained how overtourism ruined the area, describing it as becoming 'almost completely unrecognisable' with a growing crime rate, plastic bags covering previously 'postcard beaches' and construction materials strewn in streets from casinos and new developments being built. Sihanoukville is frequently mentioned for having issues with various crimes, and the UK Foreign Office includes it in multiple warnings. The site mentions the city as being a hotspot for petty crime in 'the beaches and tourist areas of Sihanoukville and nearby islands' and states, 'Female travellers, including British nationals, have been sexually assaulted in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.'It warns about scams such as fake dollar bills being given as change in Cambodia, and identifies how organised crime groups traffic victims 'to secure compounds in and around Sihanoukville, border areas and Kandal'. Intrepid Travel announced in 2020 that it would stop including the destination on itineraries Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office lists various warnings for SihanoukvilleMotorcycle thieves are another issue, and travellers are urged to be careful their bags aren't taken by robbers riding motorbikes, 'particularly in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville'.'Accidents have happened when boats are overloaded or poorly maintained. Tourist boats sometimes operate despite weather warnings, particularly between Sihanoukville and the nearby islands,' the warning continues. On Tuesday (October 27), 29 individuals were arrested at two locations in Sihanoukville as part of suspected scam raids carried out by Preah Sihanouk Provincial Military Police, Khmer Times reports. Meanwhile, a recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies identified Sihanoukville as a Southeast Asian criminal hub that is one of 'the most consequential for regional and global security'.It highlighted issues with scam compounds in the area as well as online fraud and issues with human trafficking. So why did a luxurious cruise ship choose such a place to leave its customers? One passenger the Daily Mail spoke to hasn't even stayed there, and instead booked an island break nearby. Travel content creator Ola Lily shared her experience visiting Sihanoukville last year on YouTube and showed footage of rundown streets and dilapidated buildings.'I've explored sketchy neighbourhoods across Asia, filmed in slums around the world, but this was the first time I truly felt danger,' she admitted. So why has Villa Vie Residences left its passengers in such a destination?During her stay, Ola had an interaction with a security guard on an empty beach telling her 'sitting was not allowed' that left her feeling uneasy.'Above all, the beach was completely empty and I was surrounded by aggressive security from a distance. My anxiety spiked. I realised these people could have done something to me and nobody would even know,' she said, adding that 'the wisest thing I could do was leave'.A statement on Villa Vie Residences's website reads: 'Extraordinary increases in fuel costs have placed our current operating model under unsustainable financial pressure. 'We are working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and temporary living arrangements, and are supporting residents, crew, and employees as we evaluate restructuring and recapitalization alternatives over the next 60 days.' The Daily Mail has approached Villa Vie Residences for comment.