World Cruise CEO addresses delays, announces new launch date [VIDEO]

The 1,300-day cruise at Villa Vie Residences has now been postponed for the fourth time.

Despite spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, future cruise passengers grew tired of waiting for the Villa Vie Odyssey world cruise to set sail, leaving many stranded in Belfast with all their luggage, only to return home disappointed once again.

A whitewashed Villa Vie Cruises ship is docked in a quiet port, with a backdrop of mountainous terrain and low-hanging clouds reflected in the calm water. Passengers dream of a tranquil getaway, planning to retire at sea and soak in the breathtaking scenery. — (Image courtesy of Villa Vie Residences)

CEO Mikael Petterson spoke about the postponed sailings in a new video shared on the cruise line’s social media accounts and announced the new sailing date, which has been rescheduled to July 20, 2024.

According to the executive, the most recent cancellation was due to issues with the Villa Vie Odyssey’s rudder stocks. “We received word about the rudder stocks a few weeks ago,” he said wearily. “The rudder stocks were original from 30 years ago. They were 300 millimeters thick. The thickness couldn’t be less than 295 millimeters. The measurement was 283 millimeters, which is much less than the acceptable thickness. We tried to argue with them, but there was no chance. We had to replace them.”

“But that’s really the only thing holding us back right now,” Pettersson commented.

Rudder stocks are a major component of a ship’s steering system. They connect the tiller to the rudder, allowing the ship to change direction. Villa Vie Residences solved this problem by replacing the rudder stock with a part that was machined and shipped from Denmark.

Ongoing improvements and renovations

A large white cruise ship, preparing for a 300-day around the world voyage, is docked at a shipyard for maintenance. It is surrounded by cranes and industrial buildings with a cityscape in the background. — (Photo courtesy of Cruise Radio)

Pettersson said the cruise line is also improving the Odyssey’s interior structure and technical components while replacing key components. “We cleaned out and renovated several areas of the ship. The biggest change was actually the business center that we built, which has offices and work areas. The pool deck was completely gutted and we rebuilt it from scratch,” He listed some of the changes.

Will the new release date work out?

The cruise ship, named Braemar, was originally scheduled to sail from Southampton, England on May 15, but due to the extended dry dock, the departure date was postponed to May 30 and the home port was changed to Belfast, Ireland.

Later, problems with the wastewater tank prompted the cruise line to The boarding time has been changed to June 4. Then the announcement turned to the question, Release date postponed to June 21.

A large cruise ship is in dry dock for maintenance under a clear blue sky, with cranes and various equipment visible around it. The round-the-world cruise was delayed due to a water tank problem. — (Image courtesy of Villa Vie Residences)

Pettersson assured passengers that the Odyssey would be surfaced between July 10 and July 12 to give the company more time to respond in the event of any unforeseen events. “July 20 is our deadline to be ready to welcome residents.” He said.

Once it sets sail, the Odyssey will take passengers to 425 ports and 147 countries over a three-and-a-half-year period, ending its journey in 2027. Guests have paid up to $500,000 for a room on the ship, and many have purchased partial rooms.

Mikael Petterson is the general manager of Life at Sea Cruises, which also offers 3-year residential cruises. After multiple delays, Life at Sea canceled sailings, leaving many booked passengers unable to travel. Cash shortage and homelessness.