Passengers on a round-the-world cruise ship that has been stuck in Belfast for over three months are ready to cry “tears of joy” as reports suggest it is to finally set sail this week.
Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey has been given the “all-clear” to embark on its voyage after repairs were completed, according to reports.
The ship undertook sea trials over the past week, with passengers expressing their excitement on social media.
Angela Theriac, who has been waiting for the ship to be fixed with her husband Steve, posted a celebratory picture on Instagram saying: “We PASSED sea trials!!!! One step closer to setting sail!!! Woo hoo!!
The Mail Online reported that Mike Peterson, managing director of Villa Vie, hopes the liner will be “under way as soon as Wednesday”.
The Odyssey arrived in Belfast in May and underwent tests on repairs to its rudder and gearbox. It was supposed to be undertaking the first part of a three-year cruise, but repairs took much longer than expected.
Stranded cruise ship passengers Angela and Steve Theriac making the most of their time in NI.
Retired school teacher Angela said: “We are overjoyed at the potential of finally setting sail within a week.
“After successfully completing sea trials, we can only hope that a sail date is right around the corner.
“We will find out more Monday or Tuesday when we have our weekly residents’ meeting with the CEO and COO.
“After such a long delay, Villa Vie just can’t stick around any longer than necessary. We imagine the sail away being filled with tears — tears of complete joy that is.
“It’s a long time coming, and we are as excited as the first day we purchased our room to live full-time on a ship that circumnavigates the world.”
Angela added that there are things they will miss about Northern Ireland.
“Steve will miss his daily pint of proper Guinness, he is now ready to try beers all over the world. We will also miss the humour of the locals, as Steve loves to banter with them, but we are ready to chase the sun from our moving home.”
The couple gained a following on social media as they documented their travels around the province and Europe while waiting for their floating home to be fixed.
In a YouTube video recorded on Friday, they explained that Villa Vie had been giving residents updates while the ship was undergoing sea trials.
“They’ve been posting updates on our private residents’ group, saying everything is going really well.
“If everything went off without a hitch, which it sounds like it has, now they will seek PSC (Port State Control) approval, which potentially could allow people to sleep on board.”
“But either way, if it does or doesn’t, then the very last step is to call in the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency), and they come and do the final check-offs.
“MCA is tentatively scheduled for next week, and once we get those check-offs, we are good to go to set sail.”
The couple’s room on the cruise ship
The Theriacs got the news they were hoping for when, over the weekend, they posted their celebratory Instagram post.
The couple have remained committed to cruising even as the Odyssey was docked. They went on two cruises over the summer.
They have also travelled extensively around Northern Ireland.
“We’ve been to the Giant’s Causeway, Glenshane Country Farm, Bushmills and Derry/Londonderry,” Mrs Theriac told this newspaper at the start of the month.
“We have learned a lot about the history, the conflict and we’ve had a pint of Guinness in every pub.”