TAYLOR: So far, so good for Yarmouth ferry

An important part of the plan to expand Nova Scotia’s tourism sector is set to arrive in Suez, Egypt, today.

The arrival of the cruise ship ferry Nova Star in Egypt marks the end of the first leg of its 16,100-kilometre voyage to North America. The future “Yarmouth ferry,” as it is known locally, left Singapore on March 15 and is slated to arrive in Yarmouth on April 15.

The ferry’s owners built the vessel in 2010 to specifically cruise between Britain and France, but that contract was terminated before the ship left Singapore. Now, the Nova Star will be put into service for the first time this summer ferrying passengers between Portland, Maine, and Yarmouth. The first round trip is scheduled for May 15.

Since the Yarmouth-to-Maine ferry service was cancelled four years ago, the loss of the passenger traffic has been blamed for some lean years in the southwestern Nova Scotia tourism sector. Now, that sector is expected to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ferry’s return.

While there has been some concern in Nova Scotia, mainly about the slow start to the marketing campaign in the United States, a spokesman for Nova Star Cruises Ltd. of Maine, says promoting the Yarmouth ferry has been well underway and was “ramped up” as soon as the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission certificate of performance was in place.

Interest in the Portland-to-Nova Scotia crossing has generated hundreds of fans and followers on social media, Sean Lewis said in an email Friday, and the company has made contact with top travel writers and bloggers in Canada and the United States as part of its promotion effort.

The company couldn’t offer reservations on its website until it received the required certificate of performance. As a result people have only had the ability to book passage on the Nova Star for about 10 days, but Lewis said, reservations and interest has been strong.

“Approximately half of the maiden voyage (is) already being sold,” he stated. “We are confident that 100,000 passengers will step on board Nova Star in 2014.”

That’s a tall order for an untested venture. The seasonal service is scheduled to end on Oct. 31

The 161-metre-long Nova Star can accommodate up to 1,250 passengers. It has 163 cabins, 652 berths, three restaurants, a casino and a performance area. The vessel is expected to sail from Yarmouth each morning and make the nine-hour overnight return trip from Portland every evening.

Ticket prices in U.S. currency are not cheap but the operators of the service are promoting it as more than just another ferry crossing. Pricing details can be found at novastarcruises.com.

One-way adult fares are US$79 during the “saver season,” which is May 15 to 21 and Oct. 12 to Nov. 2, but prices are increased to US$109 during the “shoulder season,” which is May 22 to June 11 and Sept. 9 to Oct. 11). The rate for the “summer season,” which runs from June 12 to Sept. 8, is US$139.

The rate for children under 12 years of age ranges from US$39 in the saver season to US$64 in prime time and children under five years old travel free throughout the year. There is a charge for cats and dogs, ranging from US$29 to US$49 per crossing, depending on the time of year.

Cabin prices range from US$79 to US$199 per one-way crossing in the saver season and US$99 to US$249 during prime time.

There are discounts, including for those booking return trips, but the cost of taking an average car on the ferry will vary from US$139 in the saver season to US$169 during shoulder season and US$199 during prime time.

There are additional fees that go with each trip. There is an “amenities fee” of US$2 per person, port charges of US$5 per person (including children) and US$6 for the average car. Motorcyclists will pay US$3.

It should be interesting to see how it all goes over with the travelling public.

TAYLOR: So far, so good for Yarmouth ferry