Passengers who paid more than $99,000 for a three-year cruise have been stuck in Northern Ireland for three months, living in hotels while their ship is repaired.
Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey made its own way to the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, but once it arrived, the 30-year-old vessel experienced several mechanical issues, Villa Vie Residences CEO Mikael Petterson told “Good Morning America.”
“It took six weeks to finish installing the rudder stock, and now we have a few other things to take care of,” Petterson said. “But overall, I think three months is not too bad given the circumstances.”
Petterson told the morning show that the Odyssey’s new departure date has been set for September 9.
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The Odyssey, a U.S. cruise ship operated by Villa Vie Residences, is docked at the Harland & Wolff ship repair facility in the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Friday, August 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
“It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s humid. It usually rains,” Holly Hennessy, a passenger from Florida, told the outlet, describing the past three months in Belfast. “I’ve been moved five times to different accommodations.”
“I thought I was going home, or that the boat was taking people to the Canary Islands,” she said. “And then I found out that because I had my cat with me, I couldn’t even leave.”
Passengers are allowed on the Villa Vie Odyssey during the day, but must check out of their hotel rooms at night. Villa Vie Residences has reportedly helped passengers plan trips across Europe during the downtime. But for passengers like Hennessy, who is traveling with her cat, options are limited.
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The Odyssey, a U.S. cruise ship operated by Villa Vie Residences, is undergoing repairs at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Friday, August 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
The company offers cruises to 475 destinations in 147 countries. Cabin prices start at $100,000, according to the company’s website, and include additional monthly fees for at least 15 years.
Marketing materials targeting retirees and digital nomads tout “the incredible opportunity to own a home on a floating paradise,” which includes a gym, putting green, entertainment facilities, a business center, a spa and an “experiential culinary center,” according to the Associated Press.
Passengers Johan Bodin and his partner Lanette Canen, who are Swedish and American respectively, left Maui, Hawaii, to spend the next few years aboard the ship, “Good Morning America” reported. They spent the last three months traveling around Europe while waiting for the ship to leave port.
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The Odyssey, a US cruise ship operated by Villa Vie Residences, will depart for a three-year excursion following repairs at the Harland & Wolff ship repair facility in the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday, August 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
“We plan on staying for a long time, but who knows how we’ll feel after a year,” Bodin told “Good Morning America.” “Hopefully by next weekend we’ll be flying out and saying goodbye to Belfast.”
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Canen plans to run his Arizona-based auto glass business from the ship, the AP reported. Bodin, a carpenter by training, runs a YouTube channel that documents the couple’s aborted voyage.
“Maybe we’re crazy, stupid, naive or resilient,” Bodin said. “I don’t know. You can label it whatever you want.”
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