Havila Kystruten: Round trip with Havila Capella canceled
Havila Kystruten has been forced to cancel the round trip Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen, which was planned to start on 12 April 2022, due to the still unresolved situation related to the ship’s insurance coverage.
Passengers on board will receive assistance for their return trip home as soon as possible, and all travelers will get a refund for their voyage with Havila Capella.
Worked for a possible solution
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed late Wednesday night that the sanction provision did not preclude normal operation and thus also insurance for Havila Capella. After reviewing the case one more time, a counter-message was received from the authorities on Thursday afternoon.
“First and foremost, we are very disappointed that there was no solution, and that the authorities made a counter decision this afternoon. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has concluded that a liability insurance is not compatible with the sanction provisions”, says CEO Bent Martini.
“We must accept that, and we think it’s terribly sad for all our passengers who had been looking forward to a nice Easter trip on board Havila Capella. When the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came with its confirmation yesterday, we thought we would be allowed to sail again, but unfortunately this is not a reality now”, he continues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its original reply letter that Havila Voyages is responsible for the operation and financing of the ship and that the ship should thus not be affected by adopted sanctions.
Will be sailing again
Havila Voyages will now look at solutions to get Havila Capella back into operation as soon as possible.
“We will now continue the dialogue with the authorities, insurance companies and finally refinancing of Havila Capella. We will sail again”, says Martini.
“Now we are looking forward to the takeover of Havila Castor, with which we plan to start sailing from Bergen on 10th of May. With a solution for Capella and Castor in operation, we will be well equipped for a glorious summer along the Norwegian coast. Despite the challenges we have encountered along the way, I choose to look positively going forward. We look forward to showing our fantastic ships to even more passengers in the time to come”, says Martini.
Passengers on board will as soon as possible receive assistance for their return journeys before the crew closes the ship, which will be stored in Bergen until further notice.
“I would like to personally thank all our patient passengers who have waited as long as us for a decision in this case, and we really regret that we cannot complete the trip as planned. I would also like to thank all employees and partners who have stood by day and night to solve this challenging situation”, concludes Martini.
