Passengers on three-year cruise speak out as ship remains stuck in harbor

(NEW YORK) — Passengers planning to travel the world on a three-year cruise are speaking out as they remain stuck on land, waiting for their ship to depart.

Holly Hennessy said she has been stuck in Belfast, Ireland, for three months as she and her fellow passengers wait for the cruise ship, the Villa Vie Odyssey, to be repaired.

“It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s damp. It usually rains,” Hennessy told ABC News’ Good Morning America, describing the past three months in Belfast. “I’ve been moved five times to different accommodations.”

Johan Bodin and his partner Lanette Canen have spent the past three months traveling around Europe as they wait for the ship to depart from Belfast. The couple relocated from Maui, Hawaii, to spend the next several years on the Villa Vie Odyssey, according to their website, where they post travel content.

“We intend to stay on for a long haul, but who knows how we feel after a year,” Bodin told GMA.

Bodin and other passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey, operated by Villa Vie Residences, have been waiting since May for the cruise to depart.

Mikael Petterson, the founder and CEO of Villa Vie Residences, told GMA the Villa Vie Odyssey is a 30-year-old ship. He said the ship made the trip to Belfast on its own power before other maintenance issues were discovered.

“The rudder stocks took six weeks to get done, and now we’re dealing with a couple of other things,” Petterson said. “But overall, I think three months is actually not that bad given the circumstances.”

Petterson added that the ship’s repairs are in their final stages, and said he expects the ship to depart the week of Sept. 9.

The cruise is advertised to visit 475 destinations in 147 countries. The price to purchase an all-inclusive cabin starts at around $100,000, with an additional monthly fee for at least 15 years.

While the Villa Vie Odyssey has been out of commission, passengers are allowed on the ship during the day but cannot stay overnight, staying in hotel rooms in Belfast instead.

For passengers who are using the time to travel, Villa Vie Residences has helped them plan trips.

Canen said she and Bodin are optimistic that after months of delays, they will sail out of Belfast soon.

“Hopefully by next weekend, we’ll be floating away, saying goodbye to Belfast,” Canen said.

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