'We have some issues to resolve,' Haimark Travel president Hans Rood told Seatrade Cruise News. These spring from the early June accident where Saint Laurent struck a lock in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The hull suffered significant damages and four cruises were canceled.
The ship was repaired and has been in service.
'We are working very closely with the owners and the insurance companies to get this resolved,' Rood said. There are complexities involving insurance and liability issues in view of the final US Coast Guard report on the accident.
'We would like to see this resolved in a matter of days,' Rood added.
Saint Laurent is owned by the Clipper Group, a Nassau-registered company based in Copenhagen that operates a large fleet of dry-bulk carriers and has investments in multipurpose vessels, ro-ro and ferry services and cruise ships. It manages and operates about 140 vessels, half of which it owns, and has around 30 in in-house technical management.
Clipper is also Saint Laurent's technical manager, while CMI Leisure (formerly FleetPro Leisure) provides the hotel operations.
Saint Laurent is now deadheading from Portland, Maine, to Nassau. Rood said the scheduled Portland to Nassau revenue cruise had been canceled following a Montréal to Portland voyage due to bad weather, and passengers received refunds.
Trade partners have been notified of the situation.
Rood said it is hoped the matter will be quickly resolved and have no impact on the ship's planned Cuba cruise program. That is scheduled to start in December, pending Cuban authorities' approval.
It is understood the program is heavily booked.
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