Couple marooned on cruise ship for four months, but it wasn't all bad

A couple who met aboard a cruise ship marooned in Belfast for four months have announced their engagement. Gian Perroni and Angela Harsanyi were strangers when they embarked on the Odyssey for a three-and-a-half-year cruise, and fell for eachother in the Northern Irish capital when their ship underwent emergency repairs, reports Belfast Live.

Gian, 62, told Sky News: "We found ourselves stuck in Belfast but we have to say, it is an amazing city. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming to us and we have enjoyed our time. We came out in May and expected to leave on May 30. The ship ended up having a lot of issues which needed addressed. The cruise company has been really great and we have had the time to do a bit of travelling too.

READ MORE: Mum 'feels lost' after death of 'amazing' daughter aged 22

READ MORE: Grandad 'took a wrong turn' and never came home

"Angie and I met right at the very beginning and we became friends with a group of people but six weeks ago we found ourselves commuting daily to the ship and back to our hotels in central Belfast. We just created a really deep friendship that blossomed into romance."

Angela, 53, from Colorado, said she knew Gian was the one after they spent weeks together, learning about one another, and finding out how similar they are. "Simply putting it, you know when you know," she said. "Once I became friends with Gian, and spending quite a bit of time with him, especially in the last five weeks, I started understanding his values and his morals and future beliefs. They just completely meshed with mine and we found that we had so much in common."

Just last week, while walking along the River Lagan, Gian popped the question, under the impressive supermoon. "We started talking about getting married a few weeks ago," he told The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee.

"It's a first marriage for Angie - it's not my first marriage, but I wanted to do it right. We found a nice little jeweller in town, we picked out the ring together, and then I was planning on asking her on the ship, but we were out one night walking along the River Lagan - during the supermoon last week - the time just seemed right. So I popped the question."

The pair will have their wedding onboard the ship, with plenty of options to choose from for their honeymoon. Angela added: "It probably couldn't get any better than that, right? We're getting married between the Panama Canal and Costa Rica. With Gian being from Costa Rica for the last six years, I have the best tour guide imaginable."