By
Laura Hyde |
Villa Vie Residences’ refurbished ship Villa Vie Odyssey has finally set sail on its maiden three-and-a-half-year cruise. The ship, which was originally scheduled to depart in May 2024, departed Belfast, Northern Ireland, for Brest, France, on 3 October 2024.
The ship, which was formerly operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines as Braemar, had been laid up in Edinburgh, Scotland, since the Covid pandemic shut the cruise industry down in March 2020. Villa Vie Residences took delivery of the ship on 1 March 2024 and opted to carry out a refurbishment at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
The refurbished eight-deck ship offers three restaurants, five bars, four lounges, a spa and fitness centre, a library and an extended pool with two Jacuzzis, which was one of the key focuses of the refurbishment.
A rendering of Villa Vie Odyssey’s refurbished pool deck
Another big project was to create a business centre to give residents somewhere to work while onboard. The business centre features Starlink and Viasat 3 internet, allowing residents to stay in contact with friends and family at home, as well as enabling the ship’s non-retired residents to work remotely during their time onboard.
A rendering of the onboard business centre
According to Villa Vie Residences, the multiple delays in the ship’s launch have been due to water tank, gearbox and rudder stock issues, then more recently, a longer-than-usual certification process, which has seen the 1993-built vessel held to the same standards as a newbuild ship.
After two rounds of sea trials in September, the ship received coastguard clearance on 28 September, leaving it free to welcome passengers onboard and embark on its maiden voyage. Due to the shipyard Harland & Wolff going into administration on 27 September, Villa Vie Odyssey moved to a commercial ship terminal, which meant more delays as the terminal’s departure schedule was already full.
Villa Vie Odyssey left dry dock at the Harland & Wolff shipyard on 5 August
The ship left Belfast at 23:30 BST on 30 September, but it didn’t sail far, remaining anchored off the coast of County Down until around 16:00 BST on 3 October. Passengers were told the delay was necessary so the final pieces of paperwork could be completed.
As the ship left Belfast on 30 September with over 100 passengers onboard Mikael Petterson, CEO of Villa Vie Residences, said: “Tonight is the night everyone has waited so patiently for. We sail away to new horizons. Villa Vie Residences has officially launched!”
Villa Vie Odyssey is scheduled to arrive in Brest on 5 October, according to an itinerary shared by passengers onboard. Over the next month, the ship is expected to call at ports in Spain, Portugal, Morrocco, Gibraltar and Dakar in Senegal. Additional passengers will join the around-the-world-cruise at numerous ports along its route.
Villa Vie Odyssey passed sea trials and was given clearance by the coastguard in late September
“For our residents, the ship will provide a new standard for global exploration, offering an exceptional blend of opulence, immersive travel and personalised service,” said Petterson. “This is not a vacation; it is a lifestyle!”
Read our interview with Mikael Petterson in the Autumn/Winter issue of Cruise & Ferry Review.
Find out more about Villa Vie Residences’ journey since March on the company’s YouTube channel.