Cruise ship finally sets sail on world voyage after 4-month delay
Passengers board the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship at Belfast Port's Cruise Ship Terminal, after the luxury cruise ship became marooned in Belfast for four months due to unexpected repair works. Picture date: Monday September 30, 2024. (Photo by Liam
LONDON - Cruise passengers will finally embark on a 3 ½-year around-the-world voyage after the ship sailed from Belfast's dockside.
The Odyssey had spent four months stuck in the Northern Ireland capital.
Cheers, claps, and hugs filled the cruise when the liner’s chief confirmed on Monday night that they were ready for departure.The ship left dock and anchored in the sea inlet Belfast Lough overnight. And there it stayed, as the ship’s operator said it needed to complete some final paperwork. The vessel was scheduled to leave Northern Ireland's waters late Tuesday.
The ship embarked from Southampton in May and put in at Belfast to be outfitted for departure. It spent months at the Harland & Wolff shipyard, where the doomed RMS Titanic was built more than a century ago, undergoing work on its rudder and engine.
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In the meantime, the ship’s operator, Villa Vie Residences paid living expenses for dozens of passengers, who were allowed onto the ship during the day and provided with meals and entertainment, but could not stay overnight. Some went home, while some stayed in hotels in Belfast or visited other parts of Europe.
Villa Vie Odyssey (Credit: Villa Vie Residences)
One pair of would-be voyagers became engaged while waiting for the cruise to begin.
Gian Perroni from Vancouver, Canada, and Angie Harsanyi from Colorado, got to know each other walking to and from the ship during the Belfast stopover. They are now engaged and plan to be married aboard ship by the captain in April.
"We found our soulmates," Perroni said. He said that during the months "marooned" in Northern Ireland, "we’ve learned patience and perseverance – and learned how wonderful the people of Belfast have been."
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Built in 1993 and operated under different names by several cruise lines over the years before being becalmed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Odyssey was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023.
The residential ship is the latest venture in the tempest-tossed world of continuous cruising. It offers travelers the chance to buy a cabin and live at sea on a ship circumnavigating the globe. On its maiden voyage, it is scheduled to visit 425 ports in 147 countries on seven continents.
Cabins – billed as "villas" — start at $99,999, plus a monthly fee, for the operational life of the vessel, at least 15 years. Passengers can also sign up for segments of the voyage lasting weeks or months.