Passengers 'confident' stranded cruise ship will depart

The around-the-world cruise ship, which has been stranded successful Belfast for months, is acceptable to permission for France connected Wednesday evening, passengers say.

After much than 4 months of delays, Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey set sail connected Monday.

However, it lone travelled a fewer miles and remains anchored disconnected the County Down coast.

It had been expected to acceptable sail again connected Tuesday, but passengers were told determination would beryllium a further hold for last pieces of paperwork to beryllium completed.

Passengers John and Monica Frim told BBC News NI they person present been told the vessel volition caput backmost to the larboard successful Belfast connected Wednesday day "to prime up a fewer things" earlier departing for Brest successful France aboriginal successful the evening.

The CEO the vessel said it would beryllium leaving for France "any infinitesimal now."

Speaking to the BBC from the span of the Villa Vie Odyssey Residences, Mike Petterson said: "No offence, we emotion you guys, but we person got to go”.

John Frim said helium was "pretty confident" the vessel would yet statesman its journey.

"Today I deliberation we are going to leave, yes," helium said.

"We're evidently anxious to get going. It's been a rollercoaster thrust of: 'We're acceptable to go. Oops, there's thing inactive to clear.'

"And then: 'Okay, we got that cleared.' And then: 'Oops, there's thing else.'

"So it's been up and down, but we conscionable got clearance. As I understand, we tin sail aboriginal today."

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 she was "confident we'll sail today".

John said the mates were "enjoying the ship, gathering with friends astatine meals and successful the afternoons".

"It's not overly depressing but a small frustrating," helium said.

"We're successful bully spirits. We've ne'er mislaid religion successful the thought and the concept. Out of 3 and a fractional years of sailing, it's not a important chunk of time."

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.

Some person sold their houses and program to unrecorded connected the ship.

Melody and John Hennessey, from Palm Beach successful Florida, anticipation to enactment connected committee for the remainder of their lives.

They utilized their unexpected months successful Belfast "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 the project."

Cruise vessel main enforcement Mikael Petterson told BBC News NI the unexpected layover successful Belfast has outgo the institution millions of pounds.

Villa Vie Residences' 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 Villa Vie Residences' 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.