The long-delayed start to the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey multi-year world cruises finally arrived on Monday, but there was yet another twist in the tale for cruise guests.
The ship did depart Belfast but remains in Northern Ireland waters just a few miles east of its departure point.
Additional Documentation Holding Up Departure
Passengers were told the latest snafu was about some missing paperwork. The ship is expected to reach the open seas late Tuesday night or Wednesday finally.
Cruise guests are content to be on the ship enjoying their first “day at sea.” It is anchored just off the coast near Bangor in Belfast Lough.
In an update to local media, Villa Vie CEO Mike Petterson said the ship may briefly return to the shipyard in Belfast before it finally cruises around the world. The delay relates to the technical explanation of a minuscule “deflection deviation” on the hull that has been present since the ship was built 30 years ago.
“We are waiting on a technical explanation by Wartsila on a 0.009mm deflection deviation that has been there since the ship launched. It’s nothing new, the ship is ready, just waiting for a technical explanation,” Petterson said. It is scheduled to sail to Brest, France, first.
Passengers have been talking to the media and remain upbeat and confident that the ship is just a few hours away from the start of their perpetual round-the-world voyage.
Steve Theriac told the BBC that people are “at peace to be on the ship and sort of at sea, whether we’re anchored or docked.”
Ship Departure Delayed for Four Months
The Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey ship was scheduled to depart in late May but suffered a series of technical setbacks, leaving cruise guests stranded in Belfast for four months.
Rudder problems, wastewater, and other technical issues have delayed it. Since May, the expected departure date has been pushed back several times. Over the next 3.5 years, the Odyssey plans to call at more than 400 ports in 147 countries.
Last month a passenger was kicked off the ship for complaining in a WhatsApp group about delays.
