PORTLAND, Maine — The Nova Star ferry is on the move south to Charleston, South Carolina, for temporary berthing company officials said will cost less than remaining in Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
According to vessel tracking information and the company, the ship left Nova Scotia on Thursday morning and will arrive in South Carolina on Sunday, traveling at a reduced speed.
The ship has not yet secured other work for the winter.
“Moving Nova Star to Charleston, a much warmer climate than its current berth, will reduce costs for the remainder of the offseason and ensure the cruise ferry is in a ready-state if alternate work is secured,” Mark Amundsen, president and CEO of Nova Star Cruises, said in a prepared statement.
It remains uncertain whether the service will operate for a second year between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, after the company in one year ran through $21 million in subsidies from the province, an amount intended to last seven years.
It used an additional $5 million from the province under a modified agreement with the province to close out the season.
The ship’s owners late last year planned to move the Nova Star to Florida but changed plans and headed to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, which a spokesman said was in anticipation of securing a winter route.
If the seasonal service between Portland and Nova Scotia continues, Nova Scotia officials have said it would be with Nova Star Cruises and not any other operator. One competing firm last year proposed restarting a service similar to the former Scotia Prince to take over the route.
Nova Star operators said Thursday the company is still working with provincial officials to “finalize” details for its 2015 cruise season, including start and end dates. The company statement said passengers would be able to make reservations for that season in the next few weeks.