The journey along what is often called ”the world's most beautiful sea voyage” is a journey into nature and Norwegian history. The past meets the present and my expectations are high as we board the shipping company Havila Kystruten's almost brand new vessel, Havila Capella, in Tromsø on an early evening in March.
Ship Havila Kystruten has four identical ships: Capella, Castor, Polaris and Pollux, offering 11,000 sqm of guest areas and space for 640 passengers, as well as a cargo hold with capacity for 150 pallets of freight, of which 40 are in refrigerated and freezer rooms. The ships are plug-in hybrids powered by natural gas and batteries, which generate as much power as a ”conventional” engine. Price example The entire journey, Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen, 11 days for two people in an outside cabin in May, 45,600 kr.
This year, this sea route, also known as the Hurtigruten, celebrates 130 years. Initially, it was a boat service to maintain community functions and enable people to live and work along this often inaccessible coast. Mail, cargo, and people were what travelled on board the ships that go back and forth between Bergen and Kirkenes, a journey that covers 2,500 nautical miles, equivalent to 4,630 kilometres, on a round trip.
In total, there are 34 ports of varying sizes, with the larger ones often having flight connections. We travelled into Tromsø to join the journey all the way to the turning point in Kirkenes. But even before we step on board, and it's time for departure, our experience has already begun – we've booked a husky sledding trip at Tromsø Villmarkscenter.
Ten Alaskan Huskies and your own driver will take you on a journey straight into nature. It's fast and ridiculously beautiful. The experience is a taste of the opportunities offered at the various ports where the ship makes a slightly longer stop. It's easy to balance the calm life onboard with experiences of different kinds.
Time to board
It's starting to get dark as we board, but there's a little time before dinner – time that we dedicate to plunging into one of the two jacuzzis on deck. It's cold and snow is swirling; we forgot to put on our winter hats, so we fashion ourselves turbans out of towels. It glows green, and the water steams in the darkness. I manage to dream of the Northern Lights putting on a show. Up here, the Northern Lights are so common that during certain periods, you can get a Northern Lights guarantee if you book a round-trip cruise. I've prepared by downloading the Aurora app – which shows the probability and can also alert you when the Northern Lights appear.
Walking barefoot on the snow-covered deck is bliss, the sauna is the next stop. Here we meet a mother and daughter travelling together, they live in Bergen and have seen the shipping company's ships pass by, and now they are finally on board.
– Today we went on an excursion to a Sámi village, it was super interesting and we learned a lot. This was probably the best excursion we've done so far, says daughter Pernilla.
The only thing they complain about is that the excursions are expensive; the price tag for an excursion is a few thousand [currency] for a few hours onshore, though the experiences offered are top-notch – I summarise after my trip.
Before dinner, we'll have time for a drink up in the Panorama Bar on deck nine. After this, we'll go down one floor to the large main restaurant, Havrand. The shipping company's dining concept, which will soon be available on all four boats, has been created by Gunnar Hvarnes, known for leading his team to victory in Bocuse d’Or 2022. And his level of ambition is high:
– The food should be at least half the reason to travel with Havila Kystruten, he said when presenting the food concept.
Locally grown, locally produced, and with the greatest possible local connection is the concept. Of course, we find a number of ingredients from the sea on the menu. Scallops, salmon, and cod will be the flavour symphony of the evening for me. The food is of high quality and it is super tasty and nicely presented. I like both the environment and the food. But now it's time to be lulled to sleep.
Food, the environment and knitting
Breakfast is also eaten in the Havrand restaurant; no buffet here, but rather table service is the order of the day. The first day is a bit of a palaver, but our waiter explains that we can order as much as we like. The main reason for choosing to serve breakfast this way is to reduce food waste – something they've truly succeeded at. Before I leave the dining room, I look at the cleared tables and am surprised by how little food is left on the plates.
A group of American women are sitting with their knitting, thoroughly enjoying themselves – they’re at a knitting convention. It turns out there are quite a few of them, and the concept maximises the peaceful and meditative feeling of this eco-friendly journey we are now going to delve into.
In figures 4 ships 7 different cabin categories 13 out of 34 ports we called at on our journey from Tromsø to Kirkenes 14–15 knots, average speed to keep to the timetable 18 knots, maximum speed NOK 7,500,000/month/ship in state compensation NOK 1,000,000,000, the price to build them
The shipping company Havila Kystruten is a new player on the route that the shipping company Hurtigruten has had a monopoly on in recent years. The route is state-funded and 11 ships are included in the arrangement – Havila Kystruten has now won four of these contracts for the next 10 years. Two of the ships have been launched and the delivery of two more is underway; the ships are identical and bear the names Havila, Capella, Castor, Polaris and Pollux, all with the addition of Kystruten. What's new with these ships is that they are currently the most environmentally friendly ships operating on the route – they are plug-in hybrids and are powered by a combination of LNG gas and battery. It's time for a visit up on the bridge.
Up here, the Northern Lights are so common that during certain periods, you can get a Northern Lights guarantee if you book a round-trip cruise.
Captain Brynjard Ulvöy greets you and shows you what feels more like a luxurious living room, with the exception of the large consoles and instruments. The first mate keeps watch, and most things are the same – the biggest difference perhaps is that the ship is quiet.
– When we're sailing, we use both natural gas and battery, but we can also run on battery power alone, explains the captain.
When we're sailing, the battery charges a little, but the main charge is done during longer stops. The captain shows us the meters, and at a glance, we can see that we're currently getting about 36 percent of our power from the batteries. Mixed driving seems to be optimal. But this issue of battery power is interesting – with fully charged batteries, the capacity is enough to sail for over four hours.
Excursions, price examples/person Dog sledding, 2,960 kr King crab, 2,500 kr Snowmobile tour, 3,600 kr
Electric transport in World Heritage Sites
Battery operation is a competitive advantage, as the Norwegian Parliament has decided that only zero-emission ships will be allowed to sail into the World Heritage-listed fjords from 2026. One of these is the Geirangerfjord. However, Havila Kystruten also has even more ambitious plans for environmentally friendly ships, with designs already in place for a vessel that can be powered by hydrogen.
We thank you for your visit and head down to the engine room, which is clearly divided for the two different powertrains. Rolls Royce has put its stamp on the engines which get their power from natural gas, and the batteries are installed in two identical rooms that most resemble a server room. The battery size is 6.1 megawatt-hours – which is one of the absolute largest battery packs installed on a passenger ship.
– By having two separate systems, we always have what we call a safe return to port, says Lasse A. Vangstein, Head of Communications at Havila Kystruten as we approach Honningsvåg and it's time to disembark and visit Destination 71° North for a king crab lunch feast.
We meet on the pier and are presented with the crab story, a crab caught from the sea and then prepared. The story of how the king crab made its way from Murmansk to here is interesting, the preparation a little brutal. I choose to turn my gaze up towards a mountain behind the restaurant where we will later feast, and I see a small group walking upwards. They are out snowshoeing. Half an hour later, they have climbed quite high, and I have to admit I'm a little envious. But filling yourself with king crab isn't so bad either.
We are back on board but not for more than two hours. In Kjöllefjord, we disembark again to race the boat by snowmobile to the next harbour. The trip goes over the mountain, it's dark, and we're driving in a line. We stop, and unfortunately, my Aurora app hasn't sent any notification about the Northern Lights. We try to convince ourselves that yes, there it is, a little streak of green...
It's simply a case of accepting it – you can't control nature, here we are powerless.
Food waste The stated objective is a maximum of 75 grams of food waste per guest per day. A goal which is already met today, with all four ships in operation, this saves 60 tonnes of food waste per year compared to similar ships with buffet service!
Crab binge and fine dining
Tonight's dinner is a 4-course meal at the fine dining restaurant Hildring, with selected drinks served alongside. The standard of food here is also high, but perhaps I still prefer the main restaurant. I actually think you won't truly appreciate the need to switch restaurants until you've been on board for a few days. For us, this day was matched with a crab feast lunch and a snowmobile trip – pure maximised luxury. If you are on board for more days, my strong recommendation is that you spread out these luxurious experiences.
During the evening there are rough seas and it's rocking, my tip is that anyone who is sensitive should absolutely not wait to take one or two sea sickness pills. The following morning as we cruise into the Kirkenesfjord the water is mirror-calm. The snow-capped mountains are absolutely magical and I note that I am actually a little envious of those who are now going to turn back and spend a few more days on board. I myself look forward to returning in another season, and then to experience the midnight sun. The departure from Tromsö on July 2nd is tempting, as it is the anniversary of the maiden voyage made in 1893 with Captain Richard With at the helm.
