Holland Norway Lines applied for a suspension of payments in court on 30 August. Pending further developments, the MS Romantika is not sailing for the time being and ticket sales have been halted.
The cause of the pressure on the still young company’s operations lies mainly in the troubled period at the beginning of this year due to the forced departure from Eemshaven. A period with many cancellations and extra costs, but also with a significant impact on future bookings.
Nevertheless, after the restart in Cuxhaven, Germany, and then a successful start in Emden (1 June), Holland Norway Lines saw the future looking bright again. However, the company now says it needs more time to make up for the financial losses incurred early this year.
From start-up to full-fledged organisation
All employees in Groningen, Norway’s Kristiansand and on board the cruise ferry were informed on 30 August. Since its launch in 2022, nearly 400,000 passengers have sailed on the cruise ferry MS Romantika. The company grew in no time from a start-up to a full-fledged organisation, with almost 400 employees.
Also read: MS Romantika breaks loose in Dutch Eemshaven and hits other ships
MS Romantika
The RoRo/passenger ship MS Romantika was built in 2002 and sails under the Dutch flag. It is 193 metres long and 35 metres wide with a GT of 40,803. The ship can accommodate 2500 passengers, 300 cars and sixty trucks.
The vessel was originally built for Tallink and constructed by Finnish company Aker Finnyards. In 2021, the ship briefly sailed for Tanger Med, before it was chartered for three years to Holland Norway Lines, with an option for an extra two years.
Picture by Maarten Heerlien, Wikimedia Commons.
