It was meant to be a life on the ocean waves, a home above the deep, rolling waters. But after repeated delays, cruise ship passengers who signed up for a three-year round-the-world voyage have spent the past three months looking out at a rain-soaked Belfast dock.
The Odyssey, operated by US cruise line Villa Vie Residences, was due to depart from Queen's Island in Belfast, where the Titanic was built more than 100 years ago, on May 30. But the ship remains anchored after suffering problems with its rudder and gearbox.
The passengers, who paid $899,000 (£683,730) for their rooms, arrived in May with the intention of setting sail in a few days. For the past three months, they had been allowed on board during the day but had to disembark at night.
“You get all the food, there are movies and quiz shows — it's like being on a cruise ship, but on a dock,” said Holly Hennessy, a Florida native who is traveling with her cat, Captain.
A major negative factor in the delay was the weather, she told the BBC: “I've never used an umbrella so much in my life. I carry a raincoat everywhere I go.”
Villa Vie Residences said it was doing all it could to “assure passengers' anxieties” by helping them plan trips or other cruises or put them up in its hotels.
In its previous promotional materials, the company claimed to be the “pioneering innovator in modern residential cruising.”
The company offered passengers the opportunity to purchase a stateroom for the 15-year life of the ship for between $99,999 and $899,000 (including monthly fees), during which they could cruise as many times as they wanted. Those unable or unwilling to make such a commitment could also book shorter stays, ranging from 35 to 120 days.
Though its target market is retirees, the company doesn't impose a minimum age requirement for passengers. The average age of its passengers is 58, the company says, and half of the cabins are for single occupants. Eighty percent of its owners are from the U.S., and nine out of 10 plan to remain on board for the entire world cruise.
The Odyssey was built in 1993 and can accommodate 929 passengers. Its eight decks feature three restaurants, eight bars, four lounges, a library, a business center, a gym and a spa. The cruise also offers live music, talks, movies and complimentary medical services.
“I've always wanted to live on a ship, so this is a dream come true for me,” said Hennessy, a self-described “cruise addict.”
Her cabin has a double bed, a small living area where she can keep her cat, and a balcony. “Villa V is a community, and real communities have pets,” she says.
Steven Teriak, from Nicaragua, said he and his wife “ate at a nearby restaurant and had a Guinness at a pub,” and that the lengthy delay was “just part of our adventure.”
David Austin, from Georgia, US, said he has “stopped counting down” the days until the ship launches. “The rewards of seeing the world in this way are too great to allow me to get disheartened every time a delay is announced,” he said. “I'm so determined that I sold my house just before we arrived, and I remain committed to this adventure.”
Mike Pettersson, CEO of Villa Vie Residences, said: “Massive work was required, including rudder stocking, major steelwork and an engine overhaul, but we persevered and are now in the final stages of sailing, with a successful sailing next week before continuing to Bremerhaven, Amsterdam and Lisbon before heading across the Atlantic for the Caribbean segment.”
“We're incredibly grateful to our residents for standing by us through difficult times. It's been fantastic to see relationships being built and community bonds deepening, and we look forward to the next 15 years of discovery.”
