Passengers on board a luxury cruise ship stranded in Belfast have been spending their last night in the city ahead of the liner’s hotly-anticipated departure on Sunday.
The Villa Vie Odyssey passengers – who have been stuck in NI for more than four months – toasted their final night by taking in the sights of the city from one of its beer bike tours.
The ship arrived in Belfast for what was supposed to be the first leg of a three-year cruise, which has cost passengers up to £27,000 per month.
The firm acquired the ship previously owned by Braemar Cruise Ltd for $13m and planned to invest $10m to ensure it was operational and kitted out for guests.
It has now spent double that figure after being besieged with problems ranging from issues with electricity generators and on-board water distillation systems — even one of the vessel’s four engines was found to have cracked.
It comes after two of the passengers announced they had fallen in love while being stranded in Belfast.
Gian Perroni proposed to Angela Harsanyi after the pair were thrown together during the liner’s stay in NI.
The pair started walking through Belfast on their way to and back from the ship, before realising how compatible they were.
Both have now had matching Celtic knot tattoos inked onto their arms, with Mr Perroni saying the two are “made for each other”, adding: “We found our soulmates.”
With love blossoming in Northern Ireland, the pair recently announced their engagement following a proposal on the Lagan Weir Bridge under a supermoon.
Ms Harsanyi, who says she loves Mr Perroni from the bottom of her heart, added: “I can’t imagine spending another day of my life without him.”