On Tuesday afternoon, Turkish time, the Norwegian cruise company Havila Kystruten was finally able to hoist the Norwegian flag and the company flag on the ships Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux at the Tersan shipyard outside Yalova in Turkey.
– We have now reached the end of a process that has required time, resources, and patience. Not least, it has required a great deal of patience from our customers, coastal communities, the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, our partners, and all employees, says Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Kystruten.
We have experienced a number of challenges along the way, but have never lost hope of finding a solution. That we are now finally in possession of our own beautiful and state-of-the-art vessels – with large cabins and high comfort for everyone on board – is a milestone for the shipping company.
Osman Nurettin Paksu, the chairman of Tersan shipyard, was naturally at the ceremony.
Today is a big day for us as we celebrate the delivery of the beautiful coastal cruise ship to Havila Kystruten. Despite challenges for both us and Havlia Kystruten during the construction process of these beautiful ships, we are very pleased today that we have now delivered a total of four fantastic vessels. These are the most modern and environmentally friendly ships on the Norwegian coastal route, and we are incredibly proud that these four sister ships carry the Tersan shipyard's name along Norway's beautiful coast. We also thank Havila Kystruten and their cooperative representatives for their support and efforts that have made these deliveries possible. It has been a pleasure to work with them, says Osman Nurettin Paksu.
It is a pleasure to hear about the good feedback Havila Kystruten is receiving from travellers sailing the historic route with Havila Capella and Havila Castor. With four beautiful ships in operation, even more people will have the opportunity to experience these vessels in fantastic surroundings.
In recent years, many employees at Havila Kystruten have been in Turkey to contribute to the construction process, and Bent Martini highlights a good collaboration:
– We want to thank the Tersan shipyard for the good cooperation and great understanding of our challenges over these years, especially in connection with the sanctions issue. They have built four fantastic vessels and without them and other suppliers and partners, we would never be here today, says Bent Martini.
– At the same time, our own employees have continuously been in Turkey throughout the process. It has been absolutely crucial for us to have them on site. I thank everyone for their efforts.
Hectic days ahead
Havila Polaris will depart from Bergen on 17 August, leaving the Tesan shipyard as the first of the two coastal cruise ships. Not long after, Havila Pollux is scheduled to follow the same route before the ship is set to depart from Bergen on 23 August.
– Our crew will be boarding soon and now we need to get the necessary equipment approved by customs before the final inspection. As soon as that is done, Havila Polaris will set course for Bergen. Depending on the weather conditions, it will take 10-12 days to sail the ships home to Norway. This means we have a few hectic days ahead of us to prepare the ships and make the final adjustments before we can welcome the first guests on board for the maiden voyages with Havila Pollux and Havila Polaris, says Bent Martini.
The crew of Havila Pollux will initially need to help on board Havila Polaris as soon as the ship arrives in Bergen. Shore-based employees will also need to pitch in if it's to succeed. It will be a joint effort that I'm looking forward to. We are all very much looking forward to the first guests coming on board.
Own all ships
After Havila Kystruten received all the licenses earlier this year to finance the coastal route fleet and release the security the original investment partner had in the ships, the work has focused on finding the right financing partner for the shipping company.
– Four coastal vessels have great value, and we wanted to find a financing partner that enabled us to gain full ownership of our vessels. Now we own all our ships ourselves and have thus reached our goal for the refinancing process, says Bent Martini.
Bent Martini also talks about the legal process surrounding the sanctions issue, which has been particularly demanding.
– We have investigated the possibilities with various authorities and bodies to find a legal solution to the challenges we faced on 24 February last year. Significant resources have been allocated to legal assistance and, with the right solution in hand, we can now say that we have completed and succeeded with a process that is entirely unique on a global scale. We are not aware of others having found a similar solution, so this has been groundbreaking all the way through, says Bent Martini.
– We are now looking forward to looking ahead and will do everything we can to make up for lost time.
Each of Havila Kystruten's ships is valued at approximately EUR 150 million, and the shipping company has financed the fleet by obtaining EUR 305 million from the investment company HPS Investment Partners LLC, while the shipping company's largest owners and investors have contributed EUR 65 million in new equity. Havila Holding AS has contributed a loan of EUR 20 million.
"We are very pleased with this solution, it gives us the necessary flexibility and wiggle room to be able to deliver as expected on our mission along the Norwegian coast," explains Bent Martini.
According to the press release.
