3-year voyage stopped again Cruise ship turns back due to unfinished paperwork
The cruise ship Odyssey was unable to set off on its planned trip around the world for months due to technical problems - it finally set off on Monday. But the ship is already returning to port.
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- After months of delays due to technical problems, the cruise ship Odyssey was finally able to set off on its three-year voyage around the world on September 30.
- But the joy was short-lived: the ship remained docked off the coast and has to return to the port of Belfast again due to "paperwork".
- Another departure is scheduled for today, Tuesday, at 11 pm.
- The passengers, who have been stuck in Belfast since May, used the waiting time for excursions and reacted calmly to the delay.
It was an odyssey until the cruise ship Odyssey was finally able to set sail. Hundreds of passengers had been stranded in the Northern Irish city of Belfast since May 30th, as the ship operated by the US shipping company Villa Vie Residences had problems with the steering system and circuitry that persisted and seemed almost impregnable.
But only almost. Because on Monday evening, September 30, the journey for the stranded Odyssey guests finally got underway. The cruise ship is said to have set sail at 11.30 p.m., as reported by CNN.
"We are excited and relieved," CNN quoted passenger Lanette Canen as saying. Shortly before the long-awaited departure, Canen said, "We're at our assembly point now, doing the safety drills. [Villa Vie] has made it! There's nothing but smiles here."
But the joy is short-lived. Because, as the Guardian writes, the ship is said to have remained docked off the coast of Down this Tuesday. The acclaimed start of the round-the-world voyage is postponed again.
But fortunately not for long: as can be seen on the Belfast port website, the Odyssey is due to leave again at 11pm today. According to the Guardian, passengers have been informed that there is still "paperwork to complete" as to why the ship has to return to the city temporarily.
Cruise CEO: "I've aged 15 years in six months"
Lanette Canen and her partner Johan Bodin, who previously lived in Hawaii, are among the passengers who decided to stay in Belfast. Some flew home. Those stranded used the time to go on excursions or short trips in Europe.
But now the nightmare is over and the big dream trip is finally about to begin. The cruise with the Odyssey is a three-year trip around the world, with the Caribbean planned as the first port of call after Bremerhaven, Amsterdam and Lisbon.
Mike Petterson, CEO of Villa Vie, told CNN that it was a "great feeling" that the ship could now set sail - even if only for a short time. The last few months have been anything but easy. Petterson says: "I've aged 15 years in six months. I feel like I've just given birth to a baby."
Cabins cost up to 900,000 US dollars
May 30 was supposed to be the start of a cruise around the world. However, the Odyssey's passengers were stranded in Belfast harbour - but most of them took it in good humor. During the day, they were able to take advantage of the facilities on board, while in the evening they were taken ashore to hotels. "We keep joking that we will apply for a residence permit here in Belfast," said passenger Angela Theriac in an interview with the BBC in August.
A residence permit is probably no longer necessary. The guests - most of whom are from the USA - have already paid a small fortune for their cabins anyway. Between 100,000 and 900,000 US dollars were left per cabin.
