Villa Vie residential cruise ship leaves Harland & Wolff after four months

Villa Vie Residences, a cruise ship with a permanent community of people intending to live permanently on the vessel, has finally left Belfast after an impromptu repair at Harland & Wolff (H&W) put it out of action for four months.

The vessel had been due to embark in May, on a three-year round-the-world cruise trip, but the voyage was delayed after an inspection at the shipyard revealed a high level of wear and tear on the vessel’s rudder posts, and later, problems identified with the vessel’s gearbox. The cruise was then delayed for four months while H&W fabricated new components to address the issue.

Despite the fact that the vessel itself is already in its thirties, guests are being promised some 15-year tenancies for their considerable ticket costs. Because of the arrangement, guests have, for practical purposes, been living in Belfast during the intervening time.

“We are just excited to start this and get going and wave goodbye to Belfast, but you guys have been amazing and we’re going to miss it," one passenger told the BBC. "There’s been really good days, and not so good days and just going there and meeting them, having their support, has meant a lot.”