Passengers planning a three-year around-the-world cruise speak out while stuck on land waiting for their ship to depart.
Holly Hennessy said she has been stuck in Belfast, Ireland, for three months while she and her fellow passengers wait for repairs to the cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey.
“It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s humid. It’s usually raining,” Hennessy told “Good Morning America,” describing the last three months in Belfast. “I’ve moved to different accommodations five times.”
Holly Hennessy, a passenger on the Villa Vie Odyssey, speaks to ABC News.
ABC News
Johan Bodin and his partner Lanette Canen have been travelling around Europe for the past three months while they wait for the ship to depart from Belfast. The couple moved here from Maui, Hawaii, to spend the next few years at Villa Vie Odyssey, according to their website, where they publish travel stories.
“We plan to be here for a long time, but who knows how we’ll feel in a year,” Bodin told GMA.
Bodin and other passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey, operated by Villa Vie Residences, have been waiting for the cruise to depart since May.
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey, speak to ABC News.
ABC News
Mikael Petterson, founder and CEO of Villa Vie Residences, told GMA that the Villa Vie Odyssey is a 30-year-old vessel. He said the vessel made the trip to Belfast under its own power before other maintenance issues were discovered.
“The rowing stocks lasted six weeks, and now we’re taking care of a few other things,” Petterson said. “But overall, I think three months is actually not that bad under the circumstances.”
Petterson added that repairs to the ship were in the final stages and said he expected the ship to depart during the week of September 9.
The cruise will visit 475 destinations in 147 countries. The price for an all-inclusive cabin starts at around $100,000, plus a monthly fee for at least 15 years.
The Odyssey, a US cruise ship owned by Villa Vie Residences, docked at the Harland & Wolf ship repair facility in the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland, on August 30, 2024.
Peter Morrison/AP
While the Villa Vie Odyssey is out of service, passengers are allowed on board the ship during the day, but are not allowed to stay overnight and must stay in hotel rooms in Belfast.
For passengers who use the time to travel, Villa Vie Residences offers travel planning assistance.
Canen said she and Bodin were optimistic they would soon be able to set sail from Belfast after months of delays.
“Hopefully we can set sail by next weekend and say goodbye to Belfast,” said Canen.
