Imagine paying six figures on an around-the-world cruise and being stuck in Northern Ireland for three months. The Villa Vie Odyssey has been stuck at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, where the Titanic was built, instead of embarking on a three-year voyage. The ship’s operator states that maintenance issues kept the Odyssey at the dock, but it promises the vessel will depart as soon as next week.
Passengers paid $99,999 for a cabin on the Villa Vie Odyssey, along with a monthly fee. Villa Vie Residences plans to sail the ship on a continuous cruise for at least 15 years, split into segments. The initial segment is slated to be a quick jaunt across the European coast, stopping in Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, and Lisbon before setting out to the Caribbean for the next segment.
Considering the Villa Vie Odyssey is 30 years old, the problems were expected. The ship spent short stints in the fleets of Cunard and Norwegian before being brought by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in 2001. The Norwegian-owned British line operated the vessel as the Braemar until 2020. The ship had been laid for four years until Villa Vie Residences’ purchase in 2024. Taking a ship out of mothballs after such a long time isn’t an easy feat. The company’s founder told ABC:
“The rudder stocks took six weeks to get done, and now we’re dealing with a couple of other things. But overall, I think three months is actually not that bad given the circumstances.”
Villa Vie Residences allows this ship’s paying potential passengers to use the amenities onboard but aren’t allowed to stay overnight. The company is booking hotel rooms in Belfast for customers to wait out the delay. One passenger complained to ABC, “It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s damp. It usually rains. I’ve been moved five times to different accommodations.” The patrons have also been offered alternative trips to Europe, arguably a better option than living on a cruise ship.
