They should have been on a round-the-world cruise for the next three years – instead they were stranded in Belfast.
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship was to depart from Northern Ireland last May, but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in the city for more than four months.
Shipmates Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni met while commuting daily from hotel accommodation to the ship, where they were allowed to work remotely during the day while repairs were carried out.
Behind schedule, and on the dry dock, the maintenance work was long enough for the pair of strangers to meet, fall in love and get engaged by the River Lagan.
They "started to become friends, then best friends, and then romance bloomed", Gian said.
From delays to departure, the next step was "I do" – on board the liner itself, off the coast of Costa Rica in April.
They got engaged on the banks of the River Lagan in Belfast – and Gian said the location was "just as exotic" as Costa Rica.
It was to be Angela's first time down the aisle, while Gian has children from a previous marriage.
The couple also got matching Celtic trinity knot tattoos.
