Havila Castor and Havila Capella had been due to commence operations early in 2021 but are now expected to be delivered to Norway from the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey at the end of May or early June.

It will then take several weeks to prepare the vessels to operate, the line said.

Chief executive Arild Myrvoll said he was “deeply disappointed” the ships were not able to sail sooner and apologised to guests and employees.

“In any other year, a delay of any length would prove very challenging. However, with the current travel restrictions to and within Norway, we do not anticipate strong demand until the summer, by which time we expect to be sailing,” Myrvoll added.

“It is however important to emphasise that the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, and the new delivery schedule is based on the current situation. We will,of course, continue to monitor the situation. We are incredibly excited about the launch of Havila Voyages and look forward to welcoming guests onboard later this summer.” 

UK country manager Matthew Valentine added: “We know UK holidaymakers are keen to travel as soon as possible and have seen strong demand for our voyages. 

“I’d like to thank our UK trade partners for their support and look forward to working with them more over the coming months.”