A residential cruise ship is heading back to port less than 24 hours after finally being released from its 4-month purgatory
Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
- The Villa Vie Odyssey finally set sail on Monday night after four months of delays.
- However, it has turned back to port less than 24 hours later.
- Some more paperwork needs to be completed before the three-year round-the-world voyage can begin.
A cruise ship that finally left port after months of delays has had to turn around after less than 24 hours.
The Villa Vie Odyssey, where passengers have paid upward of $100,000 for a three-year round-the-world voyage, was supposed to set sail in May.
However, mechanical and certification problems with the 30-year-old vessel delayed its departure from Belfast, Northern Ireland, for four months.
The residential cruise ship set off on Monday around 11:30 p.m. local time (6:30 p.m. ET) — only to remain anchored near the coast.
The BBC reported that it is due back at Belfast Harbour around 1:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) on Tuesday.
According to Belfast Harbour's website, the Odyssey is scheduled to leave again at 11 p.m. (6 p.m. ET).
Passengers told the BBC that they were informed the residential cruise ship needed to return to port to complete some final pieces of paperwork.
It marks another hiccup in the tumultuous story that has seen everything from passengers kicked off for complaining to a couple getting engaged after meeting on board.
A Villa Vie spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.