Villa Vie: More Delays as Company Asks Guests to Cover Own Expenses – Cruise Industry News

The Villa Vie residential cruise start up that was set to cruise in mid May is quickly approaching the four-month delay mark.

In a letter sent to guests on Tuesday, the company said it had spent approximately $500,000 covering guest expenses during the delay including hotels, excursions and more, and is now asking passengers to cover their own expenses for “at least the next seven days,” according to recent video update posted by MidLife Cruising on YouTube.

The company had covered guest expenses since May, when the ship was originally scheduled to sail from Southampton but was subsequently delayed.

The same video update also reported that recent sea trials were “not as great as expected.”

The original cruise date was mid-May, with many passengers arriving in the UK set to the board the 31-year old former Fred. Olsen ship. That departure was first pushed back because of a crack in a tank, and moved to Belfast where the ship was undergoing a refurbishment at Harland & Wolff.

Guests were accommodated in Belfast and put up in hotels, and some were flown to a resort in Spain. Over the summer, they were allowed to move into their cabins aboard the ship, but could not sleep there as the company provided transportation to/from the ship, and three meals daily and entertainment aboard.

Since the original May date, numerous problems and challenges have arisen, with the departure date getting pushed back.

In June the company said that the ship was going through the last stages of certification and would sail soon.

Issues included problems with rudder stocks, missing previous maintenance logs, the necessity to re-classify and re-certify the ship, and the need to perform sea trials.