California sisters among hundreds stranded in Asia after cruise ship halts operations over high fuel costs

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentHundreds of people who live on a cruise ship are stuck in Cambodia because the ship ran short of fuel money.

2. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOkay, I'll start. This is a residential cruise ship, the kind where you live on board, and it stopped sailing in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

3. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWho's on it?

4. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorCambodian officials say two hundred three passengers, mostly Americans, and one hundred fifty-six crew.

5. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Los Angeles Times reports a pair of California sisters are among them.

6. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAnd the ship is a six hundred forty-two foot hull owned by Villa Vie, a company based in Florida. So it's not small.

7. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIt arrived last Friday and was scheduled to leave Wednesday, a provincial deputy governor says.

8. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOfficials now expect it to refuel and go Saturday, but the operator hasn't confirmed a date.

9. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhy is fuel the problem?

10. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe company's own website says monthly fuel per cabin used to average about eighteen hundred dollars.

11. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorLately it's an estimated six to eight thousand in parts of Asia.

12. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThat's a price hike of up to four times. On a thing people already bought.

13. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd what did they buy?

14. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorOne passenger told NBC Los Angeles a cabin costs more than two hundred thousand dollars for fifteen years or the life of the ship.

15. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFifteen years, prepaid.

16. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNow, to be fair, that's a whole home that floats, so I get the appeal. Who wouldn't want a new view every week?

17. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe view is a dock in Cambodia, Chip.

18. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorFair. One passenger alleges mismanagement and unpaid crew, and says passengers were asked for fuel money every two to four weeks.

19. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo you pay two hundred thousand up front, and then it's a recurring request for more.

20. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThat's a subscription with a bigger tier hidden behind it.

21. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWhat does the company say?

22. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIts statement blames fuel. A blogger told NewsNation the operator wasn't collecting enough maintenance fees from many residents even before the fuel problems.

23. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo two stories. Fuel got expensive, or the books were already tight. Both could be true, and nobody's proven which yet.

24. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhat happens next?

25. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorWatch Saturday. If the ship refuels and leaves, that's the good ending. If the operator stays quiet, then it's another stuck weekend.

26. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the one-sentence version is a floating home ran out of gas money, and the people inside are still paying.

27. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd Saturday is the departure date. Officials say so, the operator hasn't. Honestly, I'd pay them to just sort it out.

28. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFifteen years or the life of the ship, and the ship is the one that's out of gas.