This post is sponsored by Havila Voyages.
Part of the fun of having Cranky Concierge expand further beyond just air travel is that it opens up our eyes to a lot of good things that we can offer our travelers. It’s no longer just “hey, this airline screwed everything up, let us help.” It’s now, “hey, we can plan this whole trip and get you some really good add-ons you might not find on your own.”
Today, I want to thank Havila Voyages for sponsoring a post to highlight what I think is a really unique trip that I hope to do some day. For years, there has been one main company sailing all along the Norwegian coastline doing both coastal cruises and also regular hop-on, hop-off travel for those who need the transportation. Havila Voyages started up during the pandemic to serve that same market with a more modern feel.
If you’ve done an Alaska cruise on a giant ship through the Inside Passage, you know a cruise is a great option because you see things you don’t see on land. This is the same kind of thing in Norway except its a smaller ship, and there are so many more places to stop. For example, here is Brønnøysund which lies about halfway between Trondheim and the Arctic Circle.
Image via Havila Voyages
That ship you see just beyond the bridge is one of the Havila ships, the Havila Capella. Or here’s a look at the Havila Castor squeezing its way through Trollfjord which lies about halfway between the Arctic Circle and Tromsø.
Image via Havila Voyages
On the inside, there’s gourmet food included, naturally, and cabins range from inside to suites. Here’s a look at a premium cabin with a panoramc view:
Image via Havila Voyages
There’s also a junior suite with a large bed and then a couch which can be folded out for kids in the sitting area.
Image via Havila Voyages
The most common trip is to either do the 7-day Voyage North from Bergen to Kirkenes which is right near the Russian border on the top of the world or the 6-day Voyage South. There is also a 12-day Round Voyage to do the whole thing since the stops will vary depending upon the direction. But you can also very easily break it up into as little as a 2-day voyage depending upon what you want to see.
What’s really unique about this is that the ship stops all the time and for short periods. So when you do excursions, you will often start in one place and then meet up with the ship a couple hours later in a different location. It all runs together perfectly so you can mix the time between land and the ship. Plus I think you get to wrestle a bear in Kirkenes. (Alright, that’s not true. At least, you hope it won’t be true.)
Why am I running this post now? Havila is running a promo for any booking made by March 10, 2025 on either the Voyage South or the Round Voyage. Each traveler gets $100 per person up to two people to use onboard for the Voyage South or double it to $200 for the Round Voyage. This is for travel through March 31, 2026, you just have to book by March 10.
If you’re interested in a Havila cruise, email info@crankyconcierge.com and we can help you plan this. Or if you just want to browse, go to havilavoyages.com.
