Cruise Ship Leaves Port After 4-Month Delay

UPDATE Oct 1, 2024 8:35 AM CDT

The cruise ship is cruising, finally. The Villa Vie Odyssey left a port in Belfast, Northern Ireland, overnight after being stuck there for four months because of equipment repairs, reports the AP. Ship operator Villa Vie Residence had to pay living expenses for dozens of stranded passengers during the unexpected hitch. The ship now plans to circle the globe over three years.

Aug 29, 2024 10:20 AM CDT

It was billed as the "cruise that will really never stop," with nearly 150 countries on its itinerary, but apparently it's having trouble getting started in the first place. The Villa Vie Odyssey, which was supposed to set out on May 30 for the first leg of a three-year trip around the globe, has been stuck in the same place—its launch port in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast—for three months due to equipment issues, with its passengers stranded there as they await an eventual sail date, reports the BBC.

The 30-year-old vessel, originally called the MS Braemar, arrived in Belfast ahead of its May sailing to undergo some updates, but Villa Vie Residences says problems with its rudders and gearbox, and with getting the ship recertified, have pushed its maiden voyage back, per Business Insider. Passengers who've paid for the journey are allowed to be on board the Odyssey during the day to enjoy all of its amenities, including meals, but they must disembark at night. Villa Vie CEO Mikael Petterson has said that passengers are provided with shuttles to and from the ship, and their lodgings on land, food and drink, and excursions are covered.

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Passengers have the option to buy one of the 500-plus cabins instead of paying a daily rate, with costs for such a purchase running from around $100,000 to $900,000. One couple did just that (though they're not saying how much they forked over), and as Angela and Stephen Theriac wait for the ship to set sail, they tell the BBC they've traveled to other countries, including Spain, Italy, and Greenland. "We keep teasing we will apply for residency here in Belfast," Angela Theriac says. Petterson says he expects the ship to leave port by the end of next week, per the Mirror. (More cruise ships stories.)