Nova Star Cruises

Nova Star Cruises Limited, referred to simply as Nova Star Cruises, was a ferry company operating in Nova Scotia and Maine. Their ship, MV Nova Star, was a Ropax cruiseferry operating seasonally on the Gulf of Maine between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Nova Star Cruises
TypePrivate Company
IndustryTransportation
Founded2014
Key people
Mark Amundsen, President & CEO
ProductsFerry service

The company, operated as a joint venture by Quest Navigation of Eliot, Maine and Singapore conglomerate ST Marine, was awarded the contract to operate the route in November 2013, when the Nova Scotia government agreed to issue $21 million in forgivable loans to the company over seven years.[1] The company began service on May 15, 2014.[2] During the first summer, the company expected to carry 100,000 passengers, but had only carried 59,000 by the time it stopped operating for the season in October.[3] As a result, the Nova Scotia government spent the entire $21 million allocated to subsidizing the service for seven years in the first season, and issued an additional $4.4 million to Nova Star in October, subject to increased financial oversight.[3]

Nova Star was initially laid up for winter 2015 in Nova Scotia, but moved south to Charleston, South Carolina in January after Nova Scotia provided $2 million to cover off-season expenses.[4] In February, Nova Scotia officials said that the province had developed a plan to spend $13 million to subsidize Nova Star during the 2015 season, with the ferry operating between June 1 and October 14.[5]

During 2015, the company set a target of 80,000 passengers carried, though by August it was on track to miss the goal, having carried 37,800 by the end of the month,[6] and the Nova Scotia government was working to determine whether it would contract with Nova Star again in 2016.[7] Four companies submitted bids to Nova Scotia, with the province expected to select the 2016 operator of the route within weeks.[6]

By 2016 the MV Nova Star had moved to Europe and a new high-speed ferry line was in operation between Portland and Yarmouth.[8]

References
  1. "Portland-to-Nova Scotia ferry deal is finalized". Portland Press Herald. November 12, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  2. Tina Comeau (May 15, 2014). "Nova Star's making its maiden voyage Thursday evening". The Vanguard. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  3. "Nova Star ferry ends season, gets money help to pay bills". Portland Press Herald. October 15, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  4. "Nova Scotia pitches in for off-season ferry expense". Portland Press Herald. January 19, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  5. "Nova Scotia to subsidize Nova Star ferry for second season". Portland Press Herald. February 4, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  6. "Nova Scotia receives 4 bids for ferry service to Portland". Portland Press Herald. September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  7. "After two lackluster years, Nova Star ferry's future still up in the air". Portland Press Herald. August 21, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  8. "High-speed ferry makes first stop in Portland". WMTW. June 15, 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
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