The ‘cursed’ cruise ship which was meant to take hundreds of passengers on a three-and-a-half year all-inclusive global voyage only to break down in docks in Belfast for nearly four months will finally set sail next week.
Passengers who paid tens of thousands of dollars for their place on Villa Vie Odyssey have instead spent the entire summer in rainy Northern Ireland since the liner first broke down in May.
But now MailOnline can reveal the final tests of the repairs on the boat have been completed and it will be given the all clear to leave next week – meaning its hundreds of mostly American passengers will finally be leaving Belfast.
The Villa Vie Odyssey underwent its final ‘sea trial’ with DNV, a maritime safety assessment organisation, today and although its owners have not made any official statement, managing director of Villa Vie Residences Mike Petterson confirmed that they are hopeful to at last be under way as soon as next Wednesday.
The Odyssey, a US cruise liner operated by Villa Vie Residences docked at Harland & Wolf ship repair facility in Belfast Harbour on August 30
Johan Bodin and Lanette Canen in front of the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey on August 29
The Odyssey is now due to set sail next week after being plagued with mechanical issues
The vessel, which has an action-packed 425-port itinerary across 147 countries, has been plagued with mechanical issues since it was initially expected to launch on May 30.
One dock worker confirmed to MailOnline: ‘She sailed though her final test, and she should be off as soon as Wednesday. Everything is looking good.’
Passengers Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, both 54, who have been doing their best to remain cheerful despite the long delay, were overjoyed yesterday.
Lanette said: ‘We are on a practice sea trial right now, and it sounds to be doing very well. The software programmes are talking to each other so that’s a great sign. They are hitting the speeds they need and everything is looking good.
‘The real sea trails with DNV are coming up on [Friday]. They have some equipment that is coming in, some containers of food that they are going to load onto the ship.
‘But it will be official with the DNV on board…and hopefully right after that we can get on the ship.’
Johan added: ‘We are hoping something will happen by mid-next week.’
The luxury cruise liner includes cabins that are worth between $92,000 and $920,000
The cruise liner pictured at a repair facility in Belfast Harbour on August 30
Pictured: The passengers at a reception with the lord mayor of Belfast Micky Hurray on September 2
Its passengers were stuck in Belfast for three months while the ship underwent repairs
Holly Hennessey, 67, from sunny Florida, is travelling with her cat Captain.
She told MailOnline: ”We are all very excited about what comes next.
‘It’s been a busy couple of days. We have official updates at least twice a week and we are already hearing positive noises about the sea trials..’
Angela and Stephen Theriac, both 53 from Nicaragua, admitted that it has been frustrating at times, but they are ‘fully confident the ship will sail’.
Angela said: ‘We have been frustrated at times, but we look at this journey like we are remodeling a house, which we have done a few times.
‘Problems arise, mistakes are made, but you just suck it up and keep trudging along. Reviving a 30-year-old ship is like reviving a 100 year old house, it just takes time.’
‘We do feel we are at the end of the project, and we are close to receiving a ‘certificate of occupancy’.’
She also said that the company has been particularly open with the passengers, even allowing one of them to sit in on the daily meetings so they can be kept fully up to date.
‘We are fully confident the ship will sail, it is just the waiting that is hard.. We receive updates on a regular basis. It started months ago with a weekly update, then it switched to twice a week, and now the COO, Kathy Villaba, posts an update daily.
Pictured: Holly Hennessey, 67, from sunny Florida, is travelling with her cat Captain
The vessel, which has an action-packed 425-port itinerary across 147 countries, has been plagued with mechanical issues since it was initially expected to launch on May 30
Passengers can also enjoy pools, a golf simulator, fine dining experiences and more while on board
‘The company has been transparent throughout the process, and even recently allowed a resident to sit in the daily meetings – which he then passes on the information to the rest of us.’
Despite this some passengers were forced to return back to their home countries, as the financial burden of living in Belfast was too much.
Many had left their normal lives behind for the round-the-world trip, with some selling their homes and possessions to pay between £75,000 and £700,000 to buy their cabins for the 15-year life of the vessel.
The Odyssey, formerly known as the MS Braemar from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, was built in 1993 but only acquired by Villa Vie Residences in March 2024.
Since then, it has undergone an extensive refit at the famed Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, including major repairs to its rudder stocks and grey water tanks, which were essential to meet environmental standards.
The delay has caused considerable frustration among guests who have been stranded in Belfast since May, trading the tropical summer sun for a significantly wetter Northern Irish summer.
Parent company, Villa Vie Residences initially covered the living expenses of their guests, but as the delay extended, they announced they would no longer cover costs as it was ‘unsustainable’, leaving many to arrange their own accommodations.