A luxury cruise ship is set to return to Belfast just hours after it finally set sail on its three-year trip around the world.
The Villa Vie Odyssey was due to embark on its lengthy cruise from Northern Ireland on 30 May, but emergency repair works left the boat – and its passengers – stranded for four months while they waited for it to leave.
On Monday night, passengers cheered, applauded and hugged the liner’s chief when it was finally announced they were ready to depart before leaving the dock at 11.30pm.
However, the boat is now expected to return to the port this afternoon, having remained docked off the Co Down coast overnight.
The Independent understands the ship is expected to depart once again later today after returning briefly for “paperwork”.
Residents had expected to have seen much of the world by now, but instead became very familiar with Belfast, with many making friends and one couple even becoming engaged as they waited for the cruise to begin while staying on the stationary ship.
Gian Perroni, from Vancouver in Canada, and Angie Harsanyi, from Colorado in the US, got to know each other as they walked to and back from the ship in the past few months.
After a proposal under a supermoon, they said they had found a soulmate in each other.
One man, who carried a self-assembled model of the Titanic on board on Monday, said he enjoyed Belfast but was ready for the rest of the cruise.
Another woman from Georgia said she had always wanted to see the world, but thanked Belfast for hosting them – calling it “a wonderful place”.
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The ship left the dock at around 11.30pm on Monday night before anchoring in Belfast Lough and moving slowly as it began its voyage. It is thought to still be in the waters of Northern Ireland.
Andy Garrison, 75, who said he will be on board for at least three-and-a-half years, said he arrived in Belfast for what he thought was three days in August and ended up there for six weeks.
He said he wanted something to do, so he ordered a model of the Titanic which he built over three or four days.
Asked if he was worried it could be seen as a bad omen, he said: “No, I’m not. As a matter of fact, I’m going to put this on the wall of my room.”
He said the passengers had been “resilient” in waiting for the repairs to be completed and described them as a “really nice group”.
“I like Belfast a lot actually, I would stay here and enjoy myself except I’m leaving on a ship,” he said.
Fellow passenger Cyndi Grzybowski, 69, from Appling, Georgia, said the residents “started out as strangers” but were now “family” as they spent time together in Belfast.
“My better half passed away three years ago so this is giving me an opportunity to get off the farm, literally, and see the world, which is something that I have wanted to do,” she told reporters on Monday.
“We started out as strangers in Southampton and Belfast and now we truly are family. We had two amazing parties yesterday with the pedal bikes… and last night at Revolution de Cuba, we had a get-together with fantastic food.”
The luxury cruise offers rentals from 35 to 120 days, or villas can be purchased ranging from £90,000 to £260,000.
Owning a villa on board guarantees the room for a minimum of 15 years, but the ownership stays valid for the entire operation of the ship.
Speaking to reporters at the cruise terminal, chief executive of Villa Vie Residences Mike Petterson said he was “a little stressed” as efforts were made to clear “a few last-minute things”.
Asked how would he remember Belfast, he said “your summer is horrible” and “you can’t cook to save your lives, but you do know how to drink”.