Havila’s coastal cruise ships, ‘Havila Castor’ and ‘Havila Capella’, were launched at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey last week.
Arild Myrvoll, CEO of Havila Voyages, said; “It will be good to start providing people living along the coast, and tourists, with safe transport and environmentally friendly sailing on the world’s most beautiful coastal voyage.”
Over the last six months, the coronavirus pandemic has affected the shipyard in Turkey with the result that the first two ships will not be ready for the new year as originally planned. Myrvoll said that based on current knowledge, it looks like delivery may take place during the first quarter of 2021.
In order to expedite the construction process as much as possible, despite the challenges of the pandemic, the ships have been under construction before being launched for longer than usual. Because of this, several tasks were streamlined.
“This means that the work on the ships that have been launched is well underway with regard to plumbing, machinery, electricity and fixtures and fittings,” Myrvoll said.
Havila Voyages has received approval for another two vessels, but the demand for the coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes is currently very uncertain, and the need for capacity at the start of the new contract on 1st January, 2021 is under evaluation, the company said.
The coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions are also making it difficult for Havila Voyages to be specific about what will happen next year.
“But we are pleased to note that there is a lot of interest in Havila Voyages from travel agencies and tour operators. We are in great demand and are looking forward to getting going,” Myrvoll claimed.
Both ships will operate on LNG, cutting CO2 emissions by 25% compared to traditional propulsion, and the ships will also have the world’s largest battery packs. This means that we can sail for up to four hours without creating emissions or noise. The ships have 179 spacious cabins with Norwegian interiors, the company explained.
“We want to showcase the best that Norway has to offer. This gives us good technical solutions for operating the ship and good practical solutions for those travelling with us,” Myrvoll said.
