More than 100 passengers are due to finally leave Belfast on Monday on a three-year round-the-world “perpetual” cruise after being marooned unexpectedly in the city for four months.
They were supposed to have set sail from the legendary Harland and Wolff dockyards in Belfast, best known as the home of the Titanic, on 30 May.
But after years of being out of service, work to get the Odyssey’s seaworthiness certified took longer than expected. The vessel is to depart just before midnight after last-minute paperwork was obtained.
One retired wealth manager, Holly Hennessy, said “most of us don’t really care” and that passengers were just excited to get going. “The shuttle buses have been booked to bring us [on]board today at 5pm,” said the Florida native. “First of all, we are supposed to be heading to Brest in France, then Bilbao and Vigo in Spain, Porto in Portugal, then the Azores, Bermuda and then the Bahamas.”
The inaugural voyage will last 1,301 days, visiting all seven continents and stopping at 425 ports, ranging from Rio de Janeiro to Singapore. The ship is equipped with restaurants, a pool, spa, business centre and medical facilities.
Even though passengers have been stuck in Belfast, they have tried to enjoy their time in the city. “I will always have a fond place in my heart for Belfast,” said Hennessy. “Meeting so many different kind people, living in an urban environment, being car-less, and being away from American politics has been wonderful.”
Passengers on the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey, described as the world’s first perpetual cruise, circumnavigating the globe every three and a half years, can either buy their cabins for the entire operational life of the ship or rent them to travel segments of the journey.
Passengers, mostly from the US, had already arrived in Belfast for their dream trip in May when the bad news was announced, leaving many of them stranded in hotels and Airbnbs over the summer. They were allowed onboard during the day but not overnight.
Some took the opportunity to explore their Irish roots; some enjoyed a holiday in the Canary Islands, paid for by the company. Others made use of their unexpected spare time by exploring Europe and checking in for any departure news as the months rolled by.
Two passengers fell in love and are engaged to be married. The ship’s captain will marry the new couple as part of a “gigantic wedding” onboard in April, between Costa Rica and Panama.
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Both of the passengers had been looking forward to an adventure at sea but neither had been looking for a relationship.
One passenger waiting to board on Monday was Monica Finn. “It’s not just about the journey and about the destinations we are going to; it’s about the new friends we have made,” she said. “We have our down days but then we always rally together and we are raring to go.”
The company announced on social media on Friday that it had passed its public health and safety certification tests. “We can’t wait to welcome our residents onboard,” it said.
As for the delay, Hennessy believed the cruise would be “worth the wait”. She paid $329,000 (£246,000) for her balcony mini-suite: “I’m going to be incredibly comfortable.”
The Villa Vie Odyssey has been sold as “a long-term cruise”, sailing “to the world’s most stunning destinations” on a continual three-and-half year journey that allows passengers to “marvel at awe-inspiring landscapes from your home at sea”. Perhaps next time without a four-month stopover.