Passengers stranded in Belfast awaiting the delayed inaugural departure on the Villa Vie residential cruise startup, Ville Vie Odyssey, have been told that they must cover their own expenses for at least the next week after the company reported a $500,000 spend on guest accommodations and activities during the delay.
The ship initially set to launch in mid-May, is nearing a four-month delay.The original sailing was postponed due to a crack in a tank, and the ship, a 31-year-old former Fred. Olsen vessel, has since been undergoing refurbishment at Harland & Wolff in Belfast.
Guests have been accommodated in hotels and some flown to a resort in Spain. They were allowed to access their cabins aboard the ship this summer but could not sleep there, with the company providing meals and entertainment instead.
Numerous persistent issues have arisen since the original departure date, including problems with rudder stocks, missing maintenance logs, and the need for reclassification and certification, contributing to ongoing delays despite earlier assurances that the ship would sail soon.
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