Two new Havila Voyage ships in operation - increases access to fjord experiences

Last night, Havila Polaris arrived in Bergen – the first of two new ships that will operate the historic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes. - It improves the accessibility to the beautiful experiences in Fjord Norway, says director of tourism in Ålesund and Sunnmøre.

- Even before July last year, we had hoped to bring Havila Polaris home, and it's good that after a long wait, we finally have her in Norwegian waters, said Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Coastal Route, when Polaris docked in Bergen on Wednesday night.

Havila Polaris will head directly to Tromsø in a few days, where it is planned to be put into service on August 21, while the sister ship Havila Pollux will enter service from August 23.

Increased access to coastal experiences

With a value of approximately 150 million Euros for each of the four Havila Voyages ships, the investments are considered one of the largest in Norwegian tourism in recent years. With full capacity, each ship accommodates 468 beds, and passengers can choose whether to sail from port to port or embark on a comprehensive journey along the Norwegian coast.

- With the last two ships, accessibility to and within our region is further increased. This gives both tourists and residents opportunities to experience coastal culture, fjord landscapes, and the unique cities in a fantastic way all year round, says Tom Anker Skrede, Director of Tourism at Destination Ålesund and Sunnmøre.

In addition to Bergen as a turnaround port, the Havila Voyage ships dock at Florø, Måløy, Torvik, Ålesund, Molde, and Kristiansund. During the summer, the route also includes Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden, while in winter, the ships spend up to 10 hours at the dock in Ålesund.

- Havila Coastal Route focuses on quality and experiences, offering a diverse excursion program. These activities are crucial for businesses and local value creation, especially in the low-season autumn-winter period, continues Skrede.

Silent and emission-free sailing in Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden

The new Havila Voyages ships, all named after well-known names in the starry sky, are originally designed for emission-free voyages. They currently operate on a combination of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and battery packs, allowing them to sail emissions-free for up to four hours at a time on battery power.

- This means that we sail emissions-free in Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden, four years before the Norwegian Parliament stated that it would become a requirement in the World Heritage fjords. Naturally, we also choose to do the same in Hjørundfjorden. In daily operation, the hybrid propulsion reduces emissions by 35%, compared to similar ships running on fossil fuels. There is no wastewater, and we reuse heat from generators to heat the ship and onboard water, says Lasse A. Vangstein, Director of Communications and Marketing at Havila Voyages.

Havila Voyage´s ships sail emission-free through Geirangerfjorden and Hjørundfjorden. The ships are virtually identical, both externally and internally, meaning passengers can hop on and off during a journey along the coast without even noticing they are on different ships. According to the director of tourism in Ålesund, this allows people to have a holistic experience built on quality and sustainability.

- Havila Voyages not only focuses on quality and experience but also on sustainability throughout the journey. The fact that the ships sail emission free for parts of the fjord journey makes it even more important and better, says Skrede.

Food is half the experience

In addition to a more environmentally friendly journey along the fjord coast, Havila Voyages ships offer large lounge areas with floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious standard cabins of 15 square meters. However, it's the onboard food concept that Havila Voyages has received the most attention for in its early days along the coast.

- We have a food concept where everything is served à la carte. It's a small-dish solution with a menu that constantly changes as we move along the coast, and the food served is made from locally sourced and produced ingredients, says Vangstein.

According to Vangstein, the choice of food concept will reduce food waste by a whopping 60 tons with four fully operational ships, compared to ships with buffet restaurants. Nevertheless, you should never have to leave the restaurant feeling hungry.

- All dishes are served beautifully, and everything on the plate should be edible in principle. Our goal was to reduce food waste to a maximum of 75 grams per passenger. In 2022, we achieved 71 grams on the two ships, says Vangstein.

With the two new ships in operation, the number of departures from Bergen will double from six to 12 departures per month. The ships dock in Bergen at 14:45 before embarking on a new journey northwards at 20:30.