Belfast cruise: Ship remains in lough for second day

An around-the-world cruise ship, which set sail on Monday after months of delays, is still in Belfast Lough.

Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey was scheduled to depart in May but has been beset with delays and five months after arriving, the ship has yet to leave Northern Ireland waters.

The ship anchored off the County Down coast overnight on Monday and had been expected to set sail again on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old liner is now expected to depart on Wednesday afternoon, according to the latest update on the Belfast Harbour website.

The ship’s passengers remain upbeat and have been told the hold up is due to final pieces of paperwork needing to be completed.

Passengers who have spent the last two nights on board described the mood as positive, despite not hitting the high seas just yet.

Newly-engaged couple Gian Perroni and Angie Harsanyi said that the ship is “just waiting for last certification to come through”.

John Frim said he was a bit confused by the situation but was “happy to be home” and to have slept in his “own bed” on board the vessel for the first time.

On Tuesday, Steve Theriac told BBC News NI that he thought people are “at peace to be on the ship and sort of at sea, whether we’re anchored or docked”.

When asked about possible future delays, he said that they should all get the word “resilience” tattooed on themselves.

Angela Theriac said there was a big party on Monday night.

“It was a big release, a lot of energy, very jubilant to say the least,” she said.

“We all have a built in patience here. We are definitely a resilient folk. We stood around for four months, what’s a few more days?”

She told BBC News NI that the residents have been enjoying entertainment like dance classes, “great” food and getting settled in.

“We are happy to be on board. Maybe in a week if we’re still here I might feel differently but for now we are okay.”

Another passenger, Wade Rand, told BBC News NI that they “were welcomed with champagne, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and then we had a party and sailed away”.

“We slept in our cabins for the first time. It was great to be home with all your stuff after four months of not having a lot of your stuff with you,” he said.

Wade described the mood on board as “quite okay”.

“People are still wishing we had sailed away but we’re very happy to be on board.

“We’re just hoping this situation doesn’t last a long time so that we’re not just sitting on board waiting to leave again.”

Villa Vie Residences bought the 31-year-old ship from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in 2023.

The ship arrived at Queen’s Island in the Northern Ireland capital to be outfitted in April 2024.

It was scheduled to leave on 30 May for the first leg of its cruise.

But until 30 September, it was stuck in Belfast due to problems with its rudders and gearbox.

The vessel had some final inspections to pass this week before it was signed off to sail.

Passengers have been able to spend time on the ship during the day while waiting for a departure date, but had to disembark in the evenings to stay in hotels.

Some have sold their houses and plan to live on the ship.

Melody and John Hennessee, from Palm Beach in Florida, hope to stay on board for the rest of their lives.

They used their unexpected months in Belfast “to build the largest suite on the ship”, Melody told BBC News NI.

“It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms and the time here has allowed us to complete the project.”

Cruise ship chief executive Mikael Petterson told BBC News NI the unexpected layover in Belfast has cost the company millions of pounds.

The ship had faced 17 weeks of delay and was still in a Harland and Wolff repair yard long after the scheduled boarding time of 17:00 on Monday.

There were shouts of “goodbye Belfast” and waving as they disappeared on to the Odyssey for their round-the-world cruise which, for many, will last for years.

Had it kept to its original departure date in May, the ship would be in the Bahamas by now.

Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey is a residential, around-the-world cruise that was scheduled to depart from Belfast in May.

The company’s website states that the cost of buying a cabin can range from $99,999 to $899,000.

Passengers on the cruise were given the option of buying their cabin outright rather than paying a daily rate for their room like a traditional hotel.

It allows them to remain onboard beyond the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey’s initial three-year tour.

Residents on the cruise are encouraged to treat the ship like their home, with some opting to bring pets aboard for the journey.

Another passenger on board the ship, Mary Ann Demsar, said she was still “very excited” to be on the cruise and to “see the world”.

“It’s been tough getting here with all the delay but I’ve had the time of my life these last five months exploring Ireland and Europe and enjoying everything Belfast has to offer.”

Mary Ann, who is Canadian, said the delays on Monday were “nerve-racking”.

She said passengers enjoyed “a lovely dinner”, went to lounges and there was “some dancing” on board.

“It was nice to see workers with the sparklers celebrating the beginning of the voyage,” she added.

“It was very nice to see the lights of Belfast in the distance.”