Photo courtesy of Haimark
Haimark Line's Saint Laurent cruise ship, which was damaged when it hit a lock wall on June 18, won't be repaired in time to operate its July 5 voyage as previously hoped.
Tom Markwell, managing partner of sales and marketing for Haimark, said the line expects to operate its July 14 cruise. "We continue to monitor this very closely," he told TravelPulse in an email.
The ship is undergoing repairs in the Verreault shipyard in Quebec. Its steel hull was indented when it struck a concrete barrier designed to protect the doors of the Eisenhower Lock on the Saint Lawrence Seaway in Massena, N.Y. About 20-some passengers and three crew members sought medical attention for mostly minor injuries. The ship's services remained operational during the 42 hours it remained in the lock.
The French and Swiss passengers, who booked through French tour operator Rivages du Monde, were evacuated and bused to Montreal. The ship was refloated and exited the lock on June 20 and sailed under its own power to the shipyard for repairs. The June 26 voyage was cancelled.
The July 5 departure was to be a 10-day cruise between Montréal and Chicago, as is the July 14 voyage. A call to the ship's management company, FleetPro, seeking more information was not immediately returned.
Haimark Line is operating the 210-passenger Saint Laurent on a long-term charter from FleetPro. It is now operating its inaugural season in New England, the Great Lakes, and Maritime Canada through the fall foliage season. From late fall to early spring 2016, the Saint Laurent is scheduled to operate in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
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