Havila Polaris to commence operations from Tromsø

Havila Polaris is on her way back to Norway and will have a slightly delayed departure from Bergen. The coastal cruise ship will therefore go directly from Bergen to Tromsø, where she will commence the route on August 21st.

Havila Polaris left the Tersan shipyard in Turkey on August 3rd and set course for Norway. Havila Polaris has refueled with gas in Cartagena and is now crossing the Bay of Biscay, heading towards the English Channel on her way back to Bergen. She is expected to arrive in Bergen on the early morning of Wednesday, August 16th.

“The journey back to Norway has taken a little longer than expected due to weather conditions. We look forward to seeing Havila Polaris arrive in Bergen before we start the process of preparing her for the coastal route sailing”, says CEO Bent Martini of Havila Voyages.

“We do not compromise on safety, and we need the time we have in Bergen to prepare Havila Polaris. It takes a few days, but we expect to set sail northwards late on Friday, August 18th, or early on Saturday, August 19th.”

This means that Havila Polaris will sail directly to Tromsø without any stops along the way and resume her route there on the afternoon of August 21st.

“We do not want to cancel the whole round trip, and with this, we are getting back on track and can start delivering on our societal mission,” says Martini.

“Furthermore, we will ensure that all our guests arriving in Bergen on August 17th will have a program with overnight stays and dinner at a hotel, as well as a Hardanger cruise with good food and great experiences during the day on August 18th, before they check in on Havila Polaris in the evening. Our guests will still get to experience the maiden voyage and be part of a unique journey.”

Over the weekend, all those with bookings on Havila Polaris will receive information from Havila Voyages regarding how the delay affects their travel. Those with short voyages between Bergen and Tromsø will have their bookings refunded or the option to switch to another Havila Voyages ship on a different date.

“Naturally, this is not a perfect fit for everyone, and we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. At the same time, we are very excited to be so close to starting operations on Havila Polaris, and we promise a highly motivated crew that is eagerly looking forward to welcoming the first guests on board”, says Martini.

Havila Pollux is expected to arrive in Bergen on the night of August 17th.

“We have significantly more time to finish Havila Pollux. She will start in route as planned on August 23rd,” Martini concludes.