Press release -
Havila Capella is still not allowed to sail
Due to the continued lack of approval from the authorities and thus uncertainty related to valid insurance on the ship, Havila Voyages must also cancel the next round trip with Havila Capella.
As there was an unresolved situation related to Havila Capella's insurance coverage, the previous round trip Bergen - Kirkenes - Bergen was canceled. Havila Capella was planned to depart from Bergen 12th of April.
This week, Havila Voyages has worked in close dialogue with the Norwegian authorities to find a solution for the ship to sail again. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet reached a conclusion, and as a result, Havila Voyages will have to cancel the next voyage, which is scheduled to start on Saturday 23rdof April.
“This is a situation beyond our control, and it is very unfortunate for our guests who were going on this voyage. We also have many employees on board who do not get the opportunity to do their job and contribute to unforgettable experiences for our guests”, says CEO Bent Martini.
Havila Voyages will contact all passengers who had booked a ticket as soon as possible. All passengers are offered reschedule their tickets to a later voyage, or will get a full refund of their tickets.
“This decision is made today out of consideration for our guests' predictability and planned trip to Bergen or other ports of call”, says Martini.
He also points out that Havila Capella will sail along the coast as soon as possible, if a solution is found, despite today's decision.
“We have an agreement with the Ministry of Transport. This means that we depart from Bergen as soon as we receive a positive clarification, to get Havila Capella back on track to deliver on freight and local transport along the Norwegian coast. We have a social responsibility to be solved and cannot be in Bergen pending the next voyage if a solution comes within a reasonable time”, Martini explains.
“Our goal is to sail along the coast again as soon as possible, and we hope a clarification will not take too much time to be resolved”, he concludes.
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The Havila Voyages is a Norwegian shipping company that sails the classic coastal voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes with the Norwegian coast's most environmentally friendly ships.
The four new ships are loaded with the world's largest battery pack, and can sail for four hours without noise or emissions through vulnerable fjords. The batteries are charged with clean hydropower at shore, and when the batteries are low we switch to natural gas which cuts CO2 by around 25 %.
The hull is specially designed for maximum energy efficiency, and excess heat from cooling water and sea used for heating on board. On the menu are locally made dishes from local producers, and all unnecessary plastic is avoided. We are already exceeding the authorities' requirements for cutting emission, and we have set sail with zero emissions as the future target.
The Havila Voyages is part of the Havila Group that dates back to the 1950s. It all started when the founder, Per Sævik, bought his first fishing boat in his teens. From fishing and herring fishing, Havila is now a group operating in shipping technology, offshore, transport and tourism.
