Luxury cruise liner Villa Vie Odyssey remains anchored off Northern Ireland hours after departing following four-month wait
The Villa Vie Odyssey had been scheduled to leave Belfast in May but its departure was delayed as it needed repairs. Now it needs to complete administrative paperwork before it can finally depart on its three-year round-the-world cruise.
Tuesday 1 October 2024 15:13, UK
A luxury cruise ship stranded in Belfast for four months remained anchored off the coast of Northern Ireland hours after it finally set sail.
Villa Vie Residences chief executive Mike Petterson said the US liner still had to complete administrative paperwork before it could finally depart on its three-year round-the-world cruise.
The Villa Vie Odyssey was scheduled to leave Belfast in May but its departure was delayed as it needed repairs.
Paste BN understands the ship remains in the Belfast Lough and will not come in to port on Tuesday evening.
"We still have some administrative paperwork to be finished before leaving the Belfast area," Mr Petterson said.
Passengers on board included a couple from Palm Beach in Florida who had sold up everything to spend more than one million dollars acquiring three cabins on the Odyssey.
John and Melody Hennessee have said they plan to make the ship their permanent home.
Two passengers became engaged after getting to know each other as they walked to and from the ship over the last few months.
Gian Perroni, from Vancouver in Canada, and Angie Harsanyi, from Colorado in the US, said they did not think their engagement would have happened if the ship hadn't been delayed in Northern Ireland.
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The stranded passengers have not been staying on the ship during the four-month delay and have instead stayed in hotels and short-term rental properties in Belfast.
Rooms can be rented on the vessel for between 35 to 120 days, or cabins can be purchased for between £90,000 and £260,000.
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Ownership of a villa is guaranteed for a minimum of 15 years, but the ownership is only valid for the operational life of the ship, according to the cruise liner's website.