'Cursed' cruise ship struck again: Luxury liner stuck in Belfast since May hit by fresh setback
26 September 2024, 11:09 | Updated: 26 September 2024, 11:24
Passengers aboard a "cursed" cruise ship, which has been stranded in Belfast for four months, were informed they could finally set sail today, only for the voyage to be postponed due to a new crisis.
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The cruise, recently renamed Villa Vie Odyssey, has been mired in delays and controversy since its announcement.
Hundreds of travelers, some of whom used life savings to secure a spot on the luxurious three-year world cruise, costing up to £27,000 per month, have instead been stuck in Northern Ireland since May while the ship underwent various repairs and inspections.
Frustrated passengers, having exhausted all of Belfast's tourist attractions, were told earlier this week that the ship was finally ready to depart and advised to pack their bags.
However, it has now emerged that despite passing its sea tests, a new critical issue will delay the ship’s departure by at least three days, and possibly much longer.
The unexpected problem is that the ship has been docked at facilities owned by the renowned Harland and Wolff company, famous for building the doomed Titanic, which went bankrupt last week.
The firm announced last week that it would enter administration for the second time in five years, resulting in the redundancy of dozens of its workers.
This situation means that the shipyard where the Villa Vie Odyssey is docked cannot legally permit passengers to board, and there are no other available moorings for this purpose.
A dockyard worker commented: "I can understand why people are calling this trip 'cursed'.
"I've been working in this business for nearly three decades and I don't think I've ever seen a ship go through so many setbacks and delays.
"But they cannot board the passengers where the boat is moored now for safety and insurance reasons - so they're having to wait for a space to become free elsewhere and they don't know how long that will take.'
"It's incredible that they've finally fixed the engine problems but now have nowhere to board their passengers.
"What a twist!"
Have you been affected by the delays of the Villa Vie Odyssey? Get in touch at online@lbc.co.uk
