The launch of Villa Vie Odyssey, the residential world cruise ship that was supposed to start sailing in May 2024, is again delayed, leaving an unknown number of disappointed guests stranded in Belfast, where the ship is docked.
Two of those guests are Angela and Steve, American travelers who chronicle their cruise adventures on their YouTube channel Midlife Cruising. The couple booked a stateroom onboard the ship, which is slated to operate continuing world cruises, each 3.5 years long.
Like others, the couple has been waiting in Belfast for the ship to launch, but more bad news arrived from the ship’s owner, Villa Vie Residences, on September 10, 2024.
“We just got some devastating news. We received an email from the CEO, I think it was released around midnight, so you wake up this morning and find out there are still some problems. The sea trials weren’t that great, and they still have to get through some final certifications,” Midlife Cruising’s Angela says in the latest video.
Moreover, Villa Vie Residences informed guests it will no longer pay the living expenses of guests who have been waiting for the ship to launch in Belfast.
Starting in late May 2024, the company accommodated guests in Belfast hotels and provided food, excursions, and other services while work on Villa Vie Odyssey proceeded.
The Midlife Cruising couple will now return to the US rather than remain any longer in Belfast, since air travel back to the States is cheaper than staying in Northern Ireland and paying their own living expenses. Villa Vie Residences told the cruisers it would be at least another seven days until the ship can launch.
In his notice to guests, CEO Mikael Petterson explained that the company has already spent about $500,000 on supporting guests in Belfast. While Villa Vie Residences has revealed the ship’s latest problems to guests, it has made no official public statement, and no firm launch date has been set.
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The latest challenges involve sea trials, which are a series of evaluations that test the ship’s major components, including propulsion and speed, equipment, and safety.
Following successful sea trials, ships receive needed certifications, allowing them to operate. Villa Vie Odyssey set off on her sea trials on September 4.
Operational Problems Discovered in Dry Dock
During the last few months in dry dock at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, the ship has had a series of operational problems with, among other things, her gray water tanks, which hold water from kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Repairs were needed to meet environmental standards for water treatment.
Also problematic were her rudder stocks, which enable the ship’s steering gear and are essential for maneuvering a vessel. Parts needed to be ordered from Denmark in July, pushing back the ship’s debut even further.
In their newest video, the Midlife Cruising couple said they have left and returned to Belfast four times previously, as new launch dates were announced.
“This is the hardest blow yet, but it’s our dream and we’re going to hang in there, and stay positive,” said Angela, of Midlife Cruising.
Villa Vie Residences in December 2023 announced it had purchased Braemar, a 32-year-old vessel that formerly sailed in Fred Olsen Cruise Lines fleet. The 924-guest ship was rechristened Villa Vie Odyssey, and was set to undergo a major refit.
Guest waiting to embark Villa Vie Odyssey paid cabin rates that start at $99,999 (USD) for an inside stateroom, rising to $299,999 for a balcony stateroom, and to $349,999 for a balcony suite.
The 23,344-gross ton ship is scheduled to visit some 145 countries on seven continents, and call at a total of 425 individual ports every 3.5 years.
