Villa Vie’s Maiden Ship Embarks on Initial Sea Trials

Villa Vie Residence’s Odyssey departed from the Harland & Wolff shipyard on Wednesday for a set of sea trials outside Belfast.

After arriving at the facility in late April, the 1993-built vessel spent the last four months undergoing preparations for the company’s debut, which has been repeatedly pushed back.

As part of a unique product that allows guests to live onboard, Villa Vie Residences plans to deploy the ship on a continuous world cruise.

The voyage was initially scheduled to start in mid-May but faced several delays, with different technical issues emerging over the past few months.

Now moving closer to an actual startup, the former 977-guest vessel is set to undergo a series of trials in open seas over the next couple of days, including propulsion, maneuvering and system tests.

After receiving a new set of rudder stocks in July, the Odyssey left Harland & Wolff’s drydock in early August.

According to multiple reports on social media, passengers were welcomed to spend days onboard soon after.

However, with the ship still undergoing inspections and lacking the necessary certifications, guests could not stay overnight onboard.

An updated timeline for the ship’s definitive departure from Belfast hasn’t been officially shared by Villa Vie Residences.

In an open letter shared on social media, Villa Vie’s COO Kathy Villalba said that the company purchased the former Braemar “anticipating smooth sailing ahead.”

“However, we discovered that the ship’s certifications were completely out of class, and due to her being laid up for four years, we were treated as a newbuild, which resulted in a much more extensive inspection process than we forecasted,” she added.

While mentioning obstacles beyond the company’s control, she said that Villa Vie underwent “crucial internal changes” to streamline operations and expedite the remaining work, remaining committed to caring for clients during the unexpected waiting period.

“To those who felt compelled to pressure us into sharing information prematurely, we remind you that this project has always been about taking a calculated risk, and our priority has always been the well-being and safety of our Residents. We will not apologize for focusing on the task at hand rather than entertaining external demands,” Villalba said.