Many passengers refused to abandon the ship. The problem with foreign passengers was solved – they were sent to Sweden through Tallinn. Meanwhile Latvians and Lithuanians who were supposed to return to Latvia with the same cruise from Stockholm were not able to do that.

On October 14, the Freeport of Riga Authority announced that Rigas Juras Linijas will have to stop operating due to the company’s financial problems. It was planned that Baltic Kristina would make its last cruise last weekend and would take passengers from Stockholm back to Riga, however, the trip was suddenly cancelled. The cheated passengers refused to abandon the ship.

Chairman of the Board of Rigas Juras Linijas, Janis Butnors, ordered his staff not to kick out the the passengers and to open the cafeteria, restaurants and to feed them without any charge. Representatives of the company are not even allowed to enter their office in the port due to rental debt of LVL 120,000 to the Riga Passenger Terminal. On October 15, the port was closed for everyone. On October 16, all passengers had left the ship. Meanwhile Latvians in Sweden kicked up a big fuss. However, now the situation is better and passengers have agreed to return to Riga with a bus through Tallinn.

After negotiations between the Freeport of Riga, the company Rigas Pasazieru Terminalis and the Estonian company Tallink, the public relations director of the Freeport of Riga, Karlis Leiskalns, announced that Tallink could start traffic from Riga to Stockholm in January of 2006.

The Estonian company has announced it is ready to establish a daughter company -Rigalink- in Latvia. Leiskalns said that all interested parties are ready to make compromises. The second stage of negotiations will be held on October 25 in Tallinn. Leiskalns is certain that Rigalink‘s offer will not differ from the offer of Rigas Juras Linija. The Finish company Viking Line is also showing interest in the route Riga-Stockholm and hopes to start regular traffic there. Director of Viking Line, Nils-Erik Eklund, is planning to visit Riga and meet with the relevant authorities within the next few weeks.