By
Rebecca Gibson |
Nova Star Cruises is to shorten its 2014 sailing season to prepare for the 2015 season.
Nova Star will now make her final 2014 sailing from Portland, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, on 13-14 October, rather than on 2 November as originally planned, Individuals and companies who had reservations after 14 October will be contacted by the operator and all 650 impacted passengers will receive a full refund. They will also receive either a free reservation for the remainder of 2013, or a 50% discount for the same booking in 2015.
Nova Star will temporarily dock in Yarmouth after completing the season, while the company continues to search for winter work opportunities and alternate lay-up facilities.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience the shortened season will have on our passengers,” said Mark Amundsen, president and CEO, Nova Star Cruises. “For the long-term success of the service, we have decided to end our first season earlier than planned and will focus our efforts on building business for next year.”
In October, the ferry service usually transports motor coach tours, which can take one-to-two years in advance to secure. This year, the operator will carry 23 motor coach tours after its decision to launch the ferry service this May hindered its ability to secure adequate motor coach business for the autumn sailing season. Nova Star Cruises has already booked 31 for the 2015 season.
“We have been making good progress securing motor coach business for next year and we are confident that we can further increase our motor coach and other business lines by focusing our efforts on business development in October,” said Amundsen.
This August, Nova Star Cruises welcomed more than 20,000 guests onboard Nova Star, while passenger numbers have increased by more than 50% month-over-month since the cruise-ferry service was launched in May 2014. To date, Nova Star has carried more than 45,000 passengers.
“We are pleased with passenger feedback and numbers for our first season, which highlight that there is a growing market for a cruise-ferry service between Nova Scotia and Maine,” said Amundsen. “We have also learned a lot about the market for our service and will work to make adjustments to our offering and schedule for the long-term viability of the service.”
Nova Star Cruises is currently in discussion with the Province of Nova Scotia to determine appropriate start and end dates for the 2015 season.