It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime taking in the world’s most unforgettable experiences, from marvelling at the sublime beauty of the Norwegian fjords to sipping rum cocktails in the Caribbean.
But instead, cruise passengers who paid £27,000-a-month for a three-year voyage spanning Europe, Asia and the Americas have spent the last three months in a rather less salubrious location – a rain-lashed quayside in Belfast.
The Odyssey, which is operated by US cruise line Villa Vie Residences and can hold nearly a thousand passengers, was set to leave the city on May 30 for the first leg of its voyage, but problems with the ship’s rudders and gearbox mean it is still docked.
As a result, rather than luxuriating in the tropical sun, those on board have been left to make do with Guinness and fish and chips in Belfast’s pubs – paired with excursions to Liverpool and Tenerife.
The unlucky passengers, who are mainly Americans, 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.
While they are able to stay on the ship during the day and use its facilities, which include four lounges, a library, gym and spa, they have to disembark at night and stay in local hotels.
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, both 54, have decided against staying put and embarked on a European tour of Norway, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Sweden. But others are hunkering down and trying to make the most of life in Belfast (with the help of some Vitamin D tablets).
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, both 54, have decided against staying put in Belfast and embarked on a European tour of Norway, Spain , Italy , Croatia, Slovenia, and Sweden
The couple in Italy. The couple have taken to flying to their dream destinations as they ‘didn’t sign up for a ship to stay in one port’
The pair, who are seen here in Croatia, sold their car rental business in Hawaii to move onto the residential cruise ship and are booked in to stay on the cruise for 15 years
Mr Bodin, a retired carpenter from Sweden, said: ‘We’ve had a good time but we didn’t sign up for a ship to stay in one port!
‘Everyone on the ship is pretty positive… There are worse places to be stuck!’
Holly Hennessy, 67, from sunny Florida, is travelling with her cat Captain and doing her best to adapt to the new surroundings.
‘It hasn’t felt like summer. It has been winter as far as I’m concerned. I’m used to the Florida sunshine. I had to go out and buy vitamin D tablets,’ she told the Telegraph.
‘There have been a few days of sunshine when I have been able to get out and walk along the river. The people are so nice.’
Villa Vie Residences allowed customers to buy a cabin onboard The Odyssey – which was built in 1993 and can hold 929 passengers – in return for unlimited cruises. There was also an option to book shorter spells on board of between 35 and 120 days.
The average passenger is aged 58 and eight per cent of the owners come from the US, with 90 per cent planning to stay onboard for the full world cruise. Around half the cabins are currently occupied by one person.
Dr David Austin, from Georgia in the United States sold his home just for a chance at the new adventure.
‘The payoff of seeing the world in this fashion is too great to feel too disappointed with each delay announcement,’ he said.
‘I was committed, having sold my house right before my arrival, and I’ve stayed committed to this adventure with every delay.’
Lanette and Johan met while on holiday in Hawaii nine years ago and are paying £27,000 a month to go on the cruise
The luxury cruise liner includes cabins that are worth between £70,000 and £700,000
Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey was set to leave Belfast for the first leg of its three year journey on May 30
Hopefully passengers won’t have to wait much longer, as Villa Vie Residences’ CEO Mike Petterson told MailOnline: ‘We expect a very anticipated successful launch next week.’
Lanette and Johan, who met while on holiday in Hawaii nine years ago, are paying $35,000 (£27,000) a month to stay on the ship, which includes three restaurants, five bars and an extended pool with two hot tubs.
The couple sold their car rental business in Hawaii and are set to stay on the ship for 15 years. While they have the option to sell their cabin, they plan to ‘see how things go’ once they finally begin the cruise.
Johan said: ‘While in Northern Ireland we’ve been to loads of pubs and eating fishing and chips. We also went to Giant’s Causeway and then in Ireland we did the Castaway tours.’
The couple say they have fallen in love with Irish music and the local cuisine.
Johan said: ‘I’ve never met so many cool, fun, friendly people – we keep getting asked to go out for pints by locals, everyone is so friendly.’
After the first postponement, the couple travelled to the Norwegian fjords, before spending some time travelling around the countryside in Ireland.
They also went to the Canary Islands for almost two weeks before flying to Croatia and spending another two weeks there.
Passengers can also enjoy pools, a golf simulator, fine dining experiences and more while on board
Amenities including onboard the ship include access to a swimming pool, a theatre and a gourmet restaurant
They were then told that the ship would be setting sail on July 31 so they flew back to Belfast where they spent another two weeks but once again the departure date was extended.
Lanette, from Arizona, said: ‘We were able to get on the ship – but not allowed to sleep on there, though we can do everything else.
‘They have an open bar for us but the whole thing has just been delayed and delayed.
‘We are normally used to just travelling with a backpack – we’ve only done one cruise together for two weeks, but it’s a great way of seeing the world.
The pair say they are ‘very relaxed’ about the situation, though are looking forward to finally starting their big cruise.
‘We’re easy going to be honest – and the company has paid for all our accommodation everywhere which has been really good.’
Lanette is continuing to work on running her autoglass business based in Arizona while globetrotting, while Johan is working on YouTube vlogging the couples’ travelling experience.
Others on board have taken to making Belfast their ‘unexpected home’.
Florida resident Holly Hennessey and self-proclaimed ‘cruise addict’ said: ‘We can spend all day aboard the ship, and they provide shuttle buses to get on and off.
‘We can have all of our meals and they even have movies and trivia entertainment, almost like cruising except we’re at the dock.’
Florida native Holly Hennessey (pictured) has adapted to the rainy climate of the British Isles. She said: ‘I’ve never had so much use for my umbrella in my life, and I carry my raincoat everywhere I go’
Holly is travelling with her cat, Captain, and is a self-proclaimed ‘cruise addict’
Holly and her cat Captain. Passengers are allowed to spend time on the ship during the day, but must disembark in the evenings
Passengers have used their peculiar predicament to their advantage and taken the opportunity to travel across Europe. Since May, Angela and Stephen Theriac (pictured) have travelled by train across Spain, took day trips to England and even visited Greenland
She continued that she is quickly adapting to the rainy British weather, claiming to have ‘never had so much use for my umbrella in my life’.
Meanwhile, Angela and Stephen Theriac, from Nicaragua, joked with that they plan to apply for residency in Ireland because they love it so much.
‘We are travellers, and we want to make the most of the place we are in. We keep teasing that we will apply for residency here in Belfast,’ the couple told the BBC.
‘We have eaten in every restaurant and had a Guinness in every pub. It is just all part of our adventure.’
Villa Vie Residences’ Mike Petterson told MailOnline: ‘Coming into Belfast from Edinburgh on our own power we were confident that our beautiful Odyssey would fly through class surveys.
‘We have since then been quite humbled by the scale of what it takes to reactivate a 30-year-old vessel from a 4-year layup.
‘After the lapse of all classifications of class we are now considered a new ship where all machinery and equipment must work as if new.
‘Despite having to do major works such as the rudder stocks, major steel work and engine overhauls, we have persevered and are now in the last stages of departure. We are scheduling sea trials early next week.
All passengers have access to the onboard restaurants, pools, hot tubs, spa and fitness centre
Villa Vie Residences CEO Mikael Petterson said the company aims to ’empower travellers to make the world their home’
The residential ship will circle the world every three and a half years visiting more than 420 ports in 147 countries across all seven continents
‘We expect a very anticipated successful launch next week where we will head to Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, Lisbon, then across the Atlantic for our Caribbean segment.
‘We are extremely grateful for our residents who have stood by our side through the tough times.
‘We have worked with our residents to provide hotels, cruises, shore excursions, trips to Tenerife, Liverpool and are welcoming them for onboard visits where they can get their rooms ready and connect with crew and fellow residents.
‘It is great to see the relationships building and the community bonding as we are looking forward to the next 15 years of discovery.’
