Years-long dream cruise finally sets sail, then pauses because of ‘paperwork’

By Tamara Hardingham-Gill and Julia Buckley, CNN

(CNN) — The ship was scheduled to set sail four months ago for a three and a half year cruise.

After seeing its departure postponed several times, Villa Vie Odyssey finally set off from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday night.

However, initial passenger excitement about heading out onto the open seas was undermined by another delay as the ship dropped anchor just outside port, awaiting final “paperwork.”

The former Fred. Olsen Cruise ship departed Belfast around 11:30 p.m. on September 30 after months of setbacks.

“We are excited and relieved,” passenger Lanette Canen said shortly before Odyssey’s departure. “We are at our muster station doing the safety drills now. [Villa Vie] did it! There is nothing but smiles here.”

Leaving port offered a bright spot in a journey that’s already seen its share of twists and turns as residential cruise start-up Villa Vie Residences worked to launch its long-term cruise.

Finally embarking “feels amazing,” Villa Vie CEO Mike Petterson said late Monday.

But it’s been far from easy. “I’ve aged 15 years in six months. I feel like I just gave birth to a baby,” Petterson said.

As of Tuesday, Villa Vie Odyssey was anchored off the coast of Belfast, according to marine tracking website Vesselfinder. The Belfast Harbour website listed it for departure later in the day, at 11 p.m.

“We will stay in the general Belfast area until the final administrative paperwork is signed off,” Petterson told CNN.

Petterson had previously blamed its delayed departure on a longer than usual certification process. The ship, formerly the Braemar, was constructed in 1993 but has been held to the standards of a new vessel, Petterson said.

The ship went through its final sea trials earlier this month and had been waiting for coast guard clearance, which it finally received a few days ago.

The delay meant that its passengers had been waiting to depart since May. Frustration and disputes bubbled up as the months passed.

Passengers were flown home to wait it out. Some, including Canen and her partner, Johan Bodin, stayed busy traveling while the ship sat in port in Belfast.

The pair – who were previously living in Hawaii – paid $100,000 for their cabin, which will remain theirs for the ship’s lifetime, estimated to be around 15 years. They then pay a $3,500 monthly fee to be onboard. Prices vary according to cabin and other factors.

Villa Vie’s is not the first extended cruise plan that’s run into problems. Another company, Life at Sea Cruises, had scheduled a three year round-the-world cruise – the first of its kind to be relatively affordable – for departure in 2023. That voyage was postponed again and again, before being canceled definitively in November.

The crucial difference for Villa Vie? It has a ship, with passengers onboard.

CNN’s Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

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