After launching service in late 2021, Havila Voyages said it is seeing strong sale figures for its fleet of coastal ships in Norway.

According to a press release, despite facing uncertainty, the company is seeing a significant interest in the latest additions to the historic coastal route Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen.

“We have a high volume of traffic, both to our customer center and via our website, and had close to 70% occupancy in the first quarter, with 50% of all capacity for all four ships sold out for the year. This is ahead of what we expected for the year,” said Havila’s CEO Bent Martini.

“For us, it will be crucial to capitalize on the interest and get all four ships in operation. We have a societal mission to deliver, and we depend on running the company in an economically sustainable way,” he added.

With two ships currently operate, Havila intends to take delivery of two additional coastal vessels in June.

After several months facing sanctions related to the Russia – Ukraine war, the company recently got a license from the Central Bank of Ireland to enable the financing and operation of the two newbuilds.

With the license, the company will also be able to settle its debts with the original lenders of the ships, which had ties with Russia.

“It is challenging when we constantly face setbacks and situations far beyond our control, but we look forward to soon being able to focus on delivering a top quality, modern product along the Norwegian coast in accordance with the agreement with Norwegian authorities,” Martini concluded.

Havila Voyages originally ordered four LNG-powered vessels in 2018, after signing a contract to operate Norway’s coastal service voyages.

Originally set to enter service in 2021, the coastal ships faced construction delays, in addition to the restrictions related to their financing.