The classic Hurtigruten along the Norwegian coast has faced competition. The Havila shipping company is now also heading to 34 ports with state-of-the-art hybrid ships. A winter trip by ship from Kirkenes via Hammerfest to Tromsø.
Even before the fishing villages on the Norwegian coast could be reached overland by road, mail ships began regular connections from Bergen to the far north in 1893. The ships were once used by up to seven different shipping companies.
Riksvei No. 1, as the 2,500 kilometer long sea route is also known, remains a priority for supplying coastal communities, especially in the winter months. Although mail bags have not been transported since 1984, the mail flag still flies at the stern of the ships.
Until recently, only eleven ships from the Hurtigruten AS shipping company made the twelve-day journey from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, enabling daily calls to the 34 ports. But after the Norwegian Ministry of Transport’s tender in 2017 for other providers and environmentally friendly drive types Havila Kystruten the contract for four new buildings.
More competition from two shipping companies
With the commissioning of the “Havila Capella” in December 2021, the “Havila Castor” in May 2022 and the “Havila Polaris” and “Havila Pollux” in August 2023, the new shipping company has taken over a third of the scheduled traffic along the identical coastal route. Hurtigruten AS has lost its monopoly, but is using the freed up and modernized ships to expand into expedition cruises to Alaska, the Galapos Islands and Antarctica.
A trip on the classic “Hutigruta”, Norwegian for “fast route”, is anything but the name suggests, but rather a journey of leisurely progress. In addition to transporting goods, the four identical Havila ships serve both tourists and local passengers who are traveling to the nearest larger city for just a few hours or days. For the latter, 60 beds must be kept available six weeks before departure.
The anti-cruise ship
When you enter the lobby with the five-deck-high atrium, the “Havila Polaris” is definitely reminiscent of a cruise ship, but the ship named after the Polar Star turns out to be an anti-cruise ship: the dimensions are on a human scale, in just one minute you get from the bow to the stern. There is no color overstimulation in the public rooms and cabins, no music playing from loudspeakers, just announcements in Norwegian, English and German about the next harbor and special scenic sections. Instead of entertainment with playback from musicals, lectures such as “Norway today” or a cod tasting on the outside deck are offered at least once a day. In short: nature is the focus of every day on board.
Further information
Prices for two people sharing an inside cabin: Kirkenes-Bergen in 6 days from 641 euros, Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen in 12 days from 1232 euros per person.
Also read:
Part 2: Norway by ship in winter: Through the archipelago and snowstorm to the Lofoten (released on March 7, 2024)
“MS Roald Amundsen”: This is what the world’s first hybrid expedition ship looks like
Hybrid on the Rhine: This is what the most innovative river ship in Europe looks like