Villa Vie Odyssey: CEO Mike Petterson explains complex reasons for four month delays in perpetual world cruise
The man behind the launch of a ground-breaking global cruise liner from Belfast has explained the reasons for the four month delay.
The Villa Vie Odyssey, was due to launch in May, but has been hit with repeated maintenance requirements.
Mike Petterson, CEO of parent company Villa Vie Residences, 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 on Saturday or Sunday, Monday is looking likely, he says.