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The delayed Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey cruise ship could be finally ready to set sail after being stuck in Belfast for almost four months, hampering passenger plans to embark on a years-long, around-the-world voyage.
Passengers shed “tears of complete joy” upon learning that the liner is almost ready to depart from the Northern Ireland capital after reportedly passing sea trials.
A string of delays related to repair work on the rudders and gearbox prevented the vessel from leaving the cruise terminal, causing a months-long setback to the first leg of a three-and-a-half year cruise that was supposed to begin on 30 May.
Now, the Odyssey is awaiting final approval from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) after undergoing a series of sea trials over the past few weeks, carried out to make sure that the ship is fit enough to sail.
Founder and CEO of Villa Vie, Mikael Petterson, gave an update to The Independent on the long-awaited departure of the Odyssey, saying that they expect to launch this weekend but the date is still fluid while they wait for approval from the MCA.
Once the cruise embarks on its voyage, the ship intends to sail around all seven continents with stops at more than 425 ports in 147 countries.
One dock worker also told the Mail Onlinethat the ocean liner “sailed through her final test, and she should be off as soon as Wednesday. Everything is looking good”.
Angela Theriac, who co-runs the YouTube channel MidLife Cruising, a vlog detailing life onboard Villa Vie Odyssey, posted on social media that the ship has “PASSED sea trials!!!! One step closer to setting sail!!! Woo hoo!!”
“We are overjoyed at the potential of finally setting sail within a week,” Theriac told The Belfast Telegraph.“After successfully completing sea trials, we can only hope that a sail date is right around the corner.
“We will find out more Monday or Tuesday when we have our weekly residents’ meeting with the CEO and COO.”
She continued: “After such a long delay, Villa Vie just can’t stick around any longer than necessary. We imagine the sail away being filled with tears — tears of complete joy, that is.
“It’s [been] a long time coming, and we are as excited as the first day we purchased our room to live full-time on a ship that circumnavigates the world.”
If the long-awaited cruise sets sail in the coming weeks, guests will be able to use their cabins, which could be purchased outright for prices between $99,999 (£75,600) and $899,000 (£680,000) rather than paying a daily rate.
While repairs and sea trial tests continued throughout the summer, passengers were allowed to use onboard facilities during the day, but in the evening, they were required to stay in hotels provided by the cruise company as the delays continued.
Some passengers used the time to explore other countries in Europe, with Ms Theriac and her partner, Stephen, travelling to destinations such as Spain and Greenland while the repairs continued in Belfast.
Earlier this month, Mr Petterson told The Independent: “While the road has had its challenges, every decision we’ve made is focused on the wellbeing and safety of our residents.
“We have supported our residents with trips around Europe and spent over $2m in hotel stays and trips to accommodate and entertain them while Odyssey has been getting ready for launch.”
“The hard work continues, and we are on track to welcome passengers onboard by the end of this week. We look forward to launching with pride and purpose, knowing we’re not just building a ship but a united community at sea together.”
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
