Oh look at that "Captain Hudson" is onboard !!! How fun is that !!! It wasn't a SEA-Day but it was a SEE-Day !!! Captain Hudson took a spill, maybe it wasn't a good night for him either !! It was a beautiful trip indeed.
He did really enjoy the trip - he saw some fantastic northern lights - but he wasn’t so good with the rough seas. He asked that next time we travel, we don’t have a cabin right at the front of the ship. Aye aye, captain!
I did the roundtrip voyage on Havila Dec 2023 and I loved it so much! I went as a solo traveler, and I think it's a terrific value to see that much of Norway. Usually travelling as a solo isn't particularly cost effective on a sea voyage. I'd love to go back in early spring or in autumn, but I am so glad I picked winter as my first trip there. Thanks for sharing.
I did the whole route in the first half of May 2016 and was lucky enough to have only one afternoon with rain and we hardly had rough seas. It was a great trip and I hope to do it again some time. I can recommend it to anyone. The scenario is magical; you don’t need entertainment on board.
Hi! What are your thoughts on the fact that there is far less entertainment on board compared to traditional cruises? Did you get bored or find that there will little to do? We are debating between Havila and a traditional cruise through Fred Olsen. Wondering if you have any thoughts on this. Thanks!
@ I don’t know whether anyone answered yet, but I just saw this video, that explains what you can expect. I did the 12 day trip and was never bored. The scenery is your entertainment. th-cam.com/video/_NckVFa3O_I/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Th3yQ5MZUtkrkThu
My mom was born and raised in Iceland before meeting my dad an settling in America so I’ve always wanted to go there first. But, man, as your presentation shows, Norway looks beyond beautiful.
What an amazing, informative, and helpful video. Thank you David. We did a similar Hurtigruten voyage 10 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Your winter voyage looked so enjoyable; we definitely want to do that one now.
Really nice job, David. Well shot, nicely sequenced, and the narrative really holds it together. Also good to see Capt. Hudson made the trip with you. Really tough luck you had to deal with Ingunn. No fun.
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! I quite enjoyed having to deal with the storm and seeing how the crew dealt with all the changes. It’s all part of the experience on the Norwegian coastline!
Great video, we did the northbound cruise in October’23 - it was absolutely outstanding - your video bought back amazing memories of our experience on Havila Pollux. A bucket list adventure for sure.
I've also been north of the Arctic Circle in winter, but it was in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. It can be brutally cold, but I have Eskimo blood in me. And we Eskimos like it a little cooler... But I do hope that I can take the 12 day round trip Norway Coastal Cruise on one of the Havila Ferries. It looks fantastic. : )
To be honest: I ENVY you!!!! What a wonderful trip from day one to the last minute. I was lucky enough to visit Tromso in December 2019 before COVID. and I look forward to returning to Norway or Lapland in general (I have been in Rovaniemi in 2008) that I consider my corner of this world. (Paradox: I am from the other end of the world - Argentina). Thank you for this very enjoyable video.
I really enjoyed it! I’m going to watch again with google maps open to really see the route. I’ve looked at Havila online and look forward to seeing your ship tour. Happy to see Captain Hudson, too.
Very enjoyable video. I still rate our Mar 2013 trip to Tromso and the north, driving on studded tyres in the snow and ice, as the most memorable of any. I keep telling people that it's the most stunning place in Europe and makes a fascinating change from the usual sun holidays. Hope to do the southern fjord area and Lofoten in the autumn
Thank you for sharing. We did the BKB trip in December on MS Nordkapp. Be interesting to see how you feel Hurtigruten compares to Havilla ? We loved our trip, the arctic winter and captivating Norway. We were generally lucky with the weather but couldn’t make it to Nordkapp on our excursion because the road was impassable. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.
Well the route is identical of course, so the only real differences are the ships and the dining. The ships are brand new and therefore the cabins are larger and more comfortable. Dining is fixed and there is no buffet, which has its positive and negative sides. I’m thinking of making a video comparing the two providers, actually.
What a great video. I have been looking at doing this trip myself. Visited a Norway last year for the first time. What a beautiful country. You are so lucky to live there.
This was fantastic thank you; the last 2/3 desktop backgrounds I've used have been settings from random spots in Norway, always breathtaking to look at
Great video thanks. I love that route though last time we did it (on Hurtigruten) we had 10m waves on the North coast (sometimes all you could see was sea out the window) and the ship had to turn back and we had to get an overnight coach to Kirkenes to come home. The scenery is stunning though
Nice video. Thank you. We're considering going this October. Hoping to see more 'color' and less snow and also the northern lights. Although the snow cover is gorgeous, I feel having less of it will brighten up the city and we'll appreciate it more.
I'd love to do the trip in the autumn, you'll also have a bit more light then, especially if it's early October. Have a great trip, and thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing the very informative Havila coastal winter cruise experience. I’m planning a trip with my wife on Havila coastal voyage in Nov 2024. Would that be the season for winter storms ? .. we hope not, as we look forward to catching sight of the aurora. Thanks again and many more travels !
Amazing video. I learned so much. Wish I could have been onboard with you all. Looks like good fun! Thank you for sharing your experience and good camera skills with us.
Thank you so much for such a great overview. I've subscribed as we're considering taking this trip in late October/November. I'm wondering if the movement of the ship is typical for this vessel or just because of the storm. If future videos could discuss whether these boats have stabilizers (like cruise ships) that would be wonderful. Thanks again for such spectacular detail!
I felt the movement a lot because my cabin was right at the front of the ship. Others with cabins in the middle felt very little. You're likely to feel some movement in October/November as it's a small ship in the Arctic. Thanks for watching - and subscribing!
Thanks so much! The summer is an amazing time to travel for sure, but I do think there’s something truly special about the winter time, despite the short days and risks of bad weather. I look forward to doing another trip in the summer, sometime! And maybe the autumn too 😊 Thanks for watching 🙌
What a lovely video capturing a trip you obviously thoroughly enjoyed. We're looking at doing the fiords and Northern Lights next March, so I have a couple of questions. Which month was your winter trip, and is the last week of March too late to catch the Lights? Also, a main part of this for us is to see the fiords, which on other visuals look spectacular - almost vertical cliffs, narrow channels, waterfalls etc - but your video shows more gentle hills and mountains. Is this simply because you focussed on the ports of call, or do we need to look at an alternative voyage to see those spectacular fiords? Thanks in anticipation...
March definitely isn’t too late! The benefit then is more hours of daylight too. My trip was in late Jan / early Feb. The coastal route isn’t a fjords tour, it calls at ports all along the coastline, whereas the fjords go 100km+ inland, so to properly see the fjords you’ll need a dedicated fjords cruise. The coastal route does include a detour into the Geirangerfjord in the summer and the Hjørundfjord in the autumn though.
Very nice video. I spent three nights in Bergen, but wish I had had more! Looks like a much nicer ship than the Hurtigurten ship I was on.🤗Cruised 5 days and nights from Bergen to Kierenes. Interesting the wait time you had when boarding. Don’t know how they sail in the winter…and I’d be afraid of motion in the front of the ship. “Fireplace” lounge looks very nice!
Financially it is not possible for me to do this yet, but some day... 🙏 though I'm not sure which one is better, Winter or Summer. I live in Finland so seeing snow is not that... different and I've seen some beautiful pictures of Norway in the Summer, but then again, Winter scenery is stunning too.
Thank you so much for this amazing video! I'm considering the possibility of this same voyage - being from the US, it will be a significant investment - but so beautiful! Thank you for all the information.
It certainly will be beautiful! You’re doing the right thing by researching as it’s definitely not for everyone. Have a great trip if you choose to do it, and thanks for watching! 🙌
Hi David what a great review of our voyage, it was good chatting to you on board and I agree with everything you said about the trip, it was awesome and we will probably do it again! Your aurora photos are way better than mine - what camera do you use?
Hi! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙌 I use an iPhone 14 Pro, but there was only a 5-10 minute spell when the aurora was super strong to get the photos/video that I did. It was a case of being out on deck at the right time :)
I really enjoyed your video. You mention that you live in Norway I'd love to find out more about your experience of living there as myself and my husband are interested in moving there but we are worried finding employment might be difficult as we aren't young, sadly. Please could you share your experience regarding this issue. I look forward to upcoming content xxx
Hello David. Thank so much for your excellent video. My wife and I are due to sail the round trip from Bergen on the Polaris at the end of February next year, and your video has been really helpful. The ship looks wonderful and the journey absolutely amazing! May I ask one quick question please? Like you, the cabin we've been allocated is right at the front of the ship (4102) and, unfortunately, my wife can get a bit "queasy" if the sea gets choppy. We've never sailed on a "small" ship (compared to cruise ships, that is) like the Polaris before and are wondering whether or not it's worth us requesting a mid-ship cabin. Any comment will be much appreciated. Thanks.
You are going to feel any movement much more on a smaller vessel, and especially at the front. Given that you're sailing in the winter, you should expect at least some rough seas. If you're able to, you should probably switch to a midship cabin.
Fantastic video! This is a trip I have wanted to do for decades. One question: did you have to pay a single supplement? For me that would make it too expensive for me. Thanks for making such a great video!!!
Hi! Thanks so much for watching! Single supplements are the norm yes, but yes indeed, in off-season trips such as this one there are often "no single supplement" or "solo traveller" deals :)
@@lifeinnorway1 Very interesting. I just tried to book this exact trip for next April, but couldn't afford the single supplement. I'm totally flexible on dates, but the travel company told me that there are NEVER the offers you describe. I did think that was odd. Do you have to book directly with Havila to find those offers?
Thanks so much for this video! It's very comprehensive and soothing, too. The food looks delicious! When you said "a sweet pastry... or two" I like to imagine all five of those were yours lol. I have a quick question or two: for someone who is more used to typical large cruise lines (ex. Carnival, Norwegian, etc.) is the 'ferry'/cargo aspect of Havila particularly different, inconvenient or bothersome, in your opinion? Do you think they might find a Havila ship to be slightly cramped or busy? It seems spacious, and what with also having far lower capacity than the larger lines it's difficult to judge. And also, since you ran into a storm, do you think the choppy seas would be more noticeable on the smaller ships? Ex. when you said you were kept awake by ship movement, was this something a bigger ship would've prevented? For context, I've a family member wanting to take a once-in-a-lifetime cruise like this, and I'd like it to be perfect for them!
It is completely different from a cruise, even from a small cruise line. If your family member expects the level of entertainment, attention, and service on Carnival, Norwegian, etc, then I’d think very carefully before booking them on to a working ferry! Thanks for watching 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1 Heya! We just got back--as it turns out, said family member went ahead and booked it before I could pass this on lol. I wanted to comment for anyone else who might watch--she ended up loving it, and so did I! We were on the Castor. The food was great, the ship has a very relaxed but clean and upscale atmosphere, and the staff was extremely friendly and polite in a very genuine, helpful way. Anything we needed, they went OUT of their WAY to provide. The excursions were all fun/educational; the midnight concert in particular, in Tromso I believe, was amazing. I'd simply warn that if a potential guest requires specific accessibility, to ask directly about the expeditions before booking, as some rated ex. "1" in difficulty turned out to be actually impossible due to slopes and icy conditions and the like. I'd also never recommend the Interior cabin to anyone unless you're a. travelling alone and b. really don't mind cramped, windowless spaces. I could easily stay in one alone, but they are VERY very small and quite unsuitable for the 2 people for which it's advertised, in my eyes. The basic Seaview is about double the size: about a regular hotel room, with a decent bathroom/shower and a (sealed) window, so quite liveable for a week or two. Anyway, the level of entertainment on-board may be lower than the regular lines in terms of theaters and the like, but in terms of attention/service, it could not have been better. Oh, and the northern lights were PHENOMENAL on that last night before Bergen :)
Great question! I travelled on my own and I chose to sit alone for dinner. However, you can choose to table share if you like. On such a small ship it is very easy to meet people, and there are usually lots of solo travellers. If there’s a solo traveller deal (often is in off-season) there will be many more.
Hi. I am looking to book for Feb 2025 as a solo traveller. I saw one comment about the rough seas and although i have never had motion sickness, i just wanted to check how eough is rough😅
How long is a piece of string? Rough seas isn’t one thing, it could be completely smooth or too rough for the ship to sail - but likely somewhere in between. If you are concerned about motion sickness I wouldn’t book a winter cruise on a small ship. If you absolutely must, then book a midship cabin.
Yes, many times! I love the route in general regardless of the company. The timetables are exactly the same of course so the only difference is the ships and dining options. I much prefer the Havila ships but for dining both companies have their advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks for sharing this video. Can you clarify if you saw the northern lights on the northbound journey before you reached Kirkenes? Also, my Dad is very keen on seeing the Northern Lights and so we are planning on doing either the 14 night cruise through Fred Olsen from Portsmouth or the 11 night cruise through Havila from Bergen. I felt the Fred Olsen spent an unnecessary 4 days at sea to travel between the UK and Norway whereas the Havila is shorter and spends more time in Norway. However, the overnight stops in Tromso and Alta through Fred Olsen seemed more valuable from a Northern Lights perspective. Also trying to take into account which route will have less chances of getting sea sick. Can you please share your thoughts on which one would be a better experience for the Northern Lights? Thank you!
I can't remember off the top of my head but I think it was only the southbound. But that has no relevance to whether anyone in the future will see them on the northbound or southbound :) Fred Olsen and Havila offer completely different experiences but both offer good chances to see the lights. I would focus on understanding those things and choose which option you think suits you best so you'll have a more enjoyable holiday overall. Thanks for watching!
It depends hugely on the time of year, demand, and any relevant deals. Winter is about NOK 12,500 pp for inside and NOK 20,000pp for seaview, with solo traveller deals often available. In the summer prices are higher especially for the seaview cabins.
Thanks David, so that's about £940 + return flights to bergen from UK + Hotel the night before would probably come to around £1500 .... about right,,??
@@johnnybob1972 I have no idea about GBP right now! It's easy enough to find the prices on the Havila website. It's generally more expensive than a cruise, but a very different experience.
Thank you @lifeinnorway1 for the video!! My fiance and I are thinking about doing the ferry from Tromsø -> Bergen in November. In your opinion, would this be a good route for seeing the fjords and scenery? I know November is not the best month, but it is the only time that works for us unfortunately. Do you think we would we be able to fit in an excursion in the Lofoten Islands?
You can see what excursions are available on the Havila/Hurtigruten websites, they are basically the same on both lines. November is OK but you can expect it to be a bit wet - and it will be darker the later in the month you go.
I've watched this a few times as it's very good..thank you! If you have time to answer a couple of questions..looks like I will travel to Norway in November.. Is it snowing at all in Tromso or Kirkenes? Is it worth travelling the entire route up to Kirkenes or is the best part from Tromso to Kirkenes? I'm a bit scared of rough sees and can see it may be rough up north. Thank you 😊
If you are scared of rough seas I really don’t recommend this route at any time of year but especially not out of season. There are several sections of open sea where you’ll feel movement even if the sea is relatively calm.
Havila and Hurtigruten both run their ships on exactly the same route, just on different days. The coastal route goes all the way up to the north and round almost to the Russian border (Hurtigruten also do some other trips on different ships)
Just did the trip at the end of December, would strongly recommend against it. The cruise itself was fine but not having any daylight after crossing the arctic circle makes the cruise a bit pointless unless you are just using it to travel from A to B.
That’s fair, although I’m not sure what else you were expecting during the polar night period! Personally I wouldn’t do the trip any earlier than I did in early Feb. Then you get a good combination of some daylight with winter scenery. Thanks for watching! 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1yer it’s my own bad for not researching properly. I think however it’s important to mention what you just stated in your video, or maybe you did and I didn’t see it.
Hi, great video. What’s the best month to do this? From my research for the summer I can tell that doing the trip by land/ flight costs the same as the cruises. Do you have any thoughts on pros/ cons of cruise vs land?
The summer is great as it never gets dark, but it’s also very expensive at that time of year. Spring and Fall are probably a good combination of things to see versus price.
Yes and no. They both serve the coastal route but on different days. And as for history - Hurtigruten the coastal route is 130 years old, but Hurtigruten the company is not. Hurtigruten and Havila are two of at least 10 or 12 companies that have operated ships on the coastal route in that 130 year period. Most Havila ships are staffed by former Hurtigruten employees, who were transferred across when the Norwegian government chose to end the monopoly and award some of the coastal route departures to Havila.
Did you pay extra for a food/drink package or did it come with the cruise? Im debating to go end of November for my birthday, I want to see the northern lights. This is a great video also.
When you book a cruise package (which they call "voyages") food is included. Drinks packages are available but they are pre-paid discounts rather than unlimited drinks.
Sorry if i missed it but what were the exact dates that you took this cruise? The weather wasn't that bad and some of the days had nice clear views. What would you say is best month to visit in winter to see the snow cover, good clear views and northern light?
@@lifeinnorway1 I see. But if someone's main purpose is to see the Northern Lights, isn't it better to go when you have longer nights and less daylight hours?
I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking - there’s so many different ports along the route so you can make a trip between the two you want to spend time in, or see the scenery between. Whatever suits you best!
No, not really. It's comparable, maybe slightly more depending on your cabin, time of year, length of your journey, etc etc. Because it's a ferry contracted by the Norwegian government, the employees are under Norwegian employment conditions. That drives up cost compared to the lower-paid Asian crew on cruise ships.
It was very cold and stormy when I took it, which was part of the reason I wanted to do it! It’s obviously very dark in December but if you go early or mid December, you’ll also see Christmas lights etc. Ultimately, it’s up to you!
Oh look at that "Captain Hudson" is onboard !!! How fun is that !!! It wasn't a SEA-Day but it was a SEE-Day !!! Captain Hudson took a spill, maybe it wasn't a good night for him either !! It was a beautiful trip indeed.
He did really enjoy the trip - he saw some fantastic northern lights - but he wasn’t so good with the rough seas. He asked that next time we travel, we don’t have a cabin right at the front of the ship. Aye aye, captain!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@EmmaCruisesEmma, I just finished watching your wonderful cruise in Norway 🇳🇴 and it was really enjoyable!
This video is amazing David! What an amazing cruise this was. ❤🎉
It was a memorable trip, for sure! I can't wait to do it all again at a different time of year. For research, of course! Thanks for watching 🙌
@EmmaCruises I first learned of Havila through you, headed here to learn more about it :)
Good to see Captain Hudson @ 14:45
I did the roundtrip voyage on Havila Dec 2023 and I loved it so much! I went as a solo traveler, and I think it's a terrific value to see that much of Norway. Usually travelling as a solo isn't particularly cost effective on a sea voyage. I'd love to go back in early spring or in autumn, but I am so glad I picked winter as my first trip there. Thanks for sharing.
That’s a good point ref the value. And there are amazing solo deals in winter for sure! Thanks for watching 🙌
hi! did you get to see the northern lights?
I did the whole route in the first half of May 2016 and was lucky enough to have only one afternoon with rain and we hardly had rough seas. It was a great trip and I hope to do it again some time. I can recommend it to anyone. The scenario is magical; you don’t need entertainment on board.
Hi! What are your thoughts on the fact that there is far less entertainment on board compared to traditional cruises? Did you get bored or find that there will little to do? We are debating between Havila and a traditional cruise through Fred Olsen. Wondering if you have any thoughts on this. Thanks!
@ I don’t know whether anyone answered yet, but I just saw this video, that explains what you can expect. I did the 12 day trip and was never bored. The scenery is your entertainment. th-cam.com/video/_NckVFa3O_I/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Th3yQ5MZUtkrkThu
My mom was born and raised in Iceland before meeting my dad an settling in America so I’ve always wanted to go there first. But, man, as your presentation shows, Norway looks beyond beautiful.
It sure is! Thanks for watching 🙌
Hello from Finland! 🇫🇮 Subscribed to your channel. Your content is top-notch! 🎉
Welcome aboard! 🇫🇮 🇳🇴
What an amazing, informative, and helpful video. Thank you David. We did a similar Hurtigruten voyage 10 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Your winter voyage looked so enjoyable; we definitely want to do that one now.
You’re very kind! The winter voyage is well worth it. February and March are the best times as theres so much more light to enjoy the scenery 🤍
Looking forward to my first visit to Norway in June. Loved seeing the snow. Great video.
It’ll all look different in June! Have a great trip and thanks for watching 🙌
Really nice job, David. Well shot, nicely sequenced, and the narrative really holds it together. Also good to see Capt. Hudson made the trip with you. Really tough luck you had to deal with Ingunn. No fun.
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! I quite enjoyed having to deal with the storm and seeing how the crew dealt with all the changes. It’s all part of the experience on the Norwegian coastline!
Great video, we did the northbound cruise in October’23 - it was absolutely outstanding - your video bought back amazing memories of our experience on Havila Pollux. A bucket list adventure for sure.
I’m glad to have helped 😁 Thanks for watching 🙌
I've also been north of the Arctic Circle in winter, but it was in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. It can be brutally cold, but I have Eskimo blood in me. And we Eskimos like it a little cooler... But I do hope that I can take the 12 day round trip Norway Coastal Cruise on one of the Havila Ferries. It looks fantastic.
: )
I highly recommend it! And I’d love to do Alaska too someday. Thanks for watching 🙌
To be honest: I ENVY you!!!! What a wonderful trip from day one to the last minute. I was lucky enough to visit Tromso in December 2019 before COVID. and I look forward to returning to Norway or Lapland in general (I have been in Rovaniemi in 2008) that I consider my corner of this world. (Paradox: I am from the other end of the world - Argentina). Thank you for this very enjoyable video.
It was a wonderful trip, yes absolutely! I hope you get a chance to return to this side of the world 😊
Thank you David for taking us to this fantastic cruise experience with you. I enjoyed watching it very much. ❤️
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching 🙌
So happy to see this as we are going in December ❤ thank you!
I hope you have a fantastic time! Thanks for watching 🙌
Thank you very much for your clearly englisch. I am coming from Switzerland❤
Thanks for watching! 🇨🇭 🇳🇴
White out wow. Love to meet the husband. thank you for your quick tour. Jim
Thanks for watching! Mr Life in Norway will be staying behind the camera though :-)
Thank you for sharing this video of the stunning cruise to Kirkenes from Bergen! 😃
And thank you for watching! 🙌
I really enjoyed it! I’m going to watch again with google maps open to really see the route. I’ve looked at Havila online and look forward to seeing your ship tour. Happy to see Captain Hudson, too.
That is such a good idea! Next time I do a video like this I will have to include more maps 🥳
Husband and I loved the video! Looking forward to more. Thanks!
Thanks so much for watching and for the comment! 🙌
Based on your video and Emma’s video, my wife and I have booked a full round-trip Havila cruise for November, 2024 - thanks!
Thanks for letting me know - have a fantastic trip!
I’m sure it will be a beautiful trip, I totally enjoyed my journey in May 2016. Please bring warm, wind proof, clothing. And hats and gloves.
Great review, thank you.
Thank you very much on your video. It is beautiful indeed.
Thanks for watching! I loved putting this one together.
Very enjoyable video. I still rate our Mar 2013 trip to Tromso and the north, driving on studded tyres in the snow and ice, as the most memorable of any. I keep telling people that it's the most stunning place in Europe and makes a fascinating change from the usual sun holidays. Hope to do the southern fjord area and Lofoten in the autumn
That’s a great way to put it! I’d also love to experience the coastal route in the autumn. Thanks for watching 🙌
Excellent content and insightful story telling!
Thank you so much! I really enjoyed making this one and I think that always helps :)
Thank you for sharing. We did the BKB trip in December on MS Nordkapp. Be interesting to see how you feel Hurtigruten compares to Havilla ? We loved our trip, the arctic winter and captivating Norway. We were generally lucky with the weather but couldn’t make it to Nordkapp on our excursion because the road was impassable. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.
Well the route is identical of course, so the only real differences are the ships and the dining. The ships are brand new and therefore the cabins are larger and more comfortable. Dining is fixed and there is no buffet, which has its positive and negative sides. I’m thinking of making a video comparing the two providers, actually.
@@lifeinnorway1 I will look forward to seeing that comparison video, we plan to do the trip again or maybe one of Hurtigruten’s other trips
Thank you for the realy,realy fanatastic video ! Norway is marvellous !!!
Lovely greets from Austria
Haha thanks!!
What a great video. I have been looking at doing this trip myself. Visited a Norway last year for the first time. What a beautiful country. You are so lucky to live there.
Thank you! It’s a very worthwhile trip, but there are so many options for a great trip to Norway. Thanks for watching! 🙌
Great video!!! Thank you!!! Headed to the Polaris next week for the December sailing.
Have a great time and I hope the weather gods are smiling down on you!
This was fantastic thank you; the last 2/3 desktop backgrounds I've used have been settings from random spots in Norway, always breathtaking to look at
Sure is! Thanks for watching 🙌
Great video thanks. I love that route though last time we did it (on Hurtigruten) we had 10m waves on the North coast (sometimes all you could see was sea out the window) and the ship had to turn back and we had to get an overnight coach to Kirkenes to come home. The scenery is stunning though
All part of the experience of the Norwegian coast! Good to hear you were well looked after though. Thanks for watching!
What a wonderful video and a fantastic cruise. We're certainly looking at it with family from Germany in 2026. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! Have a great trip 🙌
Nice video. Thank you. We're considering going this October. Hoping to see more 'color' and less snow and also the northern lights. Although the snow cover is gorgeous, I feel having less of it will brighten up the city and we'll appreciate it more.
I'd love to do the trip in the autumn, you'll also have a bit more light then, especially if it's early October. Have a great trip, and thanks for watching!
We are doing it next February on Hurtigruten. Your video was so good, can hardly wait. Thanks for such an informative and honest video 😊
Have a great time! 🙌
So going to do this, thanks for posting.
I really do recommend it! Personally I'd love to do the trip again in the autumn. Thanks for watching 🙌
Thanks for sharing the very informative Havila coastal winter cruise experience. I’m planning a trip with my wife on Havila coastal voyage in Nov 2024. Would that be the season for winter storms ? .. we hope not, as we look forward to catching sight of the aurora. Thanks again and many more travels !
Storms are possible along the Norwegian coast at any time of year, but the risk is higher from October through to Easter of course. Have a great trip!
@@lifeinnorway1, which month is quite test on see day in this coast cruise route.
Hi Cheah. How is your Havila trip like? I am also looking into taking the round trip in Nov 2025. Did you have any luck on aurora sighting?
New subscriber. Emma sent me. I’ve taken this trip on the Richard With many years ago. Looking forward to your channel.
Welcome aboard! I’ve also done Hurtigruten ships a few times, I just love the coastal route 🥰 Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this outstanding review !
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 🙌
Amazing video. I learned so much. Wish I could have been onboard with you all. Looks like good fun! Thank you for sharing your experience and good camera skills with us.
Thanks so much! Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it!
Great cruise and landscape of Norway.
The landscape is sensational and this voyage is a great way to see it, that’s for sure. Thanks for watching 🙌
Thank you so much for such a great overview. I've subscribed as we're considering taking this trip in late October/November. I'm wondering if the movement of the ship is typical for this vessel or just because of the storm. If future videos could discuss whether these boats have stabilizers (like cruise ships) that would be wonderful. Thanks again for such spectacular detail!
I felt the movement a lot because my cabin was right at the front of the ship. Others with cabins in the middle felt very little. You're likely to feel some movement in October/November as it's a small ship in the Arctic. Thanks for watching - and subscribing!
A beautiful video! I've been on some of this route, to get to Lofoten, but in the summer.
I want very much to return!
Thanks so much! The summer is an amazing time to travel for sure, but I do think there’s something truly special about the winter time, despite the short days and risks of bad weather. I look forward to doing another trip in the summer, sometime! And maybe the autumn too 😊 Thanks for watching 🙌
FANTASTIC is right!! ❤
It sounds like you enjoyed a trip :) Thanks for watching!
What a lovely video capturing a trip you obviously thoroughly enjoyed. We're looking at doing the fiords and Northern Lights next March, so I have a couple of questions. Which month was your winter trip, and is the last week of March too late to catch the Lights? Also, a main part of this for us is to see the fiords, which on other visuals look spectacular - almost vertical cliffs, narrow channels, waterfalls etc - but your video shows more gentle hills and mountains. Is this simply because you focussed on the ports of call, or do we need to look at an alternative voyage to see those spectacular fiords?
Thanks in anticipation...
March definitely isn’t too late! The benefit then is more hours of daylight too. My trip was in late Jan / early Feb. The coastal route isn’t a fjords tour, it calls at ports all along the coastline, whereas the fjords go 100km+ inland, so to properly see the fjords you’ll need a dedicated fjords cruise. The coastal route does include a detour into the Geirangerfjord in the summer and the Hjørundfjord in the autumn though.
Very nice video. I spent three nights in Bergen, but wish I had had more! Looks like a much nicer ship than the Hurtigurten ship I was on.🤗Cruised 5 days and nights from Bergen to Kierenes. Interesting the wait time you had when boarding. Don’t know how they sail in the winter…and I’d be afraid of motion in the front of the ship. “Fireplace” lounge looks very nice!
The ships are beautiful and I’d sail again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks for watching! 🙌
Thank you for such a lovely video.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! 🙌
Fantastic video and wonderful information, thank you David!
Thank you so much!
Thank you David
Brilliant video
Wish you happy travels
And you! Thanks for watching :)
Financially it is not possible for me to do this yet, but some day... 🙏 though I'm not sure which one is better, Winter or Summer. I live in Finland so seeing snow is not that... different and I've seen some beautiful pictures of Norway in the Summer, but then again, Winter scenery is stunning too.
I hope you get to do the trip one day! It’s spectacular at any time of year ⚓️
I see that you have Hudson the traveling cat with you. I am watching from British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦.
Greetings Canada! Yes, one of the Hudsons always insists on coming along!
That was amazing !!! Thank you for sharing it with us... :):):)
You're welcome! Thanks for watching
Thank you! Awesome video!
Thank you so much! I really enjoyed putting this one together 😎
Many thanks. We are booking on the Polaris November 2024.
Have a fantastic trip!
Thank you so much for this amazing video! I'm considering the possibility of this same voyage - being from the US, it will be a significant investment - but so beautiful! Thank you for all the information.
It certainly will be beautiful! You’re doing the right thing by researching as it’s definitely not for everyone. Have a great trip if you choose to do it, and thanks for watching! 🙌
A dream but because of the long dark wintertimes I'd prefer to beard in June to enjoy the almost 24 hrs light.
Yep it’s definitely a very different experience in the summer! (Also more expensive due to high demand, of course)
Thank you for your video. I would love to do a similiar trip
❤
You're welcome! And yes, you should :)
👏 Excellent
It was a brilliant trip! Thanks for watching!
Hi David what a great review of our voyage, it was good chatting to you on board and I agree with everything you said about the trip, it was awesome and we will probably do it again! Your aurora photos are way better than mine - what camera do you use?
Hi! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙌 I use an iPhone 14 Pro, but there was only a 5-10 minute spell when the aurora was super strong to get the photos/video that I did. It was a case of being out on deck at the right time :)
very interesting experience
Thanks I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1 you're welcome
Amazing video.Would love to do this trip.
Thanks for watching! 🙌
I really enjoyed your video. You mention that you live in Norway I'd love to find out more about your experience of living there as myself and my husband are interested in moving there but we are worried finding employment might be difficult as we aren't young, sadly. Please could you share your experience regarding this issue. I look forward to upcoming content xxx
You can find loads of info on our website at www.lifeinnorway.net :)
Great clip. Appreciated it.
Thanks so much!
Hello David. Thank so much for your excellent video. My wife and I are due to sail the round trip from Bergen on the Polaris at the end of February next year, and your video has been really helpful. The ship looks wonderful and the journey absolutely amazing!
May I ask one quick question please? Like you, the cabin we've been allocated is right at the front of the ship (4102) and, unfortunately, my wife can get a bit "queasy" if the sea gets choppy. We've never sailed on a "small" ship (compared to cruise ships, that is) like the Polaris before and are wondering whether or not it's worth us requesting a mid-ship cabin. Any comment will be much appreciated. Thanks.
You are going to feel any movement much more on a smaller vessel, and especially at the front. Given that you're sailing in the winter, you should expect at least some rough seas. If you're able to, you should probably switch to a midship cabin.
That's very helpful advice. Thank you very much, David. John.
Fantastic video! This is a trip I have wanted to do for decades. One question: did you have to pay a single supplement? For me that would make it too expensive for me. Thanks for making such a great video!!!
Hi! Thanks so much for watching! Single supplements are the norm yes, but yes indeed, in off-season trips such as this one there are often "no single supplement" or "solo traveller" deals :)
@@lifeinnorway1 Very interesting. I just tried to book this exact trip for next April, but couldn't afford the single supplement. I'm totally flexible on dates, but the travel company told me that there are NEVER the offers you describe. I did think that was odd. Do you have to book directly with Havila to find those offers?
@@Bobrinsky Yes there are solo deals available, although they are limited.
Thanks so much for this video! It's very comprehensive and soothing, too. The food looks delicious! When you said "a sweet pastry... or two" I like to imagine all five of those were yours lol.
I have a quick question or two: for someone who is more used to typical large cruise lines (ex. Carnival, Norwegian, etc.) is the 'ferry'/cargo aspect of Havila particularly different, inconvenient or bothersome, in your opinion? Do you think they might find a Havila ship to be slightly cramped or busy? It seems spacious, and what with also having far lower capacity than the larger lines it's difficult to judge. And also, since you ran into a storm, do you think the choppy seas would be more noticeable on the smaller ships? Ex. when you said you were kept awake by ship movement, was this something a bigger ship would've prevented? For context, I've a family member wanting to take a once-in-a-lifetime cruise like this, and I'd like it to be perfect for them!
It is completely different from a cruise, even from a small cruise line. If your family member expects the level of entertainment, attention, and service on Carnival, Norwegian, etc, then I’d think very carefully before booking them on to a working ferry! Thanks for watching 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1 Thanks so much for the reply!
@@lifeinnorway1 Heya! We just got back--as it turns out, said family member went ahead and booked it before I could pass this on lol. I wanted to comment for anyone else who might watch--she ended up loving it, and so did I! We were on the Castor. The food was great, the ship has a very relaxed but clean and upscale atmosphere, and the staff was extremely friendly and polite in a very genuine, helpful way. Anything we needed, they went OUT of their WAY to provide. The excursions were all fun/educational; the midnight concert in particular, in Tromso I believe, was amazing.
I'd simply warn that if a potential guest requires specific accessibility, to ask directly about the expeditions before booking, as some rated ex. "1" in difficulty turned out to be actually impossible due to slopes and icy conditions and the like. I'd also never recommend the Interior cabin to anyone unless you're a. travelling alone and b. really don't mind cramped, windowless spaces. I could easily stay in one alone, but they are VERY very small and quite unsuitable for the 2 people for which it's advertised, in my eyes. The basic Seaview is about double the size: about a regular hotel room, with a decent bathroom/shower and a (sealed) window, so quite liveable for a week or two.
Anyway, the level of entertainment on-board may be lower than the regular lines in terms of theaters and the like, but in terms of attention/service, it could not have been better. Oh, and the northern lights were PHENOMENAL on that last night before Bergen :)
@@FeralSheWolf Thanks for the follow-up! Sounds like a great trip 🫶
Thanks for such an informative video, just wondering how is it for a single person, meal times etc would you end up being on your own alot?
Great question! I travelled on my own and I chose to sit alone for dinner. However, you can choose to table share if you like. On such a small ship it is very easy to meet people, and there are usually lots of solo travellers. If there’s a solo traveller deal (often is in off-season) there will be many more.
Hi. I am looking to book for Feb 2025 as a solo traveller. I saw one comment about the rough seas and although i have never had motion sickness, i just wanted to check how eough is rough😅
How long is a piece of string? Rough seas isn’t one thing, it could be completely smooth or too rough for the ship to sail - but likely somewhere in between. If you are concerned about motion sickness I wouldn’t book a winter cruise on a small ship. If you absolutely must, then book a midship cabin.
Thanks. I must say your videos don't look rocky so hoping it's manageable.
Love your Captain Hudson. I am planning this trip/cruise for next year. I appreciated your video. Have you sailed with Hurtigruten?
Yes, many times! I love the route in general regardless of the company. The timetables are exactly the same of course so the only difference is the ships and dining options. I much prefer the Havila ships but for dining both companies have their advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks for sharing this video. Can you clarify if you saw the northern lights on the northbound journey before you reached Kirkenes? Also, my Dad is very keen on seeing the Northern Lights and so we are planning on doing either the 14 night cruise through Fred Olsen from Portsmouth or the 11 night cruise through Havila from Bergen. I felt the Fred Olsen spent an unnecessary 4 days at sea to travel between the UK and Norway whereas the Havila is shorter and spends more time in Norway. However, the overnight stops in Tromso and Alta through Fred Olsen seemed more valuable from a Northern Lights perspective. Also trying to take into account which route will have less chances of getting sea sick. Can you please share your thoughts on which one would be a better experience for the Northern Lights? Thank you!
I can't remember off the top of my head but I think it was only the southbound. But that has no relevance to whether anyone in the future will see them on the northbound or southbound :) Fred Olsen and Havila offer completely different experiences but both offer good chances to see the lights. I would focus on understanding those things and choose which option you think suits you best so you'll have a more enjoyable holiday overall. Thanks for watching!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video David, how much does the voyage cost ?
It depends hugely on the time of year, demand, and any relevant deals. Winter is about NOK 12,500 pp for inside and NOK 20,000pp for seaview, with solo traveller deals often available. In the summer prices are higher especially for the seaview cabins.
Thanks David, so that's about £940 + return flights to bergen from UK + Hotel the night before would probably come to around £1500 .... about right,,??
@@johnnybob1972 I have no idea about GBP right now! It's easy enough to find the prices on the Havila website. It's generally more expensive than a cruise, but a very different experience.
Thank you @lifeinnorway1 for the video!! My fiance and I are thinking about doing the ferry from Tromsø -> Bergen in November. In your opinion, would this be a good route for seeing the fjords and scenery? I know November is not the best month, but it is the only time that works for us unfortunately. Do you think we would we be able to fit in an excursion in the Lofoten Islands?
You can see what excursions are available on the Havila/Hurtigruten websites, they are basically the same on both lines. November is OK but you can expect it to be a bit wet - and it will be darker the later in the month you go.
❤ beautiful 😍
It sure is! 💙
I like it.
What is the price of this trip?
Thank you.
Fabulous scenery. Can you get alcohol on board?
Yes alcohol is available in the restaurant, cafe, and bar.
@@lifeinnorway1 Thanks for letting me know.
I've watched this a few times as it's very good..thank you! If you have time to answer a couple of questions..looks like I will travel to Norway in November.. Is it snowing at all in Tromso or Kirkenes? Is it worth travelling the entire route up to Kirkenes or is the best part from Tromso to Kirkenes? I'm a bit scared of rough sees and can see it may be rough up north. Thank you 😊
If you are scared of rough seas I really don’t recommend this route at any time of year but especially not out of season. There are several sections of open sea where you’ll feel movement even if the sea is relatively calm.
Amazing video! What month did you make this trip?
Late Jan to Early Feb
The meals look amazing. Are all 3 meals included in the RT fare?
The meals are included for "cruise" passengers but not for local ferry (port-to-port) passengers.
@@lifeinnorway1 thank you very much.
Brilliant video!! Now im torn between booking these and Hurtigruten. Do they go right up to rhe far north of rhe country??
Havila and Hurtigruten both run their ships on exactly the same route, just on different days. The coastal route goes all the way up to the north and round almost to the Russian border (Hurtigruten also do some other trips on different ships)
@@lifeinnorway1 thank you for the information. Would like to go up to the far north and lofoten islands
Oh I would love that but way too cold for my rheumatoid arthritis.
You should definitely consider the summer!
It's a beautiful ship! But why are they named "Havila"?
It's a long established Norwegian maritime company, Havila Voyages is just the latest project.
Just did the trip at the end of December, would strongly recommend against it.
The cruise itself was fine but not having any daylight after crossing the arctic circle makes the cruise a bit pointless unless you are just using it to travel from A to B.
That’s fair, although I’m not sure what else you were expecting during the polar night period! Personally I wouldn’t do the trip any earlier than I did in early Feb. Then you get a good combination of some daylight with winter scenery. Thanks for watching! 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1yer it’s my own bad for not researching properly. I think however it’s important to mention what you just stated in your video, or maybe you did and I didn’t see it.
Hi, great video. What’s the best month to do this? From my research for the summer I can tell that doing the trip by land/ flight costs the same as the cruises.
Do you have any thoughts on pros/ cons of cruise vs land?
The summer is great as it never gets dark, but it’s also very expensive at that time of year. Spring and Fall are probably a good combination of things to see versus price.
Hello, I am hoping to do this trip soon. Is there poster office in Kirkenes from where I can send poster cards? How accessible it is from the port?
There is a post facility in the Kiwi supermarket near the port.
@@lifeinnorway1 Cool. Thank you for the information.
Are havila competing with Hurtigruten? As a complete fan of H.... This would distress me. History is on their side.
Yes and no. They both serve the coastal route but on different days. And as for history - Hurtigruten the coastal route is 130 years old, but Hurtigruten the company is not. Hurtigruten and Havila are two of at least 10 or 12 companies that have operated ships on the coastal route in that 130 year period. Most Havila ships are staffed by former Hurtigruten employees, who were transferred across when the Norwegian government chose to end the monopoly and award some of the coastal route departures to Havila.
Did you pay extra for a food/drink package or did it come with the cruise? Im debating to go end of November for my birthday, I want to see the northern lights. This is a great video also.
When you book a cruise package (which they call "voyages") food is included. Drinks packages are available but they are pre-paid discounts rather than unlimited drinks.
I visited Norway in 2003 by cruise Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord sailed to Geiranger fjord and Narrow fjord in list UNESCO World Heritade in 2005
Trollfjord is one of the handful of Hurtigruten ships I haven't been on yet :) Thanks for watching!
I thought it will be night dark during morning or day time in Winter. Which month of winter is this video taken?
Early February
Sorry if i missed it but what were the exact dates that you took this cruise? The weather wasn't that bad and some of the days had nice clear views. What would you say is best month to visit in winter to see the snow cover, good clear views and northern light?
Hi! It was Jan 29 to Feb 9. February and early March I would suggest. Thanks for watching! 🙌
@@lifeinnorway1 Hi! Why do you suggest February and March over January?
@@agavai07 Much longer daylight hours.
@@lifeinnorway1 I see. But if someone's main purpose is to see the Northern Lights, isn't it better to go when you have longer nights and less daylight hours?
@ yes, but there’s a higher chance of worse weather (cloudy skies) and rougher seas, plus fewer daylight hours to enjoy the scenery.
Best port to travel by havila ? Bergen to alesund or anything else ?
I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking - there’s so many different ports along the route so you can make a trip between the two you want to spend time in, or see the scenery between. Whatever suits you best!
Is this cheaper than a normal cruise? I'd love to do it.
No, not really. It's comparable, maybe slightly more depending on your cabin, time of year, length of your journey, etc etc. Because it's a ferry contracted by the Norwegian government, the employees are under Norwegian employment conditions. That drives up cost compared to the lower-paid Asian crew on cruise ships.
Learned something new today, and then added that new thing to my bucket list! Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 🙌
I want to work there how to apply please
You can learn all about working and moving to Norway on our website www.lifeinnorway.net
What is the primary language spoken on this line?
Most local passengers are Norwegian speaking, most voyage passengers are English or German speaking. Crew speak Norwegian and English at a minimum.
❤My husband and I can only dream-he is immune compromised 👍🏼
I’m pleased you were able to enjoy the journey anyway, even if it had to be through TH-cam ❤️ Thanks so much for watching 🙌
How much spending money is needed! Those trips look expensive!
I'm definitely never taking a winter cruise
It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure!
Be keen to learn about suitable clothing
That’s a good idea for a future video. Thanks!
Your husband? Are you kidding?
Meaning?
Thanks for this! I’ve been eying this cruise. ❤️🛳️
I hope it's helped answer some questions. Thanks for watching! 🙌
Is it worth doing the cruise in mid-December when the days are very short and the weather is very cold and stormy?
It was very cold and stormy when I took it, which was part of the reason I wanted to do it! It’s obviously very dark in December but if you go early or mid December, you’ll also see Christmas lights etc. Ultimately, it’s up to you!
@@lifeinnorway1 Aight I'll probably want to go in Easter instead having looked into daylight hours. Thx for the advice