Wansbrough's Cruise Blog

No Northern Lights last night again, according to Nicole’s app, the activity level was low plus it was cloudy.

We followed our usual routine with a climb up to the open decks before breakfast which coincided with our first daylight stop of the day which was Vadsø.

From the ship, it looked very grey, bleak and flatter than the landscapes we had experienced over the last week. Breakfast itself was very busy this morning with many people getting off to do excursions at Kirkenes. As I mentioned yesterday, ours was cancelled and we didn’t fancy anything else on offer so made the decision to get off and use the ‘The Coastal Ferry Guidebook’ as a loose guide to navigate our way around Kirkenes. As so many people were getting off, we hit on the idea that the laundry would be quiet and we assumed correctly so put a wash on and went to the Havblikk Lounge to wait until the cycle had completed.

The laundry room is a nice little set up on Deck 4, it’s all Miele appliances, tumble dryers stacked on washing machines. No detergent required as it’s all included, self loaded and free.

We arrived pretty much bang on 9:00 and once all the tours had departed along with the disembarking passengers we made our way off too. We took the 20 minute walk to the town square and wandered around what appeared to be a very quiet place.

I photographed a few things of interest before walking back to the ship. There were the usual culprits such as a church, a few monuments and the Russian Consulate which had a van with Pro Ukraine slogans decorated over it parked across the street along with a shrine to Alexei Navalny, the poisoned opposition leader opposite the main door on the opposite side of the street.

On the way back to the ship we passed the Monument in honor of the Soviet Liberation, this is to commemorate the soldiers of the Soviet Union after the liberation of Kirkenes 1944. From a time when it seems their close neighbours were slightly more favourable than they are now.

It was nice to get off and walk but also nice to get back to the ship just in time for our lunch. The stop was for 3½ hours which turned out to be more than adequate if you didn’t do an excursion.

We departed on time and set off for our next stop which was a 55 minute one at Vardø. We read on the The Coastal Ferry Guidebook ,(CFG) that there is enough time to get to the Vardøhus Fortress and back in the time we were in port so that is what we did.

We even spotted the Steilneset Memorial in the distance which was erected in memory of the 91 victims who were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake in Finnmark in the 17th century.

It was an exciting race against the clock and we were glad we made the decision to go for it. We even made it back to the ship with 15 minutes to spare.

It’s very windy and cloudy tonight and I doubt very much the Northern Lights alarm will go off.

Fitbit Steps – 16,272

All quiet on the Northern Lights front last night, I guess it must have been too cloudy. I retired to bed early to catch up with some sleep as I seem to be waking up earlier than normal and it’s having a knock on effect. It does mean that we are both up in time for when breakfast starts and that’s when it’s at its quietest.

We maintained our normal routine by going up to the open decks to get some fresh air prior to that and it felt much colder today.

Our first daylight stop today was a 15 minute stop at Havøysund where we passed one of our sister ships, Havila Castor coming out as we were going in.

The small island has the world’s northern most wind farm which we passed on the way in.

Our second daylight stop was one I was really looking forward to as it provided an excursion to the North Cape. We had booked it before leaving home as we had read that it is the most popular trip and it sells out quickly. However, they were still selling a few places this morning even though there were 4 coaches making the trip.

We arrived at Honningsvåg at just before 10:45 and were soon on our way to Nordkapp. Our coach was the first away and we seemed to have a good driver too as the journey took just 40 minutes. I have to say the snow covered landscape was quite breathtaking and it seemed like we were there in no time at all.

There was an initial stampede off the coach to get to the globe including ourselves despite reading in the book that we should wait until the last half an hour when everyone has gone into the visitor centre.

We took some initial photos and then went inside to watch the film and visit the grotto but after a discussion, decided to go back outside because it was the location we had come to visit, not the added attractions. We did visit the very extensive gift shop and purchased a piece to go on our travel trophy walls.

The lure for being outside was too strong and as per the tip, the crowds had subsided and the monument had very few people around it so back we went.

Just being outside, in that location, with the ground covered in snow and the sun shining was more than we could have wished for.

The 1¾ visit seemed to fly by and we were soon on our way back to Honningsvåg and the ship where some soup and cake were waiting for everyone in the Havblikk Lounge. The captain wasted no time departing and we were soon on our way to the next stop which was Kjøllefjord.

At the entrance to the inlet to the next port there is a unusual rock formation called Finnkjerka, that legends say was an ancient sacrificial site for fishermen, travelers and Sami.

We arrived on schedule at 4:40 and departed 20 minutes later for the next port, Mehamn which we got to during dinner so no photos. Sadly our excursion tomorrow has been cancelled due to bad weather, we were due to be doing a snowmobile safari at Kirkenes but will now probably just get off and explore.

Another weather warning for tonight with strong winds forecast so I don’t think we will get a Northern Lights alarm.

Fitbit Steps – 12,515

The Northern Lights alarm sounded on our cabin phone last night and I have never seen Nicole get dressed and move so fast. She was out of the cabin before I had put my trousers on. When I eventually got up on the top deck there was a large congregation of passengers already there all looking skyward with phones and cameras focusing on the faint clouds in the sky. Although there was a very thin layer of cloud, we still managed to get a glimpse and are hopeful of better things to come as we head further north.

This morning, on our route to breakfast, we went out to the upper deck for some fresh air and were greeted with snow on the decks. I noticed it was snowing during the night but hadn’t considered it would settle.

During breakfast we made our first daylight port of the day which was a 35 minute stop at Harstad.

The following couple of hours of the morning was spent in the Havblikk Lounge reading and gazing out of the windows at the passing scenery.

At 11:00, we reached the next port which was called Finnsnes and stayed for 30 minutes, we could have got off for a very brief walk but decided against it.

We enjoyed another tasty lunch and then retired to the Havblikk Lounge to await our arrival at Tromsø. En route we passed through the Storstraumen Strait which has some of the strongest currents in Norway.

At 2:15 we arrived at Tromsø where today we had a port time of 4 hours. No tours or excursions booked so we decided to just get off and explore. Not put off by yesterday’s self guided walking tour, we opted to give the Tromsø version a go. Here is a list of the places we found and supporting photos.

Ronald Amundsen Memorial

Eidis Hansen Rock

Tromsø Cathedral

McDonald’s (Most Northern In the World)

Tromsø Library

Løkkekiosken

Verdens Theatret

Perspective Museum

Old Merchants House

Skansen

Oldest house in Tromsø

Old customs building

Sailors Monument

Aunegården

Large Mosaic

For the record, I am totally knackered tonight, so will retire for bed early just incase we get the alarm again tonight.

Fitbit Steps – 15,005

We decided to retire to the cabin after dinner as we considered it would be the best place to ride out the bad weather. For the size of ship, she handled the stormy seas really well. I noticed on the ships model that there were stabilisers and a quick Google revealed they are Rolls-Royce Neptune 200 stabilizers, designed to significantly reduce rolling motion in windy conditions and rough seas. Well I can honestly say, that they worked brilliantly last night.

As it happened, we both slept really well and my Fitbit clocked my sleep at 9 hours. We received an announcement over the ships PA shortly before 6:45 telling us we were about to cross the Arctic Circle at 66°33’N. so the weather obviously didn’t slow us down any. At precisely 7:11 we officially crossed that invisible line into the Arctic, however due to the weather, the outside decks were closed off, so in order to capture a photo of the monument which is a large metal globe on the island of Vikingen. I had to use my phone up against the glass but the results weren’t good so I have decided not to post any on the blog.

Our first stop of the day was at 9:40 and a place called Ørnes, this was just for 20 minutes to pick up a handful of passengers, the sail in and out provided some really dramatic photo opportunities.

As is tradition on the coastal route, the “Arctic Circle Ceremony” took place outside on deck 8 shortly after 10:30. It’s a bit of a theatrical affair—King Njord made an appearance to “baptise” those brave enough to step forward. For those who haven’t seen it before, it involves a ladle of ice cubes being dropped down your back. I decided that observing from a safe distance with a camera was the more prudent choice while Nicole was the second to succumb to the blessing, if that is what you would like to call it.

We spent nearly all morning outside this morning just taking in the scenery and only coming in to eat lunch. The views were incredible and, I’d say we had FOMO pretty bad as we really didn’t want to miss anything.

Lunch was very tasty and our table provided us with yet more dramatic scenery on the sail into Bodø.

The strong tail winds last night actually put us ahead of schedule and we arrived in Bodø at 12:50, a good 15 minutes early.

The winds subsided so we set off to explore using ‘The Coastal Ferry Guidebook’ by Emma Vestrheim as a way of navigating the town.

She has a suggested self guided walking tour for Bodø which doesn’t paint an amazing picture of the location but it got us off and walking. If I’m honest, it wasn’t the most exciting hour of my life but it gave us something to do and when the wind picked up and it started raining again, we didn’t need any excuse to head back to the ship.

After we set sail again, we took some time out in the Havblikk Lounge and watched some more scenery pass by including the Landegode Fyr lighthouse at 4:15.

Samsund was our second from last stop of the day but the last one I am going to photograph. We initially had fingers crossed that we might see the aurora tonight but it started snowing just as we were leaving which means there were clouds.

We have our cabin phone set up to alert us if it appears in the night and I think the chance of it happening will increase the further north we go.

Fitbit Steps – 14,448

Another early start to our day as breakfast is so much easier and quicker when the restaurant first opens in the morning.

Overnight we missed two ports but en route to our next one this morning which was Trondheim, we got out onto the bow observation area as we passed Havila Capella heading south. Right place, right time.

We had a 3 hour stop at Trondheim this morning. Our plan was to get off and do some walking and try and take in some of the city’s landmarks. Being a Sunday morning, most shops and businesses were closed and at times it felt quite eerie.

We set Google maps to the Nidaros Cathedral as our first place to visit as it seemed to be the furthest out and a good 30 minutes walk.

The route took us past The old wharf buildings of Trondheim on the Nidelva river and with the water so calm, gave some great photo opportunities with the mirror image reflecting in the water. Not long after we came to the old town bridge (Gamle bybro) which actually provided a better view of the wharves as well as being a good photographic subject in it’s own right.

It was only a 5 minute walk from there to get to the cathedral but timings didn’t work today for an interior visit because it was a Sunday with a mass just started as we arrived.

Regardless of that, the exterior was quite spectacular in it’s own right.

From there we made our way to Torvet which is the town square and has a large column in the middle with a statue of the city’s founder Olav Tryggvason at the top.

We then passed Stiftsgården, which is is the royal residence in Trondheim and according to Google, the largest wooden palace in Scandinavia. I thought it very odd to have a building of that importance directly on the street.

On the way back to the ship we passed a few notable things, The Last Viking statue which commemorates Norwegian fishermen and their resilience and a modern art sculpture titled “What Does the Fjord Say? said to be inspired by the Beatles Yellow Submarine.

We beat the masses back to the ship and enjoyed a really tasty lunch in the restaurant and managed to sit at our designated table for the first time.

On our sail out of Trondheim we passed the small island and historic fortress of Munkholmen which dates back to 995 and was used as an execution site by Olav Tryggvason, and later became an Abbey and a fort.

At just gone 3:15, we passed another notable landmark along the route, the Kjeungkjaer Lighthouse. Built in 1880 but now fully automated but you can visit it and even spend the night there if you have the time.

I am finding the food pretty good but Nicole not so, a lot of her dishes seem to be versions of mine less the meat and dairy. The selection on the menu is small but you can have as many plates as you want, I haven’t found any need to double up at the moment.

We are both disappointed with the tofu situation but are resigned to the fact we won’t be able to change anything, and it is what it is. This morning we opened the menu to see that the scrambled tofu has now been taken off the breakfast menu.

We do want to make our feelings known and plan to speak with the food and beverage manager at some point to find out if anything can be done.   There has been little or no protein in a lot of the other dishes and the breakfast was going to be a good source for Nicole first thing in the morning, fortunately there are baked beans but yesterday scrambled tofu WAS on the menu and now it’s not.

Tonight there is a moderate warning of wind with gusts from force 8 up to possibly 10. The captain came over the PA at 7:00 advising people to take extreme caution when moving around the ship for the next few hours while we pass through open waters.

Fitbit Steps – 15,479

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.

Date	Location	Time in port	Arrival	Departure
Friday, March 20, 2026	Bergen			8:15 PM
Saturday, March 21, 2026
	Florø	15 mins	2:45 AM	3:00 AM
	Måløy	15 mins	5:15 AM	5:30 AM
	Torvik	10 mins	8:20 AM	8:30 AM
	Ålesund	615 mins	9:45 AM	8:00 PM
	Molde	30 mins	10:35 PM	11:05 PM
Sunday, March 22, 2026
	Kristiansund	15 mins	2:45 AM	3:00 AM
	Trondheim	180 mins	9:45 AM	12:45 PM
	Rørvik	20 mins	9:40 PM	10:00 PM
Monday, March 23, 2026
	Brønnøysund	10 mins	1:35 AM	1:45 AM
	Sandnessjøen	15 mins	4:35 AM	4:50 AM
	Nesna	10 mins	6:00 AM	6:10 AM
	Ørnes	10 mins	10:00 AM	10:10 AM
	Bodø	135 mins	1:05 PM	3:20 PM
	Stamsund	25 mins	7:15 PM	7:40 PM
	Svolvær	55 mins	9:20 PM	10:15 PM
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
	Stokmarknes	10 mins	1:30 AM	1:40 AM
	Sortland	15 mins	2:55 AM	3:10 AM
	Risøyhamn	15 mins	4:35 AM	4:50 AM
	Harstad	35 mins	7:10 AM	7:45 AM
	Finnsnes	30 mins	11:00 AM	11:30 AM
	Tromsø	240 mins	2:15 PM	6:15 PM
	Skjervøy	15 mins	10:10 PM	10:25 PM
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
	Øksfjord	10 mins	1:50 AM	2:00 AM
	Hammerfest	40 mins	5:05 AM	5:45 AM
	Havøysund	15 mins	8:30 AM	8:45 AM
	Honningsvåg	215 mins	10:55 AM	2:30 PM
	Kjøllefjord	20 mins	4:40 PM	5:00 PM
	Mehamn	20 mins	6:55 PM	7:15 PM
	Berlevåg	10 mins	10:00 PM	10:10 PM
Thursday, March 26, 2026
	Båtsfjord	30 mins	12:00 AM	12:30 AM
	Vardø	45 mins	3:00 AM	3:45 AM
	Vadsø	20 mins	6:55 AM	7:15 AM
	Kirkenes	210 mins	9:00 AM	12:30 PM
	Vardø	55 mins	4:05 PM	5:00PM
	Båtsfjord	30 mins	8:00 PM	8:30 PM
	Berlevåg	10 mins	10:25 PM	10:35 PM
Friday, March 27, 2026
	Mehamn	10 mins	1:20 AM	1:30 AM
	Kjøllefjord	10 mins	3:25 AM	3:35 AM
	Honningsvåg	15 mins	5:45 AM	6:00 AM
	Havøysund	15 mins	8:00 AM	8:15 AM
	Hammerfest	105 mins	11:00 AM	12:45 PM
	Øksfjord	15 mins	3:50 PM	4:05 PM
	Skjervøy	15 mins	7:30 PM	7:45 PM
	Tromsø	105 mins	11:45 PM
Saturday, March 28, 2026
	Tromsø			1:30 AM
	Finnsnes	20 mins	4:20 AM	4:40 AM
	Harstad	30 mins	8:00 AM	8:30 AM
	Risøyhamn	15 mins	10:45 AM	11:00 AM
	Sortland	30 mins	12:30 PM	1:00 PM
	Stokmarknes	60 mins	2:15 PM	3:15 PM
	Svolvær	120 mins	6:30 PM	8:30 PM
	Stamsund	15 mins	10:15 PM	10:30 PM
Sunday, March 29, 2026
	Bodø	60 mins	2:30 AM	3:30 AM
	Ørnes	10 mins	6:25 AM	6:35 AM
	Nesna	10 mins	10:25 AM	10:35 AM
	Sandnessjøen	30 mins	11:45 AM	12:15 PM
	Brønnøysund	145 mins	3:00 PM	5:25 PM
	Rørvik	30 mins	9:00 PM	9:30 PM
Monday, March 30, 2026
	Trondheim	180 mins	6:30 AM	9:30 AM
	Kristiansund	60 mins	4:30 PM	5:30 PM
	Molde	30 mins	9:15 PM	9:45 PM
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
	Ålesund	40 mins	12:30 AM	1:20 AM
	Torvik	10 mins	2:35 AM	2:45 AM
	Måløy	15 mins	5:45 AM	6:00 AM
	Florø	15 mins	8:15 AM	8:30 AM
	Bergen		2:45 PM

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.