Cruise ship poised for Belfast departure after four months stranded in port

Luxury cruise passengers who have been marooned in Belfast for four months are hoping to hit the seas this week.

The worldwide voyage of the Villa Vie Odyssey has been long set back, leaving its guests to explore Northern Ireland instead.

The start of cruise, boasting an “ever changing backyard”, was delayed for four months due to unexpected repair works, meaning the ship has been stranded in Belfast.

The ship’s passengers hope to board on Monday.

The vessel arrived in Belfast to be outfitted and was scheduled to leave on May 30th, but its departure was delayed as it required repairs.

According to Mikael Petterson, chief executive of the company behind the ship, bringing the vessel out of a layup “proved a little more challenging than we expected”.

In the meantime, two would-be voyagers have fallen in love with Belfast, and each other. Gian Perroni, from Vancouver in Canada, and Angie Harsanyi, from Colorado in the United States, first met in Belfast four months ago having bought cabins on the ship.

The pair started walking through Belfast on their way to and back from the ship, before realising how compatible they were. With love blossoming, the pair recently announced their engagement following a proposal on the Lagan Weir Bridge.

The ship’s captain will marry the new couple as part of a “gigantic wedding” on board in April, between Costa Rica and Panama.

Cruisegoers could avail of offered rental segments varying from 35 to 120 days, or purchase villas ranging from £90,000 (€108,000) to £260,000.

Owning a villa on board guarantees the room for a minimum of 15 years, but the ownership stays valid for the entire operation of the ship. – PA