A luxury cruise ship that finally set sail after unexpectedly spending four months in Belfast before a three-year voyage is expected to return to the city. Passengers cheered, applauded and hugged the liner’s chief when he confirmed on Monday night that they were ready to leave Northern Ireland . However, the ship remained docked off the County Down coast on Tuesday, and information on the Belfast harbour website indicated that the vessel was expected to return to the port in the afternoon, with another departure scheduled for 11pm.
Passengers were told the ship would return to the city temporarily for paperwork to be completed. The vessel became stranded in May when unexpected repairs were needed, leaving passengers with little choice than to explore the sights of Belfast and Northern Ireland. The residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey waved goodbye on Monday night to the city with which they had become so familiar, taking souvenirs and memories with them.
One passenger, who carried a self-assembled model of the Titanic onboard on Monday, said he had enjoyed Belfast but was ready for the rest of the cruise. A woman from Georgia said she had always wanted to see the world but thanked Belfast for hosting them, calling it “a wonderful place”. One pair of would-be voyagers became engaged while waiting for the cruise to begin.
Gian Perroni, from Vancouver in Canada, and Angie Harsanyi, from Colorado in the US, got to know each other as they walked to and from the ship in the pa.
