Lord Mayor welcomes stranded Villa Vie passengers to City Hall

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, has welcomed passengers from the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey cruise liner to City Hall.

62 of its guests have been in Belfast for the past three months after the first leg of their planned round-the-world cruise was impacted by delays. The passengers have been enjoying their time in Belfast, alongside trips elsewhere, while their ship is undergoing repairs at Queen’s Island.

It is now expected to depart Belfast later this week.

Prior to its departure, Councillor Murray met with guests to hear about their positive experiences of their extended stay in the city, with many highlighting their plans to return again in the future.

“While three months is a long time to stay in any one place, these guests have been emphatic in their praise for our city, particularly the warm, friendly welcome they have received,” said Councillor Murray.

“From our amazing food to our beautiful scenery, they have had ample time to soak up everything Belfast has to offer – but they’re still keen to return again, to experience more, and relive their unusual, but happy memories, of their stay here.

“Last week, we heard how tourism across NI is continuing to thrive, generating £1.2 billion of expenditure to our local economy in 2023.

“And, with continued investment into the sector through new hotels and visitor experiences, plus significant projects in the pipeline via the Belfast Region City Deal, there will be plenty more to entice passengers back here again.”