Our Vessel: m/s Havila Castor

When you search the web for a ship named m/s Castor, AI asks you which one? The new ship? Or the historic ship? Of course, adding Havila to the search, would eliminate the question.

Anyway, the historic vessel was built in 1936 as a fishing galease … a ketch. It was later converted to passenger charter. In 2024, it was permanently moved onto land in Bogense, Denmark as a local landmark … a museum ship. It would be fun to see this vessel, but our limited time in Copenhagen after our Havila journey won’t allow us to do so.

As for the ship we will be sailing — m/s Havila Castor. It is a modern, eco-friendly vessel built by the Tersan Shipyard in Türkiye and delivered to the company in April 2022. Mui’s already planning a scavenger hunt to find the builder’s plate after we embark the vessel in August.

One of four sister ships operated by Havila between Bergen and Kirkenes, the vessel has a passenger capacity of 640 … traveling either in cabins or deck chairs … doing one way, roundtrip, or custom itineraries … the latter referred to as port-to-port.

One of the reasons we chose Havila over Hurtigruten is the more eco-friendly fleet the company operates. Castor and its sisters feature large battery packs that ensure zero-emission sailing through fragile fjord areas. In fact, this ship made history on 2 June 2022 as the first cruise ship to operate in the world heritage area of Geirangerfjord emission-free.Read more