Originally launched in 2022, the ferry initially proved popular with drivers and foot passengers keen for an alternative travel option to flying.
“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,” stated the company prior to the bankruptcy. However, earlier this year the line faced a “forced departure” from Eemshaven due to capacity issues at the port. This forced the company to cancel departures and refund large numbers of passengers while it searched for an alternative.
From June, the ferry service restarted in nearby Emden, just across the border in Germany, but the financial damage had already been done.Regular passengers will be hoping the former Holland Norway Lines service can be resurrected by a new company, or by an existing ferry operator in the region such as DFDS, Color Line, or Stena Line.
However, given that the startup line rented the MS Romantika cruise ferry and the owner has already reclaimed it, a relaunch under a new company seems less likely."In the event of a relaunch, the ship would have to be rented again or a new one would have to be built,"