Passengers on a round-the-world cruise have been left stranded in Belfast for the past three months with the passengers all on board as the ship undergoes lengthy repairs. Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey was set to leave Belfast for the first leg of its three-year journey on May 30. However, the luxury ocean liner has been plagued by delays including issues with its rudders and the gearbox.
This has meant that passengers, some of whom have paid €810,000 for their lavish cabin, have instead found themselves spending their summer in Belfast rather than Bermuda. Many of the passengers who now call the city home are from across the world. They are allowed to spend time on the ship during the day but must leave during the evenings.
The company has paid for them to stay in hotels for the time being. Speaking to BBC News , Florida native Holly Hennessey said that she has adapted to the rainy Irish climate. She said: ‘I’ve never had so much use for my umbrella in my life, and I carry my raincoat everywhere I go.
’ Ms Hennessey, a self-described ‘cruise addict’, is travelling with her cat, Captain. She said Villa Vie has offered passengers meals and onboard entertainment which is like the cruise experience – except you’re still in the dock. While Ms Hennessey has stayed put in Belfast, other passengers have used their peculiar predicament to their advantage and taken the opportunity to travel across Europe.
Since May, Angela and Stephen Theriac have travelled by train across Spain , taken day trips to England and visited Greenland. Ms Theriac said: ‘We are travellers, and we want to make the most of the place we are in.’ The couple have even joked that they might apply for residency in Belfast.
Lanettte Canen and Johan Bodin have been documenting their life on the ocean liner on their social media page, called Living Life on a Cruise. The pair claim their cabin on the Odyssey will be their home for the next 15-plus years as they gave a detailed video tour of the ship showcasing its amenities. During their time waiting to say bon voyage from Belfast, they have travelled to Croatia and Sweden for holidays.
Villa Vie Residences CEO Mike Petterson told the BBC that the Odyssey’s round-the-world cruise ship will launch by the end of next week. He said: ‘When you’re the first at doing something, you will run into hiccups, but we’re definitely getting there, and although we are late, we will launch.’ ‘We’re not focused on the next days or weeks, we are focused on the rest of our lives and what this company will do for the residents and the industry.
’ He said it is the first ‘affordable’ residential cruise ship. Amenities onboard include access to a swimming pool, a theatre and a gourmet restaurant. Villa Vie Residences’ website states that the cost of buying a cabin can range from $99,999 (€90,000) to $899,000 (€810,000).
Dr David Austin, from Georgia in the US, told the BBC that he has ‘stopped counting down’ the days until the ship launches. ‘The payoff of seeing the world in this fashion is too great to feel too disappointed with each delay announcement,’ he said. ‘I was committed, having sold my house right before my arrival, and I’ve stayed committed to this adventure with every delay.
’ The ship entered dry dock at H&W on arrival and had initially been due to set sail from Southampton on a round-the-world cruise on May 15, but the departure date and port were changed to May 30 from Belfast. However, she’s still in Belfast, three months after arrival. Reportedly, new rudder stocks had to be manufactured, which contributed to the delay.
The 1993-built ship was floated on July 24 and moved out of the dock to the repair quay on August 2..
