Tallink Grupp’s vessel Isabelle returned to Riga-Stockholm route
Tallink Grupp says its cruise ferry Isabelle, which operates on the Riga-Stockholm route returns to traffic. Repairs have been carried out on the vessel over the last two days to restore the functionality of the bow doors impaired by the storms in early January.
The company decided to take the vessel out of traffic for one return voyage to Stockholm for the extra repairs, despite necessary repairs being carried out on the vessel immediately following the storms and the vessel declared safe for continuing operations by both Latvian and Swedish authorities.
The decision to carry out the extra technical repairs was necessary mainly from the passengers’ comfort point of view, as the ship’s technical issues have prevented the normal operation of the port passenger gangway and thus made the boarding and disembarking of the vessel slightly uncomfortable for passengers.
„Due to the fact that we haven’t been able to operate the Riga passenger port gangway, our passengers have not been able to board the ship via the usual route, but have been boarding and disembarking the ship via the car deck, which is not a comfortable option, particularly at this time of the year,“ Captain Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, Head of Tallink Grupp’s Ship Operations, explained.
„We therefore decided to plan and agree additional repairs as soon as possible, before the ship’s planned drydocking at the end of March, and to cancel one of the ship’s return trips to Stockholm to carry out the repairs and adjustments of the bow doors to restore all the ship’s normal operations for our customers’ convenience. After receiving the necessary approvals from the authorities for bringing the work forward, we cancelled the trip that had the least impact on our customers and have been doing the necessary work.
„I am pleased that everything has gone according to plan and on schedule and we are now able to return Isabelle to traffic this evening, offering our customers again comfortable embarking and disembarking arrangements they would expect at the Port of Riga,“ Captain Tuulik added.
