Press release -
Havila Voyages sees strong bookings
Havila Voyages is seeing strong support from passengers wanting to travel on the most modern and environmentally friendly ships that have ever sailed the historic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes. Following the ruling in the Irish High Court, the company is waiting for a valid license from the Irish central bank to release the collateral the original leasing company has in Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux.
Despite the challenges the company has faced, Havila Voyages is pleased that the new ships along the Norwegian coast have been well received by the market. For 2023, more than 50 % of the expected capacity has already been booked, which is ahead of budget for the current time.
“These are very good and positive figures for us. We are happy that there is a large amount of curiosity about our product and an understanding that we have faced challenges beyond our control. Our experience is that many of our guests want to travel on brand new and modern ships that give the experience around the historic coastal route a new dimension. We believe a combination of large cabins, a high degree of comfort and a unique food concept hits the market well”, says managing director Bent Martini.
“Now it is up to us to show ourselves worthy of that trust, and deliver a full-fledged product along the Norwegian coast, in line with the agreement we have with the Norwegian authorities. And we will do that with the most environmentally friendly and sustainable ships that have ever served the historic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes”..
Right to pay debts
Last week, the "Irish High Court" in Dublin granted a ruling that gives Havila Voyages the right to pay debts to the original leasing company GTLK to a frozen account in the EU for the coastal cruise ships Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux. The ruling is similar to the one Havila Voyages got in the "High Court of Justice" in London in December 2022. To release the security on the ships, Havila Voyages needs a license from the Irish central bank. It is expected that it will take up to 10 working days to get this finalized.
Pending a valid license from the Irish central bank, Havila Voyages has regrettably decided to postpone the start of the Havila Polaris route until 5th of March 2023. This means that the departures planned for 11th of February and 22nd of February have been cancelled.
“We have not had the opportunity to take delivery of the completed Havila Polaris before this ruling was in place, and before we have a valid license in place”, says Martini.
“The fact that we have now decided to postpone sailings on Havila Polaris is naturally very regrettable for our customers, partners, the Norwegian authorities with whom we have an agreement, the coastal communities and employees. At the same time, this has always been a situation beyond our control, for which we now fortunately see a solution”, says managing director Bent Martini.
Everyone who has booked one of the affected voyages will be contacted by Havila Voyages and given the opportunity to move the trip to another ship, or a later date. Alternatively, they can cancel free of charge.
Financing of the fleet
The license from the Irish central bank will also contribute to Havila Kystruten being able to complete the new financing of its coastal fleet.
“Neither our financing partners nor we wanted to end up in a legal dispute to take delivery of Havila Polaris and eventually Havila Pollux. That is why the clarifications we have received recently have been important to us”, says Martini.
“With all ties to the original leasing company broken, we look forward to refinancing the fleet and that we can look ahead to deliver on the assignment we have been given by the Norwegian authorities, he concludes”, he concludes.
Who will finance the fleet for Havila Kystruten will be announced as soon as the loan documentation is completed.
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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.
