What we know as stranded Belfast cruise ship returns to port hours after leaving
The luxury cruise ship that finally set sail from Belfast after being stranded for four months is returning to the city just hours after its long-awaited departure.
Passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey thought they had waved goodbye to the Northern Irish capital for good on Monday evening only to be told they were returning on Tuesday morning.
The liner became stranded in May because of unexpected repair works, forcing passengers to spend much of their time in Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland.
The ship is currently docked off the coast of Bangor, County Down, but passengers have been told they would be returning to Belfast temporarily so that some final paperwork can be completed before hopefully setting off later on Tuesday.
Why was the Villa Vie Odyssey delayed?
The setback is the latest for the cruise ship and its 125 passengers, whose once-in-a-lifetime round-the-world trip has been beset by problems.
The ship was supposed to set sail from Belfast on 30 May but was delayed by four months because of issues with its rudders and gearbox that needed to be repaired.
It is scheduled to visit 425 ports in 147 counties across three and a half years, a feat it will repeat for the next 15 years.
During the four-month wait, some passengers decided to catch the ship elsewhere later and returned home, although many had sold theirs to fund the cruise trip.
One couple, John and Melody Hennessee, spent the wait time converting their three cabins into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite.
Two other passengers, who didn't know each other before the cruise, got engaged - Angela Harsanyi, 53, from Colorado in the US, and Gian Perroni, 62, from Vancouver in Canada, got to know each other while walking around the ship.
One couple, Melody and John Hennessee, from Palm Beach in Florida, plan to remain on board for the rest of their lives.
During the four-month delay, passengers were able to spend time on board during the day but had to disembark in the evenings to stay in hotels. Others used the time to travel around Northern Ireland.
The cruise offers rentals that last from 35 up to 120 days or a villa on board can be purchased, ranging in price from £90,000 to £260,000.
It is hoped the ship will finally leave Belfast on Tuesday evening - it is expected to dock at Belfast Harbour in the afternoon to complete the final paperwork and then set sail at about 11pm.
Chief executive of Villa Vie Residences, Mike Petterson, said the cruise ship still had to complete administrative paperwork before it could finally depart to undertake a three-year round-the-world cruise.
Petterson said: “We still have some administrative paperwork to be finished before leaving the Belfast area.”
He said passengers would not disembark when the ship returned to port and the liner would leave when the paperwork was completed before midnight.
What have passengers said?
One passenger, Donna Martemucci told the BBC the new delay means "another day to explore a lovely city".
Another, John Frim, said he was a bit confused by the situation but was "happy to be home" on board the vessel.
Late on Monday evening, there had been jubilation among passengers after finally setting off four months late.
Andy Garrison, 75, who said he will be on board for at least three and a half years, said he arrived in Belfast for what he thought was three days in August and ended up there for six weeks.
He said passengers had been “resilient” in waiting for the repairs to be completed and described them as a “really nice group”.
He said: “I like Belfast a lot actually, I would stay here and enjoy myself except I’m leaving on a ship."
Cyndi Grzybowski, 69, from Appling, Georgia, said: “We started out as strangers in Southampton and Belfast and now we truly are family. Thank you all so very much – truly, Belfast has been such a wonderful place. I have so enjoyed every minute here.”
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