Belfast cruise ship to leave for France, passengers say

The around-the-world cruise ship, which has been stranded in Belfast for months, is set to leave for France on Wednesday evening, passengers say.

After more than four months of delays, Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey set sail on Monday.

However, it only travelled a few miles and remains anchored off the County Down coast.

It had been expected to set sail again on Tuesday, but passengers were told there would be a further delay for final pieces of paperwork to be completed.

Passengers John and Monica Frim told BBC News NI they have now been told the ship will head back to the port in Belfast on Wednesday afternoon “to pick up a few things” before departing for Brest in France later in the evening.

However, the Belfast Harbour website says the ship is scheduled to depart on Thursday at 23:00 BST.

John said he is “pretty confident” the ship will finally begin its journey.

“Today I think we are going to leave, yes,” he said.

“We’re obviously anxious to get going. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of: ‘We’re ready to go. Oops, there’s something still to clear.’

“And then: ‘Okay, we got that cleared.’ And then: ‘Oops, there’s something else.’

“So it’s been up and down, but we just got clearance. As I understand, we can sail later today.”

The ship was scheduled to depart in May but has been beset with delays.

If it doesn’t leave, it will “just be another hiccup, I think, in four months of hiccups,” Monica said, adding that she is “confident we’ll sail today”.

John added that the couple are “enjoying the ship, meeting with friends at meals and in the afternoons”.

“It’s not overly depressing but a little frustrating,” he said.

“We’re in good spirits. We’ve never lost faith in the idea and the concept. Out of three and a half years of sailing, it’s not a significant chunk of time.”

After Brest, the ship is set to head to the Azores and then the Caribbean, John said.

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 Hennessey, 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.

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.