The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) has found work for all the four cruise vessels in its fleet in 2016, the press service of the company announced.
The Volga and the Dnipro motor vessels, which have not been operated for three and four years, respectively, departed on voyages on April 18. The vessels are chartered by a hotel in the city of Enns, which is not far from Linz (Austria). This year, the Volga and the Dnipro will be over 46 years old. It was earlier reported that the Volga would transport bicycling tourists on the River Danube.
"We at various options - from operation of the Dnipro ship as a hotel to complete reconstruction of the Volga ship. Regarding the renovation of the Volga, experts, including experts from Austria and the Netherlands, calculated that it would be necessary to invest huge funds. Unfortunately, there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain funding. The Austrian banks with which we are negotiating expressed concern about lending because of the risks associated with the unstable situation in Ukraine. However, we do not consider the issue closed," UDP’s Board Chairman Dmytro Barynov is quoted as saying.
According to the head of UDP’s passenger fleet operations department, Maryna Slaschova, it costs the shipping company EUR 90,000 per year to maintain an idle vessel. Now, UDP’s oldest passenger ships, the Volga and the Dnipro, will generate profits for the company for the first time in several years.
The Moldova motor vessel will begin its cruise season on April 24 and the Ukraina motor vessel on April 27. These vessels will operate on the Passau-Budapest-Passau line throughout the season.
