By
Laura Hyde |
Havila Voyages has taken delivery of cruise ships Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey on 1 August 2023.
During an official ceremony, the Norwegian flag and the Havila Voyages flag were raised onboard both ships, marking “a milestone for the shipping company”.
“We have now reached our goal following a process that required a lot of time, resources, and perseverance,” said Bent Martini, Havila Voyages CEO. “It has demanded a lot of patience from the Norwegian authorities with whom we have an agreement to operate, our customers, coastal communities, our partners, and all employees. We remained confident we would reach this moment, even though we have encountered new challenges at every turn. Now that we finally possess our own beautiful and state-of-the-art coastal route ships with spacious cabins and a high level of comfort for everyone onboard, it's a milestone for the shipping company.”
After leaving the Turkish shipyard, Havila Polaris will sail its first passenger voyage from Bergen in Norway on 17 August, while Havila Polaris will follow the same route on 23 August. The ships will operate on the Norwegian coastal route alongside Havila Voyages’ two existing ships, Havila Capella and Havila Castor.
“It is a fantastic day for us celebrating the deliveries of the beautiful coastal passenger ships to Havila Voyages,” said Osman Nurettin Paksu, the chairman of the board at Tersan Shipyard. “Despite challenges for both us and Havila Voyages during the construction process of these impressive ships, we are very happy today to have delivered four marvellous ships. These are the most modern and environmentally friendly ships on the Norwegian coastal route, and we are proud that these four sister ships carry the name of Tersan Shipyard along the beautiful Norwegian coast. We also thank Havila Voyages and its cooperative representatives for their support and efforts who made these deliveries possible, it has been pleasure working with them.”