Passengers of a ‘cursed’ cruise ship which has been stuck in port in Belfast for four months had been told they could finally set sail today – only for the trip to be delayed by a new crisis, MailOnline can reveal.
Hundreds of wealthy tourists, some of whom used their life savings to book a three-year world cruise on the luxury Villa Vie Odyssey costing up to £27,000-a-month, have instead been stuck in Northern Ireland since May as the boat has undergone a series of repairs and tests.
The frustrated tourists, who had exhausted every tourist attraction that Belfast has to offer, with some visiting the famous Giant’s Causeway twice to pass the time, were told earlier this week that the ship was finally ready to go – and that they should pack their bags.
But now it’s emerged that despite the ship passing its sea tests a new critical issue will delay their departure for at least another three days – and potentially considerably longer.
The unforeseen new problem is that the ship has been moored for all this time in docks owned by the world-famous Harland and Wolff company – famed for building the even more ill-fated Titanic – which went bust last week.
The Villa Vie Odyssey, a US cruise liner operated by Villa Vie Residences (pictured), has been delayed once again after being stuck in a Belfast port for four months
Gian Perroni, 62, (left) with his partner Angela Harsanyi, 53, (right) are engaged after meeting in Belfast after the cruise ship got stuck four months ago
Passenger, Holly Hennessy, of Florida, (pictured), laughed and suggested that changing the boat’s name may have brought bad luck
Customers who have paid an eye-watering £27,000-a-month for the lavish cruise have been stuck in Northern Ireland for months (Pictured: the interior)
This means the shipyard where the Villa Vie Odyssey is moored cannot legally allow passengers to enter – and there is currently no available mooring where this can happen.
One dockyard worker told us today: ‘I can understand why people are calling this trip ‘cursed’. I’ve been working in this business for nearly three decades and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ship go through so many setbacks and delays.
‘But they cannot board the passengers where the boat is moored now for safety and insurance reasons – so they’re having to wait for a space to become free elsewhere and they don’t know how long that will take.
‘It’s incredible that they’ve finally fixed the engine problems but now have nowhere to board their passengers. What a twist!’
Harland and Wolff announced last week that it would be going into administration for the second time in five years, making dozens of its workers redundant.
While sympathetic, the cruise passengers didn’t grasp this would have any effect on them – until today when news filtered out that its new status will prevent any passengers now entering the vicinity of the ship.
One passenger, Gian Perroni, 63, said today: ”As you know we’re trying to keep the most positive attitude, but it certainly does seem like the gods are against us!
‘Harland and Wolff going bankrupt was a surprise and once again it seems like the stars are not aligned with the Odyssey’s plans, however perseverance has become our mantra.
‘We’re so close that nothing will stop us now!’
Gian, 63, has every reason to be optimistic – he has met fellow passenger Angie Harsanyi, 53, during the delay and now they are engaged to be married.
The pair believe they are soulmates after meeting in Belfast when the cruise ship suffered engine problems
The couple have gone for a pink engagement ring rather than a more traditional clear diamond
However with the cruise suffering more delays Gian Perroni, 63, said they were trying to remain positive onboard
Fellow passenger Holly Hennessey, when asked about the latest delay, laughed and said she was concerned that the changing of the boat’s name may have brought bad luck – The Villa Vie Odyssey was called the Braemar until her rebranding earlier this year.
There is a superstition against doing this, Ms Hennessey – who has been to Giant’s Causeway twice while stuck in Belfast as well as seen other attractions – explained: ‘They say it is bad luck to change the name of a vessel.
‘Being a yachtie, I take sea rituals very seriously.
‘Anything to pacify Neptune or Poisiden to help us set sail, I would approve of.
‘And since we haven’t caught one lucky break in this entire process, I’m going to suggest they add Irish and Celtic sea gods to the ceremony.’
‘I didn’t have that experience with my own boat. But the Odyssey has had quite the pedigree with many name changes in her history.
The couple even got matching tattoos in Belfast, a trinity knot to symbolise their never-ending love
‘All that matters now is that she’s ours. I expect she will love all the grateful souls that have the opportunity to live aboard her as much as we’ll love her.’
But she played down talk of a curse: ‘I don’t think she’s cursed. No doubt that staffing at Harland and Wolff contributed [to the delays], but I’m heartbroken to see such an iconic brand suffer.’
A chef from another ship docked in Harland and Wolff’s shipyard added: ‘I’m not sure I believe in curses but if I did I would say that ship could be. I don’t work on that boat but I know she has had to have so many changes. The poor people waiting to board for that long, I feel sorry for them.
‘They also changed the ship’s name, which anyone who spends most of their time at sea knows is a bad omen.’
The new blow comes just hours after Villa Vie Residences received their final Passenger Ship Safety certificate from the DNV, a maritime safety assessment organisation, which they had thought would mean they would finally be off to circumnavigate the world.
Managing director Mike Petterson had told MailOnline last week that he was confident she would be able launch today or tomorrow – but the latest development means the ship will now need to be moved to another port before passengers can board.
The luxury cruise liner also includes cabins that are worth between $92,000 and $920,000
The Odyssey, initially set to sail in May 2024 as part of Villa Vie Residences’ luxurious plan to offer ‘floating homes’, has had more false starts than a cursed regatta.
First, when it arrived at the shipyard for its overhaul, the problems started piling up: the ship’s certifications were all out of date, and the vessel had been out of action for so long that it needed a complete reboot.
Despite a series of fixes—including a new rudder system in July—by September, the Odyssey was still stuck in Belfast unable to secure the necessary paperwork to take passengers anywhere.
The shipping company and Harland and Wolff have been approached for comment.
