Three days after a luxury cruise ship set sail from Belfast after being stranded in the city for more than four months and hopes are high it will finally leave Northern Ireland tonight.
The Villa Vie Odyssey left Belfast port on Monday night amid applause and cheers from its dozens of passengers.
But the luxurious liner didn’t get far and on Thursday remained anchored off the Co Down coast.
Since departing on Monday night, there have been conflicting reports about the progress of the ship’s onward journey.
Ship residents were told that they would be returning to Belfast on Tuesday afternoon, as some paperwork needed to be finished.
But on Wednesday, online tracking data showed that it remained anchored off the coast of Bangor.
However, indications now suggest the ship’s paperwork has now been completed.
It is believed it will set sail later today with the aim of arriving in France on Friday morning.
In a social media post on Thursday, cruise writer Dave Monk said: “DNV inspectors have extended the class certificate on the ship until Christmas day, suggesting it should be able to set sail with all paperwork complete.
“The ship remains at anchor off Bangor, Northern Ireland, showing a destination of Brest, France, arriving at 5am tomorrow.”
The plan is for Villa Vie Residencies’ Odyssey to constantly sail around the world, with its inaugural cruise visiting all seven continents with stops in more than 425 ports in 147 countries.
It had been scheduled to leave the city on May 30, but has been docked due to a series of mechanical and technical issues.
Departure dates were revised several times due to issues with the rudders and gearbox.
Residents of the cruise ship have spent the last four months becoming familiar with the sights that the city and Northern Ireland has to offer.
One pair of would-be voyagers even became engaged while waiting for the cruise to begin.
