Life at sea passengers on Villa Vie Odyssey are stuck at Belfast dock but sea trials are scheduled

Life at sea passengers on Villa Vie Odyssey are stuck at Belfast dock but sea trials are scheduled

Passengers on the “life at sea” ship Villa Vie Odyssey, currently docked in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have moved onto their rooms, but can’t sleep on the ship as final preparations are still underway, including the testing of fire doors.

Couple Johan Bodin and Lanette Canen said this week that a total of 134 items remained to be rectified out of a list of more than 3000 that had already been addressed by the crew of the 929-guest, 31-year-old former MS Braemar acquired from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Meeting fellow passengers in the main dining room.

The couple have been updating their Living Life on a Cruise YouTube 6500 subscribers about each phase of their adventure for several weeks now but appear to be excited about each step rather than frustrated by the delays.

The couple boarded the ship last week and moved some of their luggage in but had to take a shuttle bus back to their hotel every night until the fire door issue if fixed.

“We just want to let you know a little bit about where we are at,” they said in their latest post. “We are on the ship. We can’t sleep here still, we have to go back to our hotels in the evening.”

The couple’s room on Villa Vie Odyssey.

The pain has been eased somewhat by an open bar and they have been meeting fellow “residents”.

“It’s becoming a community which I really like,” said Bodin. “It’s a lot of cool people, different walks of life, different histories, we see new people coming every day.”

Villa Vie Residences was originally due to depart from Belfast on May 30 but unexpected delays mean that was pushed back to July 30. It is now expected to undertake sea trials this week. The delays have meant Iceland is out and the first stop will be Oslo.

Requests for more information from CEO Mikael Petterson, and the public relations company have not been forthcoming.

Check out their room in Living Life on a Cruise post below.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Villa Vie Odyssey

Latest News

  • Cruise
  • Food & Beverage

Seafood Excellence winners launch new sea-to-plate menu onboard Luxe Island Seafood Cruise

The 2024-25 season of the ultimate seafood dining experience, Luxe Island Seafood Cruise at Rottnest Island, has a new sustainable seafood menu and is now open for booking. Owned by Sea West and operated by its brand Rottnest Cruises, the award-winning Luxe Island Seafood Cruise offers an indulgent day of cruising onboard a 69ft, three-level […]

  • Aviation
  • Breaking News

35 per cent base salary increase part of Virgin Australia pilots new enterprise agreement

Virgin Australia pilots have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a new enterprise agreement that delivers substantial improvements to their pay and working conditions, following 15 months of negotiations. The new agreement guarantees a 35 per cent base salary increase in the first year, followed by 3 per cent annual increases and includes industry-leading lifestyle and […]

  • Conferences

Iconic ‘Spirit of Sydney’ artwork takes pride of place at ICC Sydney

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has announced the addition of the monumental artwork ‘Spirit of Sydney’ by renowned Australian artist Frank Hodgkinson to its collection. Normally reserved for event attendees, members of the community were able to view the iconic ‘Spirit of Sydney’ mural at the venue’s art tours, guided […]