Guests and residents booked aboard Villa Vie Odyssey can rejoice that the ship has finally set sail from the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, ready to begin its much-anticipated voyage after a lengthy string of repairs and delays that kept the ship from getting underway.
The sailing has been a long time coming, originally having been planned to depart on May 30, 2024 but extensively delayed due to a series of technical issues, refits, and failed sea trial inspections.
Finally, however, the ship has been deemed seaworthy and has passed her final inspections, able to welcome guests. The inspections were completed on Friday, September 27, 2024, and over the weekend the ship moved to the D1 pier in Belfast ready to board guests, who are undoubtedly eager to make themselves at home on the sea rather than staying in hotels and short-term rentals.
Passengers did, in fact, board the ship on Monday, September 30, and left dock late in the evening at approximately 11:30 p.m. – but they didn’t actually get far. For Monday evening, the ship is only moving into Belfast Lough to anchor, but will resume (or rather, begin) her voyage in the morning on Tuesday, October 1.
This does position the ship off the coast of northern Ireland and ready to set sail in spectacular fashion, beginning what is billed as a perpetual world cruise that will encircle the globe every 3.5 years.
Travelers are largely excited to be onboard and ready for what promises to be a unique adventure, and many of them have enjoyed their unanticipated and extended time in Belfast, having bonded over their unusual opportunity.
With the extensive renovations and repairs – from wastewater tank issues to problems with the rudder stocks – now complete, the ship can finally begin her grand voyage.
Where Will the Ship Go First?
While it is exciting news indeed that Villa Vie Odyssey has at last set sail, where will she head next? Given the massive delays to getting her first voyage underway, the ship may have to severely re-route from her initially planned itinerary.
Nevertheless, the small ship – at just 24,344 gross tons – is sure to visit memorable ports of call that larger vessels are not able to see due to docking restrictions, harbor depths, community size, and other considerations.
In total, one circumnavigation should cover 147 countries and 425 ports of call, many of them with extended visits to permit exceptional immersion in local history and culture.
The ship’s full itinerary was last updated at the end of July, featuring Norway and Iceland as her first regions to visit, followed by a variety of destinations in Scandinavia and northern Europe throughout August, and exploring Spain, Portugal, and even Bermuda in September.
That schedule shows Villa Vie Odyssey planned for Freeport in the Bahamas on September 30, 2024, followed by an overnight visit to Nassau from 7 a.m. October 1 through 6 p.m. October 2. Given that the ship is currently 4,000 miles from the Bahamas, it seems unlikely that she’ll make that port visit on time this week.
October is planned to be spent in the Western Caribbean, enjoying visits to destinations such as Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and more, before the ship moves to the Eastern Caribbean – Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Antigua, etc. – during November.
Of course, this plan will now need revision, which will be easy enough to do with the vessel actually underway. It is not yet known at what port of call the ship will “catch up” with the originally planned itinerary, but that would likely be the easiest way to adjust the sailing route.
Villa Vie Odyssey can welcome as many as 929 guests (minus one passenger removed just days ago), with a mix of owner-residents onboard as well as travelers who have booked just partial passage on a world cruise unlike any other. Also onboard are more than 350 international crew members to ensure everyone has a memorable and enjoyable voyage.
