Committed to guest experiences, Havila Voyages offers vacations on the world’s most sustainable vessels
Think of breathtaking views of the Norwegian fjords and trips to small fishing villages dotted along the coastline, all complemented by locally sourced, high-quality food aboard the coastal cruise ships of the future, and you’ve got an idea of the kind of vacation offered by Havila Voyages.
Servicing the historic coastal route between Bergen in the west and Kirkenes in the north, Havila Voyages seamlessly combines the heritage of Norway’s 130-year-old route with modern amenities like fine dining restaurants, spa facilities, such as jacuzzis and saunas, a gym, and brand-new, plug-in hybrid ships powered by LNG and large battery packs. Bent Martini, CEO, joins us to share more details about the company’s commitment to sustainable cruising, including a strategy to tackle food waste and capabilities to run with zero emissions. 
“We are one of two operators of the Norwegian coastal route from Bergen to Kirkenes, which serves 34 ports,” Bent begins. “Established in 1893 to fulfil the state-imposed mission of connecting the people of Norway with steamship routes for mail, food, and passengers, the route still plays a role in supporting the country’s critical infrastructure. Partly maintained by a contract with the Norwegian Government, this coastal route ensures stable communication and logistics lines for local communities, particularly in the more remote northern areas.”
However, the very same route gradually became one of the most popular tourist attractions in Norway’s history, and for good reason; the Norwegian fjords provide views of rugged cliffs, vivid water, and wildlife, not to mention the prospect of seeing the Northern Lights illuminate the night sky.
Carefully curated
From the Round Voyage, which stops at all 34 ports over 12 days, to short voyages that focus on either the northern or the southern regions, Havila Voyages offers something for everyone. There are specific trips too, such as The Arctic Adventure, which includes a curated program of activities and excursions, or astronomy sailings that focus on observing the Northern Lights and listening to lectures from world-renowned astronomers.
Each of Havila Voyages’ holiday packages come with the added benefit of sailing silently aboard some of the most sustainable vessels in the world. The company’s four brand-new ships are loaded with some of the largest sustainable battery packs on passenger ships today, meaning the company can sail through vulnerable fjords, like the world heritage Geirangerfjord, for four hours with zero emissions. These batteries are charged with clean hydropower ashore, and in daily operations, the ships run on a hybrid combination of the batteries liquified natural gas (LNG) generators, which reduces carbon emissions by around 35 percent.
“While we’re currently running on LNG, we have the capability to further reduce our overall emissions by an impressive 90 percent by using liquified biogas (LBG),” Bent explains. “LNG and LBG have the same properties, meaning we don’t have to make any adjustments to the vessels, so we’re ready to adopt LBG when we can establish a reliable supply chain. Further afield, we’re preparing the ships for hydrogen, which would enable us to sail with zero emissions.”
Another key area of focus for Havila Voyages is food, both in terms of quality and sustainability. Firstly, when it comes to quality, the company promises to deliver ‘the taste of Norway’ with an à la carte menu that reflects the bold, cold, and clean natural environment. There are always some set menu items, but the main menu changes every three days to provide variety and enable passengers to try something new.
Correlating with each voyage and location, each menu has been carefully curated to use local ingredients and reflect the passengers’ surroundings. The ‘Flavors of the Polar Region’ menu served between Bodø and Honningsvåg, for instance, includes cod from the Lofoten Islands, Norwegian cod roe, and cloudberries. Between Kirkenes and Svolvær, the ‘Flavours of the Arctic’ menu includes crab and reindeer, as well as Arctic char and seaweed. There are also the ‘Flavors of the Fjords’ and ‘Flavors of the Archipelago’ menus, which are served between Bergen and Trondheim, and Rørvik and Bodø, respectively.
Sustainable sailing
Bent also outlines how the company is tackling sustainability within its menus via an ambitious food waste target. “We’re aiming to limit the average food waste per passenger to 75 grams per day,” he states. “Over the course of one year across the four ships, this should reduce our food waste by as much as 60 tons compared to buffet-style dining. However, we exceeded this target in 2023, with an average of 58 grams per passenger cruise night.”
With such deep commitments to operating sustainably and delivering a fantastic guest experience, it’s no surprise that Havila Voyages has recently been named as the cruise ferry company of the year at the prestigious Grand Travel Awards for the second consecutive year. And during the Wave Awards in London in November 2024, the cruise industry’s Oscars in the UK, the company achieved the “Best Cuisine Award” in competition with the leading cruise companies in the world. These achievements not only signify the quality of these vacations but also cements its industry-leading position at the forefront of sustainable operations.
To conclude, Bent shares his thoughts for the future: “We have great bookings into 2025, so the year ahead looks bright. With well-performing, sustainable vessels and fantastic employees both onboard and onshore, our vacations attract customers that want to see incredible views while enjoying a relaxing vacation on the industry’s most environmentally friendly ships.
“As the route’s next concession will run from 2030 to 2040, we’re strengthening our internal operations and preparing to grow our presence on the coastal route,” Bent reveals. “The vessels we operate today are capable of further lowering emissions and we’ve prepared the technology to run on zero emissions as we look to sail climate neutral by 2030. We’re hoping the Norwegian Government will set ambitious requirements that place the country at the forefront of several aspects of sustainability.”