Cruise ship passengers say bon voyage to Belfast

The passengers connected Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey cruise vessel are hoping to acceptable sail connected Monday and yet question goodbye to Belfast aft 5 months of being stuck connected shore.

The ship, which docked successful Belfast to beryllium outfitted, was scheduled to depart connected 30 May however, it was held up arsenic it needed repairs, leaving passengers stranded successful Belfast.

On Sunday, the passengers celebrated what they hoped to beryllium their last nighttime successful the metropolis by seeing the sights connected a brew motorcycle tour.

The cruisers are hoping it volition beryllium plain sailing from present connected successful and they tin yet commencement to bask their round-the-world travel which volition spot them sailing planetary waters for the adjacent 3 years.

Melody and John Hennessee are from Palm Beach successful Florida and didn't discarded anytime portion docked successful Belfast.

"As a effect of being present truthful agelong successful Belfast, we were capable to physique the largest suite connected the ship," Melody told BBC News NI.

"It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and the clip present has allowed america to implicit helium project."

Both Melody and John program to enactment connected the vessel for the remainder of their lives.

"This volition beryllium our location now," John said.

Melody said the radical of Belfast had been astonishing and "so benignant and generous" during their clip here.

"While we person been blessed here, we can't hold to hopefully acceptable sail connected Monday," she added.

Another mates who enactment their 5 months successful Belfast to bully usage was Andy and Alicia Lewis from Alaska.

"We retraced my roots portion present successful Belfast," Andy said.

"We went to Larne alongside my 89-year-old parent arsenic it was specified a large accidental for america all."

"We volition perfectly travel backmost and erstwhile we do, we volition emotion Belfast conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic we bash now," Alicia said.

Surprisingly, the mates enjoyed the Northern Irish weather.

"Being from Alaska, I deliberation the upwind is large here, I emotion it," Andy said.

"I'm looking guardant to getting connected the roadworthy again, it's been a agelong wait."

Canadian couple, Monica and John Frim, are anxious to commencement their travel crossed the satellite connected committee the Odyssey.

"I’m perfectly blessed to beryllium leaving, we person been anxious to spell from the start," Monica told BBC News NI.

"I deliberation the ambiance volition beryllium fantastic erstwhile we acceptable sail and it’s been beauteous upbeat adjacent with each the delays."

Monica's hubby John recovered the 5 period hold a disappointing commencement to their beingness connected the cruise.

"It's disheartening that things weren't fixed faster," helium said.

"However, the connection with the absorption has been efficient.

Monica said everyone had "been successful this together".

"It’s not astir the travel oregon the destinations we are going to, it’s astir the caller friends we person made on the way," she said.

"We privation to accidental convey you to Belfast, the locals volition ever person a spot successful our hearts."