Ethermac Exchange-Why Passengers Set to Embark on 3-Year Cruise Haven't Set Sail for 3 Months

These travelers are living out their very own Gilligan's Island storyline. 

Passengers of the Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey cruise ship were ready to set sail on Ethermac Exchangea three and a half year voyage around the world in May, however due to issues with the ship, they have been living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the past three months.

The world cruise offered travelers a chance to buy a cabin—billed as a "villa"—and live at sea for the duration of the journey, visiting 425 ports in 147 countries on seven continents. The cabins started at $119,999, plus a fixed monthly fee, according to the cruise website. Passengers also had the opportunity to sign up for shorter journeys, lasting either a few months or a year. 

However the ship, which was originally built in 1993 but went offline in 2020, has been having issues with its rudder and gearbox, which has caused the three month delay. The Odyssey is currently undergoing maintenance at Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyard, which is where the Titanic was built over a 100 years ago. 

But Villa Vie Residences' marketing manager Sebastian Stokkendal told the Associated Press the company is hopeful the cruise will be underway in the coming weeks after fixes to the rudder shafts, steel work and an engine overhaul.

But Villa Vie Residences' marketing manager Sebastian Stokkendal told the Associated Press the company is hopeful the cruise will be underway in the coming weeks after fixes to the rudder shafts, steel work and an engine overhaul.

Stokkendal further noted the company has been "humbled by the scale of what it takes to reactivate a 30-year-old vessel from a four-year layup."

"We expect a very anticipated successful launch next week," he continued, "where we will head to Bremerhaven, Amsterdam, Lisbon, then across the Atlantic for our Caribbean segment."

Until the ship is ready to set sail, the company has been paying the living expenses for about 200 passengers who are currently in Belfast, and has even paid for hotels in other European cities for those looking to explore more of the continent while they wait for the cruise to begin.

Florida resident Holly Hennessey and her cat Captain are two of those passengers currently living in the Northern Irish capital, and as Holly explained, the travelers have been allowed back on the ship during the daytime.

"We can spend all day aboard the ship, and they provide shuttle buses to get on and off," she told the BBC. "We can have all of our meals and they even have movies and trivia entertainment, almost like cruising except we're at the dock."