They were supposed to be in Reykjavik, then Stockholm, then Paris. But for cruise passengers Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni, it was the romance of Belfast’s docks that did it.
Harsanyi, 53, from Colorado, and 62-year-old Perroni, a Canadian who formerly lived in Costa Rica, were thrown together in May when the 650-berth Villa Vie Odyssey’s departure from Belfast was suddenly delayed due to problems with its rudders and gearbox.
Rather than embarking on their 425-destination, three-year cruise, passengers were moved to local hotels and have been entertaining themselves in and around the city, which Harsani said had been “absolutely magical … one of the greatest experiences of my life”.
She first met her future husband in the early days of the enforced stay, after which they became close friends along with a small group of other passengers.
“About six weeks ago, we started walking back and forth to the ship every day together,” she said.
“It was about an hour’s walk, there and back every day. And through that, we really started finding how similar we were and how much we really enjoyed each other’s company. And we found out that the hour walk wasn’t long enough … We found that we definitely had a lot more in common, and wanted to be more than friends.”
One pink tourmaline ring and two matching tattoos later (“it’s a Trinity knot for everlasting love”) they plan to be married onboard next spring, as the ship sails between the Panama Canal and Perroni’s former home of Costa Rica.
“I’ve never been married, so he’s a pretty special man, I think, to have won my hand and my heart over,” said Harsanyi. “Gian has very old-fashioned mannerisms, and he has a lot of compassion. He’s caring. He’s very friendly, he’s funny. He is very calm and stable. He is very compassionate. He’s romantic. I mean, I don’t know how much time you have, but my list is pretty long.”
He is also, she notes, very understanding – Harsanyi bought her long-term residence on board with her sister Lisa, who will join the cruise in the coming months, and she intends to honour her pledge to share a cabin with her rather than move in with her new partner.
“One part I really love about Gian is that that doesn’t bother him at all. He really respects that this is a girls’ trip, and that’s what I came here for – and it’s pretty hard to find a man open enough to that when he first gets married.”
The Villa Vie Odyssey's Long, Winding Road
After a four-month delay for maintenance and inspection at Harland & Wolff, the residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey has passed sea trials and is preparing to depart Belfast. The vessel could leave as soon as Wednesday, according to UK media.
The 1993-built Odyssey began a refit period to refurbish her interior and renew her classification at H&W in March, aiming to finish work and depart in May. That timeline slipped, and managing director Mike Petterson told CNN that the vessel's class society appeared to take a stricter line with Villa Vie than it had with the previous operator, UK cruise operator Fred. Olsen - and class required a larger scope of work than his team had expected.
“There is an evident double standard between what’s acceptable for us now and what was acceptable in 2017 and 2019 [at the last class survey],” he said. “Fred. Olsen has been around a long time – it’s a relatively low risk company. I expected continuity, but I got zero credit.”
Fred. Olsen told CNN that the vessel was laid up during the pandemic, and said that it passed an independent survey before the sale to Villa Vie.
A New Hurdle
Passengers had been told they could finally set sail, and many had packed their bags, only to be hit with the news that a new crisis was delaying their departure for at least another three days - and potentially considerably longer.
The unforeseen new problem is that the ship has been moored for all this time in docks owned by the world-famous Harland and Wolff company - famed for building the even more ill-fated Titanic - which went bust last week.
This means the shipyard where the Villa Vie Odyssey is moored cannot legally allow passengers to enter - and there is currently no available mooring where this can happen.
One dockyard worker told MailOnline: 'I can understand why people are calling this trip 'cursed'. I've been working in this business for nearly three decades and I don't think I've ever seen a ship go through so many setbacks and delays.
'But they cannot board the passengers where the boat is moored now for safety and insurance reasons - so they're having to wait for a space to become free elsewhere and they don't know how long that will take.
'It's incredible that they've finally fixed the engine problems but now have nowhere to board their passengers. What a twist!'
A Lasting Legacy
Despite the setbacks, the Odyssey’s journey has already left a lasting mark on its passengers, with some finding love and a renewed sense of adventure along the way. The odyssey continues, and the Villa Vie Odyssey is expected to set sail soon, offering its passengers the opportunity to live on a floating home for the next three years.
As for the newly engaged couple, they’ll be embarking on their own journey, with their love story starting in Belfast, and continuing for years to come, on the high seas.
It is a tale of unexpected romance, resilience, and a journey that, while delayed, is finally set to begin.
