Tallink Charters Out Additional Vessel to COP26

Tallink Grupp announced it recently signed a charter agreement for its Latvian-flagged cruise vessel Romantika, which has also been hired to provide accommodation at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), taking place in Glasgow, Scotland on October 31– November 12.

Several weeks ago, the company said it signed a charter agreement for its Tallinn-Helsinki route cruise vessel Silja Europa to provide accommodation services at the global climate conference in Glasgow from October 21 to November 14. Now Romantika will join her fellow fleet member in Glasgow, providing accommodation and related services to support personnel working at the COP26 conference.

Romantika has been chartered for the period October 15 through November 15 and will provide accommodation and catering services to the charterer’s personnel and guests. The vessel has been chartered via specialist company Landry & Kling Global Cruise Services with full technical and service crew from Tallink Grupp for the duration of the charter.

Tallink Grupp’s CEO Paavo Nõgene said, “This charter request and agreement came at a very opportune time, as Romantika had just finished operating in the Mediterranean region between Morocco and France as part of its previous charter agreement and the vessel was en route back to Tallinn, due to arrive here this Wednesday, October 13.

“The charter is helpful again at a time when our passenger numbers and operations are under continuing pressure due to the COVID situation and will enable us to offer work for our employees as Romantika would otherwise remained suspended in Tallinn after its return home with no immediate work in sight for the vessel at present. So, it is a great boost for the company and the employees, although of course it is also a huge challenge for us all in terms of the extremely short time we have for preparations and I know such last-minute agreements put our staff under extreme pressure for delivery. I am sincerely grateful to everyone for the valiant effort made and the level and quality of the service me manage to provide regardless of the immense pressure.

“I think it is great testament to our vessels and, more importantly, to our crew and shore staff that we are able to secure contracts for such high profile and significant international events and we hope to make our home countries proud by making a vital contribution to the successful organization and delivery of such important global events in 2021.”

Romantika is expected to arrive in Glasgow on October 12 and is expected to arrive back in Tallinn on November 18. The vessel has been operating on the Tanger Med (Morocco) -Sete (France) route since early July this year. Pre-COVID, Romantika operated on the Riga-Stockholm route, which has been suspended due to travel restrictions put in place during the pandemic since March 2020.