Passengers aboard the 3.5-year Villa Vie Odyssey residency voyage can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the ship has officially left port to begin its 147-country world cruise, ending a long saga of delays and paperwork issues.
The 24,344-gross-ton vessel carrying over 100 passengers (one guest was just removed on September 17, 2024, due to negative texts) initially attempted to set sail on October 1, 2024. Still, it was again delayed due to incomplete paperwork, keeping the ship anchored in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Frustrated passengers, who have been living in Ireland since Odysseyโs original sail date in May 2024 was delayed, couldnโt believe the false start and feared returning to Belfast instead of continuing to its first port of call, the Faroe Islands in Scotland.
It turns out, during the four months of delays, Villa Vie Odysseyโs paperwork for sailing in Norway, where it is scheduled to visit after Scotland, had expired.
Now, after a final inspection by Norwayโs DNV, the shipโs class certificate has been extended until Christmas Day, allowing the vessel to continue its journey.
Villa Vie Odysseyย CEO Mike Pettersonย shared the good newsย with passengers this morning, October 3. โWe are not going to Belfast,โย he said.
The ship is now headed to Hunterston, Scotland, for refueling and an overnight, with Petterson telling crew, he โdoesnโt care where we go, just go โ but not to Belfast.โ
Passengers celebrated the long-awaited moment with a christening at sea as Petterson ceremoniously broke a bottle of champagne โ though it took three tries to crack.
Odysseyโs Troubled Start and Future Plans
Since arriving in Belfast months ago, the Villa Vie Odyssey has been fraught with complications. Initially set to serve as a small, all-inclusive residency ship circumnavigating the globe with 425 port visits, the ship was held up by various technical and administrative setbacks.
These have included issues with the shipโs outfitting and delays in obtaining essential components and finalizing construction. Even after leaving dry dock, the ship was delayed further as it struggled to complete regulatory requirements and safety checks.
Guests, who invested heavily in the promise of an extended cruise experience with villas starting at $99,999 plus a monthly fee, were stranded in Belfast.
For months, the cruise company paid the living expenses for passengers who eagerly awaited updates on when the ship would be ready to sail.
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Now that the vessel is finally at sea, its itinerary, updated in mid-July, begins with destinations like Norway, Iceland, and Scandinavia. Originally scheduled to take place during the summer months, it is unsure if the residences will revise the schedule.
As of the last update, the ship will travel to Spain and Portugal after Scandinavia, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and arriving first in Bermuda and then continuing to the Caribbean.
There, the ship is expected to visit the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. It will then continue to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Colombia before island hopping across 16 different countries in the Caribbean.
While itโs fairly certain Villa Vie Odyssey, purchased by Villa Vie Residences in 2023, will have many itinerary changes in its future, guests are ecstatic to finally begin the journey of a lifetime.