BBC
Holly Hennessy has been waiting in Belfast since May for her boat to be ready.
Passengers on a round-the-world cruise have been stranded in Belfast for three months after their voyage was delayed.
Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey was scheduled to depart on May 30 for the first leg of a three-year cruise but has arrived in Queensland, Northern Ireland's capital, for fitting out.
However, the ship has not yet departed due to problems with the rudder and gearbox.
Holly Hennessy, a Florida resident, is one of those “hunkered down” migrants who unexpectedly made the city their home.
The round-the-world cruise ship has been docked in Belfast for three months.
A self-confessed “cruise addict”, she is travelling with her cat captain and couldn't leave Belfast until the ship was ready.
Passengers can stay on board during the day but must disembark in the evening.
“We can spend the whole day on the ship and there are shuttles to get us on and off the ship,” Hennessy said.
“You get all the food, there are movies and quiz shows. It's like cruising at the dock.”
Holly Hennessy
Holly and her cat Captain have been exploring Belfast
Although he enjoyed the scenery, the humid weather came as a shock to the American-born man.
“I've never used an umbrella so much in my life. I carry a raincoat everywhere I go.”
Cruise ship passengers were given the option to purchase rooms outright, rather than paying a pro rata rate like in a traditional hotel.
This will allow them to remain on board past Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey's initial three-year tour.
“I hope to stay as long as I can,” she said. “I've always wanted to live on a boat, so this will be a dream come true for me.”
Angela and Steven Terriak went on a trip abroad.
According to the Villa Vie Residences website, the cost to purchase a cabin can range from $99,999 to $899,000.
Hennessy's cabin has space for a double bed, a small living area where she can keep her cats, and a balcony.
“Villa Vie is a community, and true communities have pets,” she said.
The company said it was trying to do all it could to “assure passengers' anxieties” by helping them plan trips, other cruises or stay in hotels.
Angela and Steven Teriak live in Nicaragua and have been making the most of the wait.
Since May, they have traveled by train across Spain, taken a weekend trip to England and visited Greenland.
“We're travelers and we want to make the most of where we are,” Teliak said.
“We've always said we're going to apply for residency in Belfast.”
Her husband, Stephen, said they live with locals.
“We ate in every restaurant and drank Guinness in every pub,” he said.
“It's all part of our adventure.”
David Austin, MD
Dr. David Austin has been cruising since retiring earlier this year.
Dr David Austin, from Georgia in the US, said he had “stopped counting down the days” until the spacecraft's launch.
“The rewards of seeing the world in this way are too great to be disheartened by every postponement announcement,” he said.
“I was so determined, even selling my house just before arriving, and no amount of delay could change my resolve for this adventure.”
The Odyssey, which is docked in Belfast and is based at Villa Vie Residences, was due to depart on May 30th.
Chief Executive Mike Pettersson said the ship is expected to be launched by the end of next week.
“We're not focused on the next few days or weeks, we're focused on the rest of our lives and what this company can do for our residents and our industry,” he said.
Pettersson described Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey as the first “affordable” residential cruise ship.
“When you do something for the first time, you're going to run into problems, but we're certainly getting there and, even though we're late, we're going to get started,” he added.
