A cruise ship whose passengers have paid up to £27,000-a-month to enjoy an epic three year world tour but have instead been stuck in Belfast for three months has finally taken to sea again, MailOnline can reveal.
The Odyssey cruise ship has been anchored at the dry dock in Belfast since May, undergoing repairs – but passengers were given fresh hope they may finally get underway when she was given her much anticipated ‘sea trial’.
Passenger Starr Davis told MailOnline today: ‘I’m thrilled she’s finally moving.’
But even yesterday’s exercise suffered a last minute delay as one of the tugs involved in relaunching the Odyssey itself developed technical issues meaning she couldn’t leave harbour in the early morning as first planned.
So it wasn’t until this afternoon that The Odyssey was finally on the move, with two tugs – one at the bow, the other at the stern – escorting her slowly out of the port of Belfast, into the lough past Carrickfergus and Whitehead towards the open sea.
A cruise ship whose passengers have paid up to £27,000-a-month to enjoy an epic three year world tour but have instead been stuck in Belfast for three months has finally taken to sea again, MailOnline can reveal
The Odyssey cruise ship has been anchored at the dry dock in Belfast since May, undergoing repairs – but passengers were given fresh hope they may finally get underway when she was given her much anticipated ‘sea trial’. (Pictured: The passengers are at a reception with the mayor of Belfast.)
Holly Hennessy (pictured) had been hoping for good news ahead of celebrating 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 are already hearing positive noises about the sea trials. We are all very excited about what comes next’
The move was watched by many of her stuck passengers, who have been remarkably patient about their three month Northern Irish delay.
Belfast Harbour’s website was being updated throughout the day with the maritime traffic coming in and out of the port.
A few hours later she was back at her berth and though there has been no official pronouncement passengers report being told informally by ship staff that things went well – meaning they could finally be cruising soon.
Ms Davis, was among those who had heard unconfirmed reports that tests went well, She told us: ‘I’m just so excited to get this adventure started.’
Another passenger who was thrilled was Holly Hennessy – who had been hoping for good news ahead of celebrating her 68th birthday tomorrow (Friday)
She told MailOnline: ‘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.
‘We are all very excited about what comes next.’
The 642-foot vessel has been undergoing repair work at the famed Harland & Wolfe shipyard in Belfast since late May.
Billed as the world’s first ‘perpetual global cruise’, Odyssey has a busy 425-port itinerary across 147 countries taking it up to 2028.
Its cabins – described as ‘villas’ by its owner, Florida-based Villa Vie Residences – start at $99,999 and go up to $899,000 with hefty monthly fees on top.
The highest tariff is believed to equate to £27,000 monthly.
Ms Hennessy explained how the charges she pais for the cruise are structured.
She said: ‘My cabin, a balcony suite, was $329,000, and monthly will be $7,000 as a solo. It would be $8,000 for a couple.
‘An outside cabin is approximately $169,000 to purchase and $3,999 solo, $4,999 couple.
‘Inside are approximately $99,000 and $2,500/$3,000. I believe all prices may rise once we sail.
‘Lots of people are watching and waiting, which is the smart thing to do.
‘But without those of us who believed in the concept and booked or purchased early, this would never happen.
‘And there are 73 of us who have invested in the company to get it off the ground.’
Because of the three month delay in embarkation, around 200 passengers, mostly from the US, Australia, New Zealand, have been passing an unexpected summer in rainy Northern Ireland.
Villa Vie Reisdences has been contacted for comment on what’s next for the Odyssey.
