Havila Voyages has received a new delivery date from the Turkish shipyard Tersan, meaning that the commissioning of the Havila Castor, scheduled for April 7, will have to be postponed. As a result, the Havila Castor’s first round-trip voyage from Bergen has been delayed until May 10. This means that the Havila Castor’s first three round-trip voyages will be canceled. Havila Kystruten’s CEO, Bent Martini, apologizes to all affected passengers.
"It's a shame that our passengers now have to change their plans to travel along the Norwegian coast on the brand-new Havila Castor. But we hope to welcome them aboard with us at a later date. We will contact each passenger to offer a new itinerary."
Martini is pleased to report that the first ship, the Havila Capella, has been very well received by both passengers and the market, and that both the Havila Capella and the Havila Castor are nearly fully booked during the high season.
"We receive a lot of feedback from satisfied guests who appreciate the good food, the spacious cabins, and the large windows on board that allow them to experience their surroundings as closely as possible. They also say that the service is good and that the ship is equipped to ensure they feel comfortable during the trip."
Progress on the vessels, Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux, is also not proceeding as expected at the shipyard in Turkey. “We expect Havila Polaris to be seaworthy in the third quarter and Havila Pollux in the fourth quarter of this year. Based on past experience, the exact delivery schedule for these vessels is uncertain. We sincerely apologize to everyone who has been affected.”
A new agreement has been reached with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications to address the latest delays involving the Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux. “We are doing everything we can and working very hard to get these ships into service as soon as possible.”
