EXCLUSIVEPassengers onboard cursed cruise ship stranded for four months face ANOTHER night in Belfast after vessel turned back for excruciating reason
A cursed luxury cruise liner which had been stranded in Belfast for four months only to finally embark on its world cruise yesterday has been struck by an astonishing new delay.
A cursed luxury cruise liner which had been stranded in Belfast for four months only to finally embark on its world cruise yesterday has been struck by an astonishing new delay.
Passengers on The Villa Vie Odyssey boat believed the jinx that had delayed their trip for so long had ended last night when they finally sailed out of the Northern Irish capital heading for Brittany.
But just hours later passengers were told that there was an outstanding admin matter that meant the boat had to return immediately for a brief spell back in Belfast.
And this evening passengers are now reporting that there is now apparently no free berth for the ship to move back into to resolve the issue - so they are anchored in Belfast lock for the night.
The latest delay comes after last week the owners of the docks where the boat had been moored since May went bankrupt - meaning they had nowhere to board passengers and were delayed for a further five days after the engine trouble had finally been solved.
Passengers on The Villa Vie Odyssey boat (pictured) believed the jinx that had delayed their trip for so long had ended last night when they finally sailed out of the Northern Irish capital heading for Brittany
Passengers are now reporting that there is now apparently no free berth for the ship to move back into to resolve the issue - so they are anchored in Belfast lock for the night (Pictured: Passengers celebrating in the bar last night)
Just hours after leaving the port, passengers were told that there was an outstanding admin matter that meant the boat had to return immediately for a brief spell back in Belfast
Now the curse of The Villa Vie Odyssey appears to have struck once again - with more than 125 passengers once again in limbo as they are anchored just 10 miles from the city where they have been stranded for so long with no idea of how long this latest delay will take.
Instead, however, those aboard the liner - who are paying as much as £27,000-a-month for their cabins on the all-inclusive three year global cruise - are bobbing at sea just outside Belfast, 24 hours after leaving.
This morning passengers had been led to believe they would be returning to Belfast Harbour at around midday for a couple of hours to complete some final paperwork.
But this afternoon the boat still remained anchored and sat idle with its engine off.
No official announcement has been made onboard, with many unaware of where they are next heading to, according to the ships new residents who have been enjoying adjusting to their new life at sea.
Some sources aboard said it is ironic that Belfast is to become their first port of call because many of the passengers have spend weeks killing time there - visiting local tourist attractions like The Giants Causeway more than once.
When they final set sail in earnest their world-wide adventure will see them stopping at seven continents, 147 ports and 425 different locations over the three-and-a-half year period.
The Villa Vie Odyssey leaves Belfast Harbour last night where it had been stranded since May
The 125 holidaymakers thought they were finally on their way until disaster struck again
Passengers wave as they board the Villa Vie Odyssey at Belfast Cruise Ship Terminal last night
Mikael Petterson, chief executive of Villa Vie Residences, gets a kiss from a passenger as they board the cruise ship at Belfast Ports Cruise Ship Terminal yesterday evening
Passengers finally board the Villa Vie Odyssey at Belfast Cruise Ship Terminal last night
Staff working for the harbour also told MailOnline they were unaware of Odyssey returning to the dock.
MailOnline has tried to contact CEO Mike Peterson for an update.
The ship was first set to sail on May 30 but a broken rudder and gearbox issues meant passengers onboard were forced to spend their summer in the dreary British rain rather than sunning themselves in the Caribbean.
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