We met when our luxury cruise was delayed and are now engaged (2024)

A couple who met when their luxury three-year cruise experience was delayed in Belfast have told how they are engaged four months later.

Passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey paid as much as £27,000-a-month for the epic ship experience, which was due to set sail from Southampton on May 15 and then from Belfast on May 30.

But after engine problems struck the ship four months ago, voyagers have been forced to entertain themselves in the Northern Irish capital while they wait to set sail again.

Angie Harsanyi, 53, and Gian Perroni, 62, told MailOnline that after a whirlwind romance they are planning a wedding onboard the very ship that brought them together.

Are YOU a passenger on the ship? Email your experince to katherine.lawton@mailonline.co.uk

Gian Perroni, 62, (left) and Angela Harsanyi, 53, (right) are engaged after meeting in Belfast after the cruise ship got stuck four months ago

The engagement took place last weekend under a supermoon as the couple walked over the Lagan Weir in Belfast

The Odyssey, a US cruise liner operated by Villa Vie Residences, docked at Harland & Wolf ship repair facility in Belfast Harbour on August 30

The couple have gone for a pink engagement ring rather than a more traditional clear diamond

The couple even got matching tattoos in Belfast, a trinity knot to symbolise their never-ending love

The couple have enjoyed a whirlwind romance and are now happily engaged

Captain the Cruising Kitty (pictured) is travelling on the ship with his owner

For Angie, who had never left the US before, the voyage was an opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream.

'I wanted a chance to see the world, I wanted adventure,' she said, 'My sister and I actually got a room together, so this is a sister trip.'

Despite being a cruise novice, Angie's brief experience sailing to Alaska left a lasting impression: 'I've only done one other cruise to Alaska. That was a blast - I loved it so much I ended up moving there for a year,' she said.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Cursed cruise ship on luxury three-and-a-half-year voyage will finally set sail next week

For Gian, who had been living in Costa Rica, the decision to join the Odyssey came from a sense of restlessness: 'Although it is so beautiful, I found that it was just the same thing every day.

'Then I was watching CNN, and they were talking about the ship. I just knew I had to do it, it just struck a chord with me. And so I bought my cabin a week later without ever having been on a cruise ship before.'

Despite the logistical challenges and months of delay in Belfast, neither Angie nor Gian regretted their decision.

In fact, they credit the delay for bringing them together: 'We first met shortly after we got here in May. We were in a group of friends who started doing everything together' Gian, an online marketing director, recalled.

However, the couple then ended up going on separate holidays for the next two months before rekindling back in Belfast.

'We have been together five weeks now - the best five weeks of my life,' said Gian, who added with a smile, 'And we even got matching tattoos here in Belfast, a trinity knot, symbolising our never-ending love.'

The pair believe they are soulmates after meeting in Belfast when the cruise ship suffered engine problems

The couple are happily engaged after meeting just weeks ago in Belfast

Holly Hennessy, of Florida, (pictured) has enjoyed her stay in Belfast with her cat Captain the Cruising Kitty

Captain the Cruising Kitty has his own Facebook page where his adventures are documented by his owner

The engagement took place last weekend under a supermoon as the couple walked over the Lagan Weir in Belfast.

Gian described the moment as magical: 'It just seemed like the right time. Everything was perfect.'

Instead of a traditional diamond, Angie now proudly wears a pink germolene stone from a small shop in Belfast. 'Pink is one of our favorite colors,' she said, 'I prefer this much more than diamonds.'

For Angie, who has never been married, and Gian, who has two children from a previous marriage in Canada, the engagement came as a pleasant surprise.

'God, no, we didn't expect this at all. Neither of us came looking for a relationship,' Angie said, reflecting on how their love blossomed amid the Odyssey's small and intimate community.

'We got to know each other as friends first, and once you do that without the romance, you really get to know someone.'

Their wedding plans are already underway, with the couple set to tie the knot aboard the Odyssey in April next year, between Panama and Costa Rica.

'We want to do it at sea so we can get married by the captain,' Gian said, while Angie joked about the difficulty of finding a wedding dress on a ship. 'We're going with a tropical theme for the big day.'

Ms Hennessy takes her cat Captain the Cruising Kitty on her travels with her

Holly Hennessey, 67, from sunny Florida, is travelling with her cat Captain the Cruising Kitty

Though the couple is excited about their future, they acknowledge that the extended delays in Belfast have caused some financial strain.

'We've had to spend a lot of money because of the delays, but no more than we would have if we had been stopping in ports.'

The ship's passengers have been covering their own hotel and food expenses during the wait, but Gian is quick to point out the silver lining: 'The delay has been the biggest blessing to us. If we hadn't been stuck here, we might never have had the time to get to know each other.'

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Life on the round-the-world cruise that's been stuck in Belfast for three months

As for their honeymoon, the couple plans to take a break from the Odyssey and return to Costa Rica, where Gian lived before boarding the ship. But for now, they're focused on enjoying their time together and planning a wedding that will undoubtedly be as unique as their love story.

A few months later, Mr Perroni has proposed to MsHarsanyi during a romantic strollalong the River Lagan under a supermoon on Tuesday.

The couple, who both own cabins on the ship, plan to host an engagement party onboard when they finally take off again next week.

Meanwhile, 68-year-old Holly Hennessy, of Florida, said she has stayed 'annoyingly positive', thoroughly enjoying the delay with her feline companion, Captain the Cruising Kitty.

The cat, which has its own Facebook page, travels the world with its owner, who bought a balcony cabin on the ship for$329,000 (£247,000).

MsHennessy previously told The Mail: 'I love Belfast. Belfast people are wonderful.

'I just want to thank everybody in Belfast who's been so kind to us. And I mean, it's been really nice.'

She added: 'I love the traditional music being played in the pubs. I had a blast.'

The luxury cruise liner includes cabins that are worth between $92,000 and $920,000

Some passengers decided to visit all of Belfast's 131 pubs during their four-month stay in the city.

Steve and Angela Theriac, of Nicaragua, had a pint of Guinness at every pub in the city centre.

Others are more excited to leave Belfast, with one couple saying they are overjoyed at the news they will be sailing again next week.

Johan Bodin, 54, said:'We are hoping something will happen by mid-next week.'

The Odyssey underwent its final 'sea trial' with DNV, a maritime safety assessment organisation, on Saturday. Managing director of Villa Vie Residences Mike Petterson confirmed they are hopeful to at last be under way as soon as next Wednesday.

The vessel, which has an action-packed 425-port itinerary across 147 countries, has been plagued with mechanical issues since it was initially expected to launch in May.

One dock worker confirmed to MailOnline: 'She sailed though her final test, and she should be off as soon as Wednesday. Everything is looking good.

We met when our luxury cruise was delayed and are now engaged (2024)

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