We sold our homes to go on £27k-a-month cruise – it’s 13 WEEKS into ‘round the world’ trip but ship has not left Belfast
WORLD cruise passengers have told how they sold their homes for £27,000-a-month trip - but ship still hasn't left Belfast 13 weeks in.
The Odyssey was supposed to take passengers on an epic three-year tour of Europe, Asia and the Americas.
But the ship has been stuck in Belfast for three months after crew discovered problems with its rudders and gearbox.
Some of The Odyssey's passengers had sold all their possessions to pay between £75,000 and £700,000 for a cabin.
They now have to disembark from the ship at night and stay in local hotels.
Swedish pensioner Johan Bodin, 54, told the : "We've had a good time but we didn't sign up for a ship to stay in one port."
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Johan has kept himself busy touring Belfast's pubs, visiting Giant's Causeway and trying fish and chips.
Holly Hennessy, 67, from Florida, told the : "It hasn't felt like summer.
"It has been winter as far as I'm concerned. I'm used to the Florida sunshine. I had to go out and buy vitamin D tablets."
The Odyssey was built in 1993 and can hold more than 900 passengers.
Operator Villa Vie Residences has sold cabins both for unlimited cruises and shorter ones lasting between 35 and 120 days.
Nine out of ten passengers reportedly plan to stay on board for the whole world cruise.
David Austin, from the US state of Georgia, said: "I was committed, having sold my house right before my arrival.
"I've stayed committed to this adventure with every delay."
Villa Vie Residences boss Mike Petterson said: "We came into Belfast from Edinburgh on our own power.
"We were confident that our beautiful Odyssey would fly through class surveys.
Cancelled cruises - know your rights
Heading on a cruise? Here's what to do if it gets cancelled and your rights for refunds and compensation.
How do I find out if my cruise has been cancelled?
Cruise liners should let you know as soon as possible if your cruise has been cancelled.
If it's cancelled on the day of the trip, you should be informed no later than 30minutes after the time you're scheduled to leave.
P& O is contacting all passengers who were due to visit the area.
What if my cruise is cancelled and I'm at the port?
If your trip has been cancelled and you're already at the port then the operator should provide you with free snacks, meals and refreshments, even if the reason it's been cancelled is due to bad weather.
What you're entitled to depends on how long the delay is.
The Department for Transport recommends that tea and water are appropriate refreshments for a delay of over four hours, followed by a snack or light meal.
If the delay goes over eight hours then a hot meal should be provided.
But food and drink will only be provided if the operator can get them to you reasonably, says ABTA.
This will depend on the facilities available at the port terminal or on board the ship, the time of day and how close the port is to local amenities.
The operator should also offer you free accommodation if the cancellation means you need to stay somewhere overnight, either on board the ship or ashore.
But it's also free to look at other options, such as paying for your trip home or asking you to make your own arrangements and offering to reimburse expenses.
The only time the ship does not have to offer this service is when the cruise has been cancelled due to bad weather, where the conditions might endanger the safety of the ship.
Can I get a refund or compensation if my trip doesn't go ahead?
If your cruise has been cancelled the operator should offer you the choice of either an alternative trip or a refund.
Unlike EU regulations that protect passengers from airline cancellations, there is no fixed amount of compensation owed to you in these kinds of situations.
You may be entitled to compensation through the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Act 2018.
You'll only be able to claim the cash if the tour operator is unable to put the trip right again.
And you won't get a payout if the cruise was cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances.
Will I get a refund if I cancel the cruise?
If you cancel your trip then you won't be able to claim compensation and you may have to pay a cancellation fee.
You might be able to claim your travel insurance depending on the policy, so it's worth checking the small print.
"We have since then been quite humbled by the scale of what it takes to reactivate a 30-year-old vessel from a 4-year layup.
"After the lapse of all classifications of class, we are now considering a new ship where all machinery and equipment must work as if new.
"We are having to do major works such as the rudder stocks, major steelwork and engine overhauls."
He claimed the ship was now in its last stages of departure, with sea trials coming next week.
He added: "We expect a very anticipated successful launch next week.
We've had a good time but we didn't sign up for a ship to stay in one port
Johan Bodin
"We will head to Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, Lisbon, then across the Atlantic for our Caribbean segment.
"We are extremely grateful for our residents who have stood by our side through the tough times.
"We have worked with our residents to provide hotels, cruises, shore excursions, trips to Tenerife and Liverpool.
"We are welcoming them for onboard visits where they can get their rooms ready and connect with crew and fellow residents.
"It is great to see the relationships building and the community bonding as we are looking forward to the next 15 years of discovery."
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Founding partner Sebastian Stokkendal added that holidaymakers had access to shuttles to visit the ship during the day.
He said: "We have been serving food and drinks and offering some entertainment as well.
"Additionally, we will rejoin our original itinerary as soon as we launch. While we will miss most of the Northern European segment due to being at the tail end of summer, we will add Northern Europe to the 2027 schedule.
"The support we’ve received has been incredible, and it’s really fueling our excitement for what lies ahead. We’re counting down the days until we can finally launch and kick off this exciting adventure."