Black Sea Cruises and Rosmorport, Russia’s maritime agency, will resume their cruise operation in August following an engine room fire aboard the Prince Vladimir in May.

A spokesperson told Cruise Industry News that the first cruise of the adjusted season will depart in early August, with operations now extending into early October.

The start-up operation began cruise service last year after acquiring the 1971-built ship from Mano Maritime, in an effort to help inject some economic impact into Black Sea port cities, which have largely been abandoned by the cruise industry following security concerns.

The target market is Russian citizens, who can cruise with the added benefit of no need for a visa or passport.

With most guests embarking in Sochi, the ship offers interporting and also sails to Novorossiysk, Yalta and Sevastopol (overnight). The vessel sails on Sundays from Sochi. 

Rosmorport said that 60 percent of its passengers embarked in Sochi in 2017, while 20 percent used Novorossiysk and the balance was split between Yalta and Sevastopol.

The ship underwent a refurbishment over her winter lay-up period, with the May 6 engine room fire putting the start of the season on hold while repairs were made. With no passengers and a limited crew aboard, there were no injuries reported.

Winter 2018-2019 plans are said to be under consideration.