Passengers of a cruise ship stuck in port must disembark every evening

During the planned 1,301-day voyage, the cruise ship will visit 147 countries on seven continents, including destinations such as France, Mexico and Japan, according to Villa Vie Residences' itinerary.

However, due to mechanical problems, the Odyssey was stuck in Belfast, Northern Ireland instead.

Sebastian Stokkendal, marketing manager at Villa Vie Residences, told the Associated Press that the company was “shocked by the scale of the effort required to bring a 30-year-old ship back into service after a four-year layup.”

According to a Villa Vie Residences website about the Odyssey, the cruise ship was extended in 2009 and renovated in 2019.

The ship is currently anchored at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, which is best known as the building site of the ill-fated ocean liner Titanic.

Because of the necessary repairs, the passengers of the Odyssey were also stuck in Belfast.

The AP reported that about 200 passengers were staying in the city and that Villa Vie Residences was providing their living expenses.

It is noteworthy that passengers are allowed to stay on the ship during the day but must disembark every evening. According to AP, they can also stay overnight in hotels in Belfast or other European cities.

“We can spend the whole day on board the ship and shuttle buses are provided for boarding and disembarking,” passenger Holly Hennessey said in a BBC report published on Wednesday.

“We can have all our meals and there are even movies and trivia entertainment. Almost like a cruise, except we're at the dock,” she added.

Mikael Petterson of Villa Vie Residences said in an earlier email to Business Insider on Thursday that passengers were offered hotel stays, other cruises, shore excursions and trips to Spain, Liverpool and Amsterdam.

Stokkendal told AP that the Odyssey could soon set sail once repairs to the rudder shafts, steel work and engine overhaul are completed.

“We are expecting a highly anticipated successful launch next week, heading to Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, Lisbon and then across the Atlantic to our Caribbean leg,” said Stokkendal.

Representatives for Villa Vie Residences did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside of regular business hours.