Slowly, early in the morning, the Havila Castor pushes unerringly to the quay wall of the nondescript harbor - in some place along the breathtaking Norwegian coast. It's so small and plain that I don't even remember the name of the dock. But the scenery that unfolds before my eyes as I blink sleepily out my cabin window is unforgettable and impressive.
Unusual scenes for a cruise
A young woman walks down the gangway and falls into the arms of another, slightly older woman waiting on the pier with a bouquet of flowers. A joyful reunion. Two other passengers disembark, small travel bags in hand. One pushes his bicycle down the gangway. Next door, pallets are being unloaded. The whole stop lasts only a few minutes. The ship sets sail again. The young woman has already boarded again, together with a bouquet of flowers. But the joy of the brief encounter is written all over her face.
An unusual scene for a cruise, where stops usually last several hours and always take place at large ports of tourist interest. Seeing many cities and countries in a few days is for many one of the biggest pluses of this type of travel. "However, a trip on the Norwegian postal ship route is not a classic cruise," explains Pia Kuusisto from the Havila Voyages shipping company. She feels it's important to make that clear. "Just like 130 years ago, the mail ship route operators still function as a local supply company and ferry line for the Norwegian population and, of course, as a means of travel for tourists." 34 ports are called at on the classic coastal route from Bergen in the "Land of the Trolls." In most of them, the stops last only a few minutes.
Das hat auf den ersten Blick wenig zu tun mit klassischer Kreuzfahrt. Und doch enthält eine Reise mit einem der Schiffe von Havila Voyages für mich persönlich einige der wichtigsten Kreuzfahrt-Aspekte: Die Fahrt an der norwegischen Küste entlang, durch die vielen Fjorde und Inseln, gehört wohl mit zu den schönsten Seereisen der Welt. Immer ist wunderschöne Landschaft zu sehen, zahlreiche Ausflüge in die Fjorde und ins Landesinnere liefern atemberaubende Postkartenmotive.
And with a little luck and stamina, you can also see the northern lights at night in winter. In addition, there are beautiful modern ships, stylishly equipped in hyggeligem Scandinavian interior - from the cabin to the restaurant, the small ships are real design statements. The stay on board is rounded off by a high-quality, regionally inspired culinary offer, developed by top Norwegian chefs.
Kaum vorhanden und auch überhaupt nicht vonnöten ist das Entertainment-Angebot. Bei manchen anderen Reedereien der „klassischen Kreuzfahrt“ werden ganze Broadway-Shows an Bord präsentiert. An Bord von Havila gibt es den einen oder anderen Vortrag und die obligatorische Polarkreistaufe. Mehr ist nicht nötig. Die Reise an sich ist bei Havila das Entertainment: die vorbeiziehenden Wolken, der Blick aufs offene Meer auf der einen Schiffseite, der Blick auf die spektakuläre norwegische Landschaft auf der anderen. Die absolute Stille. Wer hier nicht zur Ruhe kommt, hat ganz andere Probleme.
Vacation according to the modular principle
For me, it is particularly interesting to also consider the aspect that Havila's ships can be included as parts of an individual Norway trip. This makes a trip a real alternative even for self-proclaimed "cruise muffle". A "taster cruise" at the highest level.
For me it is clear that I want to try exactly that in the medium term once. A combination of a bicycle tour, a hiking vacation, a trip on one of the spectacular Norwegian railroad lines (which are voted the best train journeys in the world year after year) and a few stages on the Havila Kystruten ships. The best of all worlds - what more could you ask for?
Havila Castor: Going with the flow
Incidentally, a trip on Havila's ships is also worth considering for tangible ecological reasons. The prerequisite for operating the historic postal ship route in Norway is a state license. In order to obtain this license, the ships must be operated in a very environmentally friendly manner. Havila's fleet of ships uses modern plug-in hybrid technology. The ships are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and also have large battery capacities.
The fleet members can thus travel for up to four hours with zero emissions and largely no noise. This makes them among the most modern and advanced passenger ships in the world. They already meet the requirements of the Norwegian government that from 2026 the UNESCO World Heritage section of the Geirangerfjord may only be navigated without emissions. In addition, the ships are already structurally prepared for operation with hydrogen - a glimpse into the future of cruising?
Note on our own behalf: This article was partly supported by tour operators, restaurants, hotels, airlines and/or tourism agencies. We attach great importance to independent and neutral reporting; therefore, the opinions, impressions and experiences of the respective authors correspond to their personal views.
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