Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Havila-Polaris

Havila Voyages has announced yet another delay in the much-anticipated delivery of the 'Havila Polaris'. Originally slated for its inaugural voyage in April 2023, the planned trips to Norway have now been scrapped due to ongoing financial complications and regulatory challenges. The company cited legal clarifications and the need for approval from the Central Bank of Ireland as significant obstacles preventing them from taking possession of the completed vessel. Consequently, the launch of the mail boat service has been rescheduled from April 7 to April 29. Havila Voyages plans to reach out to customers who had booked trips on April 7 and April 18, providing options to either reschedule for a later date, switch to an alternative vessel, or receive a full refund on their travel fees.

Havila, the Norwegian cruise line, has announced the cancellation of three additional departures in March from Bergen for its third vessel, the 'Havila Polaris'. The company is currently awaiting the approval of its license application by the Irish central bank, without which it cannot carry out the necessary financial transactions to secure clear ownership of the ship, thus avoiding potential legal complications in the future. This latest setback follows a notification from the Norwegian government regarding a planned fine due to the non-operation of 'Havila Polaris' in January. Havila, acknowledging its predicament of being unable to accept delivery of the ship until all formalities are attended to, is evaluating the legality of the liquidated damages proposed by the Ministry of Transport. The cruise line continues to await essential authorizations from the Irish central bank to finalize the transaction, hoping to resolve a nearly year-long struggle tied to its agreements with GTLK. Complications had already arisen earlier, as Havila had to temporarily withdraw its first ship from service due to insurance issues linked to sanctions, while its second vessel was delivered only after the shipyard agreed to a bridge loan. The delivery of the third cruise ship has faced postponements since December, with Havila once again reporting delays. Initially, Havila had an agreement with the prominent Russian company GTLK for the construction of four cruise ships, intended for long-term charter. However, the interplay of sanctions against Russian financial entities has further complicated the start-up process.