They’re Off! Endless World Cruise Starts After Prolonged Shipyard Delay
Being marketed as the “endless world cruise,” the trip which is scheduled to last three-and-a-half years with a select group of passengers set to live aboard the ship for the entire trip is finally getting underway. The company’s 30-year-old cruise ship is embarking its residents tonight and is expected to sail overnight from Belfast, Northern Ireland after an extended refit period.
The company, Villa Vie Residence has not updated the itinerary for the Odyssey (24,000 gross tons) but after living in Belfast since May passengers were excited by the prospect of getting underway with the first port set to be Brest, France. The ship, which first entered service in 1993, cleared her sea trials about a week ago and on September 28 Villa Vie said she had received clearance from the MCA and public health authorities in the UK. However, she spent much of today at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard waiting for what the owners reported were final papers.
Late on September 30, she shifted to the cruise pier where the BBC reported approximately 125 residents were coming aboard. They had been able to spend time aboard and begin preparations in recent weeks, and attend events aboard while the ship was still at the yard, but they were living in hotels, rented apartments, and Airbnb since May waiting for the delayed trip.
The ship was handed over in March but after having spent four years in layup in Scotland since the onset of the pandemic. She was built in Spain in 1993 as one of two small cruise ships for a startup cruise line, and known as Crown Dynasty, she moved through a series of operators including for a time Cunard and Norwegian Cruise Line in the 1990s. She settled in for 20 years with UK-based Fred. Olsen Cruises including being lengthened by nearly 102 feet (31 meters) in 2008. As Braemar, she was popular in the cruise market with her smaller size which made it possible to do unique trips such as a transit of the Corinth Canal in Greece.
Villa Vie said they expected some issues but were surprised by multiple problems during the refurbishment at the Harland & Wolff. Class required updates and replacements of equipment such as the rudder posts which were deemed too worn. The company says they are significantly over budget on the refit and were forced to make changes such as moving the crew accommodations. They report now having space for 650 residents.
The company is selling residences aboard the ship which are guaranteed for 15 years with this or subsequent ships. Many of the people have sold their homes and some made extensive modifications to the cabins aboard. The company is also accepting bookings for segments of the cruise.
It will be the first cruise ship converted for this purpose after several failed attempts. The World became well known as a residence cruise ship but it was newly built and purpose designed for residences. People acquired square footage on the ship and outfitted their suites with their personal tastes. The World retained only a few spaces to offer for rent for short periods.