It’s a dream cruise that started very badly: after four months of being stuck in the port of Belfast (Northern Ireland), the Odyssey, a ship that can accommodate around 600 passengers, finally left the city to begin its tour of the world.
“We’re going to have a blast tonight, we’re going to party like there’s no tomorrow,” says Joe Martino, an actor from Chicago who has spent the last four months waiting in Belfast, while yet another problem threatened the departure of the liner.
“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong”
In question? an administrative document missing from the file. But when Mike Petersen, director of the American company Villa Vie Residences, which owns the ship, announced to the passengers that everything was in order, they jumped for joy. “The joy, the elation… when he leaves, will be the feeling of a lifetime,” assures Joe Martino.
The Odyssey was scheduled to leave port on May 30 for a three-and-a-half-year world tour “following the sun.” But its certification and repairs took longer than expected. Some passengers, most of whom are Americans, took advantage of these four months of waiting to explore Northern Ireland, Europe, and a few even boarded other cruises.
“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong,” quips Joe Martino. Now engaged in its world tour, the Odyssey must visit all seven continents and plans more than 425 stopovers in 147 destinations. Stays in ports will last two to seven days.
To afford “the trip of a lifetime”, passengers had to pay $119,999 (107,300 euros) for the purchase, not counting the monthly fees… and the extras spent during this very long stopover in Northern Ireland.
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