Villa Vie Odyssey: Residents enjoy last few days in Belfast before beginning perpetual world cruise

The story of the Villa Vie Odyssey has captured the imagination of the media across the world, as countless onlookers do rough estimates to work out whether they too could spend the rest of their life on a luxury world cruise, stopping in 147 countries every 3.5 years.

However, a major part of the headlines have been the four months of delay in launching, which has seen many of the passengers become deeply in love with Belfast.

Two of them – Gian Perroni (62) from Canada and Angela Harsanyi (53) from Colorado – brought countless smiles when they announced to the world that after arriving in Belfast as strangers, they have now fallen in love and plan to be married at sea by the captain.

The News Letter caught up with around a dozen passengers in Belfast yesterday, and the mood was unanimously upbeat.

A common theme was that the hospitality and kindness of Belfast people has been eye-opening.

Steve Theriac, a retired deputy sheriff from Florida, told the News Letter: “The locals and the banter and the humour from everyone… It is very endearing. And having a Guinness in every pub here has been wonderful as well.”

His wife, a retired high school teacher, said you don't have to be millionaires to consider the ship as an option: "We tell everyone that if you add up your mortgage or rent, electric bill, internet, all your food and drinks, in the end, this worked out better for us."

While most of those the News Letter met yesterday were fully retired, Gian and Angie will both be continuing their professions on board, capitalising on modern technology to keep them in touch with colleagues and clients. They both bought cabins and expect to stay 15 years on the ship.

He will continue to work full-time as a director of an affiliate marketing company. “So I have an office on the ship, which is ideal.”

She will be running a travel agency on board, dealing in travel, cruising, and vacation packages.

The two fell for each other while taking evening walks along the Lagan during their stay in Belfast.

"I started realising that I didn't want to live another day without him, so I was more than pleased that he proposed,” Angie said.

The passengers are overwhelmingly American with some from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK.

A self-described ‘Happy Group’ of retirees met with the News Letter during their lunch in the city centre. They were in their late sixties and seventies and apparently all having a ball.

All but two of them are single and pleased to have made firm friendships for the duration of their trip.

While many of them have sold everything, others have retained their homes but are renting them out while they travel.

CEO of the project, Mike Petterson, took the News Letter on a tour of the upper deck yesterday, showing off the pickleball court.

He winced as he confessed the eye-watering cost but said the installation had been an absolute deal breaker for a number of residents.

Moving along, we watched as staff polished and cleaned the intricate pool and jacuzzi area until we eventually arrived at Mike’s bar at the far end of the deck.

A wooden bar about 20ft long, open to the deck but with a large canopy, it has six huge television screens placed on the wall behind it.

Mike smiled as he confirmed it is named in his honour, joking that it is a tiny perk in light of the fact that he can’t recall the last time he took a weekend off.

His original plan was that his children would join him and his wife on the launch in May; Now they have returned to school in the US while he continues to push the project to conclusion.

"Once we set sail, I am going to celebrate by sitting here with a beer and watching American football on the screens,” he laughed.

The cost of a perpetual world cruise starts with buying a cabin for around £75k, with monthly fees of £1,870 for a single or £2,620 for a couple.

This covers food, laundry, and entertainment and “being ushered around the world" he says.

DELAYS EXPLAINED

Mike told the News Letter that he bought the vessel from Fred Olsen shipping giants in March, taking ownership in Edinburgh and sailing to Belfast without a hitch.

The vessel had been out of use for almost five years due to the pandemic.

"We were treated as a new ship [by maritime regulators], and we're also a startup and we don't have any record to go on," he said.

"When you look at [Norwegian shipping giant] Fred Olson that we acquired the ship from, they had a proven track record. And anyone else that has owned a ship in the past also has a proven track record."

In such cases, he says, some companies can he given flexibility and the benefit of the doubt on some issues. "Whereas in our case, we were really given no flexibility whatsoever."

That also meant that maintenance work that had been properly carried out by the previous owners had to be redone, as he did not have the paperwork to document it. "But it is now in the best shape it has been in for ten years."

The PSSC (Passenger Ship Safety Certificate) has been passed and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and public health inspections were ongoing on Friday.

However it is a busy weekend in Belfast Harbour and there are few windows for launch. If it does not happen today or tomorrow, Monday is looking likely, he says.