Havila Voyages – In Search of the Northern Lights
OliverBy Phil Mepham
The brief we set ourselves seemed reasonably simple, but the planning clearly required input from experts.
The plan included the Northern Lights, a cruise and an itinerary that didn’t see us spending too much of our time sailing up the east coast of England. We wanted to be plunged straight into arctic brilliance instead of being offered it in stages by lapping through murky English waters and easing past Ipswich, Hull and Sunderland. The result was – quite simply – the most memorable holiday we’ve ever experienced.
We’d wanted to see the Northern Lights for ourselves ever since my late parents enthused about their beauty after their own Arctic cruise. Neither Mum or Dad were ever renowned for over-egging any particular pudding, so their almost child-like awe of Aurora Borealis was a significant endorsement.
And so a plan was hatched. With the significant help of Oliver and Clare at RB Collection, we decided on a week-long cruise around Norway’s beautiful coastline and fjords. From Kirkenes in the arctic north-east to Bergen in the watery south-west. It proved to be a 1,500-mile journey of relentlessly stunning, breathtaking scenery.
At this point, I can’t possibly let you wait until the end to answer two fundamental questions:
Would we do it again? YES!
Would we recommend it to others? DEFINITELY!
Here’s why….
As we arrived at Oslo there, in clear sight, was our chauffeur. The chance to see Oslo and it’s warm-lighted beauty was a lovely bonus before our cruise.
6 days and 32 ports lay ahead. It sounds a tough schedule but sailing into narrow fjords to make service stops for locals who use the ship’s journey like a bus service, does mean you’re seeing some of the most wonderful scenery that, in many instances, is out of reach of the larger, more traditional cruise ships.
Don’t be fooled that this must have been a holiday on nothing more than a glorified ferry. The Havila Capella was comfortably appointed and perfectly suited to a journey of holiday mild exploration. The Havila fleet is modern and the Capella was certainly clean and fresh. With a capacity for 640 passengers, it isn’t large by cruise standards, but with narrow fjords to navigate and eager ice-hunting tourists to accommodate, it’s perfectly suited to its purpose.
Our cabin, a ‘Seaview Superior Double’ was a comfortable size and neatly appointed. For the trip south we were pleased to be port side which ensured a permanent view of the coastline through our reasonably sized porthole. My personal view of accommodation requirements for such a trip would be that a ‘better’ cabin with a balcony is unnecessary. It’s easy to nip up to an observation deck when you feel the urge and even with a balcony on hand, you wouldn’t be out there for too long anyway!
The Havila line prides itself on vessels that are ecologically sound. Breaking through crystal clear and seemingly unpolluted waters in a ship that boasts the world’s largest battery pack, that can sail for four hours at time with zero emissions and uses liquid natural gas to cut its overall Co2 emissions by 25% is a proud boast.
Apart from a short, informal and extremely useful daily briefing for what lie ahead, there was no evening entertainment on board but with majestic scenery and regular ‘chocolate box’ port stops to admire, dancers, sequins and someone pretending to be Jane McDonald would have been wholly out of place.
Each of the port stops were majestic in their own way. Some, such as Hammerfest, Skjervøy and Bønnøysund were picture-postcard arrivals, others such as Tromsø, were a wonderfully impressive glide into a glittering nighttime metropolis. Passing under Tromsø’s road bridge, enveloped on either side by a wonderful twinkling streetlight show with the ship proudly announcing its arrival, (two long blasts, one short, then a final long one) was one of those simple life experiences you just want to soak in.
The weather throughout was a reminder of nature’s brutal magnificence. Making half the journey within the Arctic Circle means that a mix of snow, wind, brilliant sunshine and ice cold yet beautifully fresh untainted air shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even so, I suppose you do have to be a certain type of person to rush out on deck and video an arrival into port during a howling snowstorm. Yes, I was that madman – but I can assure you I wasn’t alone.
Cruising inside the Arctic Circle in January means daylight is scarce. You might think that’s a disadvantage when you’re effectively sightseeing but in our experience it really isn’t. There is certainly a long period of darkness through each day but there are also extended phases of the most wonderfully eerie twilight that supports the sun’s brief appearance and adds something special to the spectacle.
Summer in Norway provides almost total daylight and, from the images we saw in brochures and around the streets, it presents a very different type of beauty. But the winter months are the most dramatic and awe inspiring. They’re also the months when the Northern Lights are at their peak.
For those who don’t know, I can confirm that the Northern Lights don’t just ‘appear’ (as I thought) they build. In simple terms, the light show is created by solar particles entering the earth’s atmosphere and what we saw was a brownish cloud emerging in the night sky. Slowly, this cloud began to glow and take on a luminescent lime hue which can then develop into a stark electric green or even purple. In our case, it didn’t.
Before we travelled, we booked three excursions, but the vagaries of the weather meant two of them were cancelled. It’s the downside I suppose, of a winter break. There was an upside because that the nice lady in the Excursion Office on board recommended another as ‘one not to miss’ and it proved a single trip that more than compensated for the two cancellations.
‘A Taste of Vesteralen’ was a coach journey – but not just any coach journey. Before the ship continued its journey from Harstad to the next port of call, we disembarked and journeyed south by road. First, came a visit to a quaint, yet modern church with a gentle local tale to tell and then a museum that revealed the realities of life through the ages in Norway’s sometimes brutal weather conditions.
The main event was the most wonderful journey around a fjord, complete with picture stops and a ferry crossing. It was a comfortable two-hour journey that afforded the sight of Sea Eagles, Elk and an awe-inspiring vista at every turn. The final touch was a neatly co-ordinated arrival into the town of Sortland to rejoin the ship and to see the Capella’s graceful arrival into port amidst more stunning scenery.
And so to the food. One word; exceptional.
We were on a full-board package but on any night we wished, we had the option to upgrade dinner to a Fine Dining experience. The somewhat hefty price tag of £30 per head was irrelevant to our decision making because we quickly decided we didn’t need it.
Everything within the package was table service and the choice at every meal was excellent. As in all areas, drinks were extra and although we could have included them in the package for an extra cost, we decided to drink, be merry and settle up at the end.
The food menu offered two elements. Permanent options were available throughout the voyage but these were supported by an array of temporary choices that changed as we sailed through the regions. On the all-round voyage this menu changes four times. For us it was twice. Havila serve meals in a manner they say reduces waste. Breakfast and lunch are presented in a ‘tapas’ style.
The same applies at dinner, although the portions are naturally a little larger and, as you can imagine, the seafood is as fresh as you can get. As a seafood lover, I was in heaven. Halibut, salt cod, mussels, prawns, all of them wonderfully prepared. The scallops were so good, I think I had them every night!
For non-seafood lovers, the choice remains excellent, with steak, and local cuts of reindeer and lamb always available. On a ship, you’re clearly not able to leave and find another venue further down the street but on this cruise you simply didn’t need an alternative option. The food was undoubtedly a highlight amongst so many highlights.
Incidentals (the bar bill in our case) are settled on departure and our disembarkation on arrival in Bergen was undertaken with an unusually heavy heart. In the past, the check out from a beachside hotel has always been the dull, yet singular moment which signifies a holiday is over. Departing our first-ever cruise felt like leaving a whole community behind.
The atmosphere aboard a ship is most definitely different and as passengers, it felt that we became villagers and neighbours. As a first experience of cruising, we liked the principle and the lifestyle. The scenery simply took it to another level.
Phil booked his holiday to Norway with Oliver & Clare at RB Collection. Call Oliver on 01543 258631 who has also been onboard himself for more details and to book your Northern Lights holiday to Norway onboard Havila Voyages.
Photo: Havila lounge/bar area.
Norway
