Cruise ship that was stranded in Belfast finally heads off to next destination

A cruise vessel stranded successful Belfast for the past 4 months has yet near Belfast Lough.

Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey, which was being fitted retired successful the city, should person departed successful May but was delayed arsenic it needed repairs.

Passengers person remained successful bully spirits contempt the delays, which are estimated to person outgo the institution millions of pounds.

Cruise vessel main enforcement Mikael Petterson said the clasp up had been related to administrative paperwork.

Some 125 passengers boarded the cruise liner astatine astir 20:00 BST connected Monday expecting it to beryllium their departure from Belfast.

It did permission the larboard just aft 23:30, but remained successful the lough for astir 3 much days earlier departing astatine astir 16:30 connected Thursday.

Mr Petterson said it would sail to Hunterston successful Ayrshire connected the westbound seashore of Scotland and dock determination overnight earlier travelling southbound to Brest successful France.

Passenger Holly Hennessey said: “Hallelujah! All of america are beyond words, delighted, and the solemnisation is already nether way.

"We person stopped for christening ceremonies we volition beryllium heading to Scotland to refuel and past caput southbound successful the morning.

Mary Ann Demsar told BBC News NI: “We are leaving our beloved Belfast connected our mode to Hunterson, Scotland.

"I person nary thought wherever that is, but that doesn’t matter. We are moving."

Passengers gathered for champagne successful 1 of the lounges to celeberate.

Wade Rand said: "We are leaving for Scotland momentarily to get h2o and for the night. We are having a sailing enactment successful the eighth platform observatory."

The vessel was scheduled to depart successful May but has been beset with delays.

If it doesn't leave, it volition "just beryllium different hiccup, I think, successful 4 months of hiccups", Monica said, adding that she was "confident we'll sail today".

After Brest, the vessel is acceptable to caput to the Azores and past the Caribbean, John said.

Villa Vie Residences bought the 31-year-old vessel from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines successful 2023.

The vessel arrived astatine Queen’s Island successful the Northern Ireland superior to beryllium outfitted successful April 2024.

It was scheduled to permission connected 30 May for the archetypal limb of its cruise.

But until 30 September, it was stuck successful Belfast owed to problems with its rudders and gearbox.

The vas had immoderate last inspections to walk this week earlier it was signed disconnected to sail.

Passengers person been capable to walk clip connected the vessel during the time portion waiting for a departure day but had to disembark successful the evenings to enactment successful hotels.

The Odyssey is simply a residential, around-the-world cruise that was scheduled to depart from Belfast successful May.

The company's website states that the outgo of buying a compartment tin scope from $99,999 to $899,000.

Passengers connected the cruise were fixed the enactment of buying their compartment outright alternatively than paying a regular complaint for their country similar a accepted hotel.

It allows them to stay onboard beyond the Odyssey's archetypal three-year tour.

Residents connected the cruise are encouraged to dainty the vessel similar their home, with immoderate opting to bring pets aboard for the journey.