A cruise ship whose passengers paid up to £27,000 a month to enjoy an epic three-year world tour but instead were stuck in Belfast for three months has finally set out to sea again, MailOnline can reveal.
The Odyssey cruise ship has been docked in Belfast dry dock since May undergoing repairs, but passengers were given fresh hope that it could finally set sail when it underwent its long-awaited “sea trial”.
Passenger Starr Davis told MailOnline today: “I’m delighted it’s finally moving.”
But even yesterday’s exercise suffered a last-minute delay as one of the tugs involved in relaunching the Odyssey developed technical problems which meant it was unable to leave port early in the morning as initially planned.
So it wasn’t until this afternoon that The Odyssey finally got moving, with two tugs, one at the bow and one at the stern, slowly escorting her out of Belfast Harbour, out into the loch past Carrickfergus and Whitehead towards the open sea.
A cruise ship whose passengers paid up to £27,000 a month to enjoy an epic three-year world tour but instead were stuck in Belfast for three months has finally set out to sea again, MailOnline can reveal.
The Odyssey cruise ship has been docked in Belfast dry dock since May undergoing repairs, but passengers were given fresh hope that it could finally set sail when it was given a long-awaited ‘sea trial’. (Pictured: Passengers at a reception with Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Hurray)
Holly Hennessy (pictured) was hoping for some good news ahead of her 68th birthday tomorrow. She told MailOnline: “It’s been a busy couple of days. We have official updates at least twice a week and we’re already hearing positive feedback about the sea trials. We’re all very excited about what’s next.”
The move was noted by many of its stranded passengers, who have been remarkably patient during its three-month delay in Northern Ireland.
The Belfast Harbour website was updated throughout the day with shipping traffic entering and leaving the port.
A few hours later it was back at its berth and although there was no official announcement, passengers reported that ship staff informally told them that things had gone well, meaning they could finally be sailing soon.
Ms Davis was among those who had heard unconfirmed reports that the trials had gone well. She told us: “I’m very excited to begin this adventure.”
Another excited passenger was Holly Hennessy, who was hoping for some good news before she celebrates her 68th birthday tomorrow (Friday).
She told MailOnline: ‘It’s been a very busy couple of days.
‘We have official updates at least twice a week and we are already hearing positive noises about sea trials.
“We are all very excited about what comes next.”
The 642-foot vessel has been undergoing repair work at the famous Harland & Wolfe shipyard in Belfast since late May.
Billed as the world’s first “perpetual global cruise,” Odyssey has a packed itinerary of 425 ports in 147 countries that will stretch through 2028.
Its cottages, described as “villas” by their owner, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences, start at $99,999 and go up to $899,000 with hefty additional monthly fees.
The highest rate is believed to be equivalent to £27,000 a month.
Ms. Hennessy explained how the fees she pays for the cruise are structured.
She said: ‘My cabin, a balcony suite, cost $329,000 and the monthly rent will be $7,000 if you are a single person. It would be $8,000 if you are a couple.
‘An outdoor cabin costs approximately $169,000 to purchase: $3,999 for one person and $4,999 for a couple.
‘There are approximately 99,000 and 2,500 or 3,000 dollars. I think all the prices can go up once we set sail.
‘There are a lot of people watching and waiting, which is the smart thing to do.
‘But without those of us who believed in the concept and booked or purchased in advance, this would never happen.
“And there are 73 of us who have invested in the company to move it forward.”
Due to a three-month delay in boarding, around 200 passengers, mostly from the USA, Australia and New Zealand, are spending an unexpected summer in rainy Northern Ireland.
Villa Vie Residences has been contacted for comment on what’s next for Odyssey.
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