Construction temporarily halted on Havila Kystruten cruise ship pair

Norway’s Havila Kystruten has confirmed that the construction of two coastal cruise ships that it ordered from a Spanish builder has been halted pending the resolution of issues relating to the vessels’ design.

Company officials said in a statement that “design challenges” in connection with the vessels’ displacement and draught became evident during the early stages of construction, forcing shipbuilder Hijos de J. Barreras to temporarily stop any work on the two newbuildings.

Havila Kystruten added that a number of possible solutions to the issues are being discussed with the shipbuilder and that construction will resume once an optimal solution has been decided upon and implemented.

The company said the delay could have an impact on the vessels’ respective delivery dates but did not provide specifics.