Luxury Cruise Ship Odyssey Ready to Set Sail After Months of Delays
A luxury cruise ship, Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey if almost ready to set sail after significant delays leaving it stuck in Belfast for months. The 31-year-old liner, originally set to sail in May, has remained anchored in Northern Ireland, with passengers waiting for the final paperwork to be completed before it can depart on its round-the-world voyage.
Despite the setbacks, the passengers on board have remained largely upbeat. Gian Perroni, who recently got engaged to fellow passenger Angie Harsanyi, shared that the ship was “just waiting for the last certification to come through.”
Others, like Wade Rand, expressed hope that the situation would not drag on for much longer, but he emphasised that the mood was still positive.
Why has The Odyssey been in Belfast for so long?
The Odyssey initially required repairs to its rudders and gearbox, keeping it in Belfast since April. The ship was anchored off the coast of County Down earlier this week and was expected to sail again on Wednesday afternoon.
In the meantime, passengers like Andy Garrison, 75, who has been waiting for over six weeks, kept themselves busy, with Garrison even building a model of the Titanic.
He said, “I like Belfast a lot... but I’m ready to go.”
Ship residents sell their homes to live on the ship
Many of the ship’s residents have sold their homes and are planning to live on board permanently. Melody and John Hennessee from Palm Beach, Florida, invested over a million dollars in acquiring three cabins and aim to make the ship their permanent home. Melody said the extra time in Belfast allowed them to complete renovations on their cabin.
There’s no shortage of optimism among the passengers, with one couple joking about getting “resilience” tattoos to commemorate the long wait.
Angela Theriac mentioned that passengers had been enjoying the ship’s entertainment, saying, “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.”
Ship executive says ship will depart within 24 hours
While waiting for the paperwork to clear, the ship’s chief executive, Mikael Petterson, assured everyone that this delay was not a crisis.
He said, “We have a perfectly working ship... delicious food and great service — it’s nothing like the Fyre Festival.”
He guaranteed that the ship would depart within 24 hours, adding, “I can’t ultimately control the people working in the administrative part.”
The Odyssey is expected to continue its journey soon, with its first stop in France, followed by Spain, Portugal, and then the Bahamas. As passengers finally prepare to set sail, many are excited to explore the world, even after spending an extended, unexpected vacation in Belfast.
