Wansbrough's Cruise Blog

After a reasonable first night onboard the Havila Polaris, we have officially traded the urban bustle of Bergen for the rugged Norwegian coastline. By the time we were awake, the ship had already made two stops, neither of which I was aware of.

Sea conditions were a bit bouncy this morning which made for some staggering as we made our way for our first breakfast onboard. This is served in the Havrand Restaurant on Deck 6, and there are several dishes on a menu to select from along with a self-service buffet with an excellent selection. (I will try to remember to take a photo of the menu tomorrow morning and some photos of the buffet).

The restaurant opens at 7:00 and we were shown a print out using traffic light colours of when it was quiet and when it was at it’s busiest. All of our meal slots are early so we decided to get there first thing to try and maintain a reasonable space between eating.

After breakfast, we made the first stop that we were aware of in daylight, which was called Torvik. This was pretty much just a mail stop and lasted only 10 minutes. Nothing much there other than a large jetty but it was fascinating to watch a few items being loaded along with a few ferry passengers heading somewhere north.

Our second daylight stop of the day was Alesund which is the longest time we will spend in any port on this trip. During the summer months on north bound trip, the ship will make it’s way into the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord. But in the winter, it stays in Alesund all day but Havila offers a boat cruise to visit Geiranger as an excursion and this is what we opted to do.

We arrived at Alesund later than the scheduled 9:45 but by magic, our excursion managed to depart for Geiranger on time. We spent the next 3 hours cruising to Geirangerfjord with photo opportunities a plenty.

The scenery was spectacular, as we passed an array of peaks, sometimes covered with snow, sometimes not and sometimes just covered with cloud.

In the last 30 minutes we passed a not so active ‘Seven Sisters’ and the more impressive ‘Suitor’ waterfalls along with many other much smaller ones.

At 1:30 we arrived at Geiranger where we were bused to Flydalsjuvet viewpoint for photos. Every photo I have ever seen taken from this location has always had a large cruise ship slap bang in the middle but our little boat with it’s 86 passengers was the total number of visitors coming in on the water today. I did read somewhere that 11 weeks ago, the boat had to turn around because of the ice at the end of the Fjord so I feel very privileged to have had that experience today.

We were then back on the bus to Norwegian Fjord Center Exhibition where we watched a quick film before then making our way back to the boat via the Waterfall Walk which takes you along the lower part of the Storfossen waterfall.

It’s actually a very long metal staircase and walkway and we decided to do this rather than get the bus back. At 4:00 pm we departed from Geiranger on our way back to Ålesund, arriving at 6:30 where we made the short walk back across the quay to the waiting Havila Polaris.

I have taken loads of photos today so narrowing it down to share here has been a bit of a task. So many different views with changing conditions meant if you turned your back for a moment, things looked different when you turned back again.

Our evening meal slot was amended for tonight due to our participation in the excursion, we were allocated an open seating 8:30 slot which gave us time to kick back once we were back onboard and spent an hour in Havblikk Bar & Lounge, forward deck 9 where I have conceded that I need to accept the Norwegian alcohol prices or go without.

At the moment I am drinking a Norwegian draught beer called Dahls Pils which is coming in at about £10 for 400ml. I just can’t bring myself to pay an equivalent price for a glass of wine.

Fitbit Steps – 10,542

After a great night’s sleep, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before setting off to see what we saw last night in the dark. The round trip took around 1 ½ hours and gave plenty of photo opportunities.

We were back at the hotel just before 12:00 to check out and were able to store our cases ready for collection later.

We then set off for more exploring, first thing was to try and get a decent photo of Hansakvarteret Bryggen

We achieved this from one side of the harbour and then by wandering past it on the way to Bergenhus Fortress where we did a quick circuit of the gardens.

On the way back we explored the inside sections of Hansakvarteret Bryggen which we weren’t aware you could do.

Behind the main facard there are lots of little retail units and we found a nice little gallery where we purchased a print for our travel wall back home. We enjoyed lunch and took a quick detour to see the ship before heading back to the hotel to collect our cases. Our hotel was a 12 minute walk from the terminal but much of the route is cobbled or uneven so we decided to get an Uber to save damaging our suitcases.

We arrived at 4:35 and joined a queue of about 80 people waiting to check in. After we had done all the passport, photo ID and credit card details it was time to go upstairs and get our dining time where we had to settle for our 2nd choice of 6:00. We eventually got onboard at 5:20 and found our cabin was ready for us.

Everything was a bit of a rush so we watched the safety information on the TV and did a quick explore. We missed the 5:15 welcome meeting so had to go to the second one at 7:15. Dinner was open seating from 6:00 until 8:30 and we were there for 6:00 and joined a very short queue that disappeared quickly. I was impressed with the offerings for the first night so I hope the trend continues. As tonight was a bit hectic, I will sign off and update you with more tomorrow including with how our day went.

A quick edit/update, we are on our way.

Fitbit Steps – 24,218

Our flight to Norway was an 11:00 a.m. departure from Gatwick, so we decided to stay at the Sofitel the night before and take advantage of a parking package. Staying overnight significantly reduces the stress of travel-day logistics; after all, who doesn’t enjoy an extra hotel stay when the opportunity arises even if it is at an airport.

For this trip, we flew with Norwegian Air Shuttle. It was our first time using this low-cost carrier, their schedule and pricing fitted our requirements perfectly. Hotel to airside and having to move from one terminal to another, took 35 minutes and we had plenty of time to grab a coffee and some breakfast before boarding our flight. Our chariot today taking us to Bergen was a Boeing 737-800 and we enjoyed clear skies almost all the way, during the flight, Norwegian Air Shuttle have a complimentary basic WiFi service that allows you to track your up-to-date location, ETA and a few others things you normally get on a long haul flight.

They also offer 15 minutes of basic WiFi during the flight which I tested briefly but 15 minutes went really quickly. We landed at Flesland Airport just after 2:00 pm local time and with the flight taking around 1 ¾ hours. Immigration was very swift, friendly and to be honest thoroughly enjoyable, it’s a shame the rest of the world can’t follow suit.

Our cases were already on the baggage carousel when we got there so it was just a case of booking our Uber to the hotel. The 11 mile drive took 21 minutes and although we could have done it cheaper, just getting to the hotel without faffing around is always a winner for me. So, for tonight, we are staying at the Thon Bristol Hotel and I selected it after reading lots of recommendations on the Havila Facebook group.

First impressions are good and they are certainly not afraid of some colour.

With clear skies and not much of the afternoon remaining, we took the Fløibanen funicular up to the top of Mount Fløyen for some really amazing views of Bergen.

We were fortunate to get up there before some rain set in and had just long enough to explore the area at the summit. On our way back to the hotel we stopped for something to eat and managed to find an Asian restaurant that catered for Nicole and I decided to eat with her so she could have a taste of a couple of dishes.

This evening, we took a walk out to the Nordnes peninsula to get a night-time view of Bergen. We spotted plenty of things we would like to see in daylight so we intend to pop back in the morning after breakfast.

Fitbit Steps – 19,424

This itinerary has been on our bucket list for a while, and we have simply been waiting for the right window of opportunity to make it happen. Originally, I focused on the Hurtigruten options, but when Havila entered the scene with their newer ships, the incentive to finally book the trip grew even stronger.

While considering when to go, our goal was to find that sweet spot: cold enough to feel like a true Arctic adventure, but not so cold that the North Cape would be inaccessible. The shoulder seasons—late spring or early autumn—seemed ideal, offering a balance where the weather begins to warm while snow still lingers on the mountains. After much discussion, we decided on the last two weeks of March, right at the cusp of spring.

We booked over the phone, as we weren’t satisfied with the online cabin options and didn’t want to risk reserving something only to change it later without knowing if our preferred areas of the ship were available. The process was excellent. I called the local number and was assisted by a gentleman with a Scandinavian accent who spoke very good English. We were able to select a cabin we liked on our chosen itinerary, and after providing our details and ending the call, we promptly received an email with payment instructions. I was very impressed—everything was set up efficiently and professionally.

So, on this cruise, things are a little different as there are only a few of what I would define as the “Actual Port Stops” where you have enough time (usually 2 to 6 hours) to treat it like a traditional cruise excursion:

In a “normal cruise” sense—your ship docks for several hours to allow for meaningful exploring, dining, or long walks—the 34-port coastal express route is very different. Most stops are only 15 to 30 minutes to swap mail and cargo. See the itinerary map below for the full list of stops

The following are what I would consider to be the nearest to actual port stops

Northbound (Days 1-7)
Ålesund (Day 2): Usually 3+ hours.
Trondheim (Day 3): A long morning stop (approx. 3 hours).
Bodø (Day 4): Typically a couple of hours in the afternoon; long enough to explore the harbour and the town centre.
Tromsø (Day 5): A major stop (usually 4 hours).
Honningsvåg (Day 6): The gateway to the North Cape. The ship stays for several hours specifically for the Cape excursions.
Kirkenes (Day 7): The turnaround point. The ship stays for about 3.5 hours, allowing for winter snowmobile trips or summer king crab safaris.
Southbound (Days 8–12)
Hammerfest (Day 8): A morning stop of about 1.5 to 2 hours. Just enough time to see the Polar Bear Society or the Meridian Column.
Tromsø (Day 8): Revisit in the evening. This is usually where the famous Midnight Concerts happen
Svolvær (Day 9): An evening stop in the heart of Lofoten (usually 2 hours). Great for a quick walk through the fishing village galleries
Trondheim (Day 11): A morning return (approx. 3 hours). A second chance to see what you missed on Day 3.
Ålesund (Day 11): A brief evening stop, but beautiful for seeing the city lights before the final leg.

The rest are essentially “Quick” Stops (such as Torvik, Nesna, Øksfjord, or Mehamn, etc). These are considered “working stops” where you can usually step onto the pier for 15 minutes to stretch your legs, but their advice is to stay within sight of the gangway as the ship departs very quickly.

The full itinerary and details are below, but be warned its quite a long list.

It’s a very small ship for us, and the cabin we have chosen is a centrally located Seaview Superior Double on deck 5. It’s right next to the atrium and close to the stairs, so if we are in our cabin when the Northern Lights alarm is sounded, we shouldn’t have too far to travel to get out on deck.

And there you have it—the next fortnight is mapped out! I’ve gone for a slightly different approach with the labels this time, because our days are so full of different stops, and because of this, I’ve grouped them under general daily themes rather than individual port names.

We are really looking forward to seeing Norway’s incredible fjords and immersing ourselves in its culture.

Havila will be a new company for us and on a vessel that’s part ferry, part cruise ship—a ‘Hybrid Cruise’ that offers the best of both worlds.

The next update will be after we’ve checked in at our hotel in Bergen, which will mark the beginning of our Norwegian Coastal experience.