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The Villa Vie residential cruise startup, which was scheduled to launch in mid-May, is nearing a four-month delay.
In a letter to guests on Tuesday, the company revealed that it has spent around $500,000 on guest expenses during the delay, including accommodation, excursions, and more. They are now requesting that passengers cover their own expenses for “at least the next seven days,” according to a recent video update shared by MidLife Cruising on YouTube.
Since May, when the ship was initially planned to depart from Southampton, the company has taken on various guest expenses due to the postponement.
The latest video update also indicated that recent sea trials did not perform as well as anticipated.
The original departure was set for mid-May, with many passengers arriving in the UK to board the 31-year-old former Fred. Olsen ship. Initially, the departure was delayed due to a crack in a tank and later moved to Belfast for refurbishment at Harland & Wolff.
While in Belfast, guests were provided hotel accommodations, and some were even flown to a resort in Spain. Throughout the summer, they were allowed access to their cabins on the ship, although they could not stay overnight since the company arranged for transportation to and from the ship, along with three daily meals and entertainment on board.
Since the initial May date, a series of problems and challenges have emerged, leading to further delays.
In June, the company announced that the ship was nearing the final stages of certification and would be setting sail soon.
Issues encountered included difficulties with the rudder stocks, missing previous maintenance logs, the need for reclassification and recertification, and the requirement to conduct sea trials.
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