• Escape the Heat (August ‘26)
    Welcome to the Insider Tour aboard m/s Havila Castor.
    Welcome to the Insider Tour aboard m/s Havila Castor.Looking out through the forward windows of the bridge.Captain Bruland welcoming us; the first and second mate on duty; first mate has steering control.Captain Bruland using a visual aid as he explains about the propulsion system.Our attentive group on the Insider Tour during our bridge visit.Modern sailing vessels all have a lot of monitors providing important information.Some of the many monitors with information used to navigate the vessel.Just a small button instead of a big ship's wheel to steer the ship.Green across the board is a good sign.The port bridge wing and the view from the wing.Looking toward the starboard bridge wing and the captain's 'conference room'.Crew lounge ... they even have a massage chair, which I'm sure gets good use."We throw darts while waiting for the service elevator," quipped the Hotel Manager.Our tour leaders ensured watertight doors were always closed behind us as we toured the lower decks.Cargo gangway ... with cargo for the next port pre-positioned for unloading.Every piece of cargo brought aboard gets an immediate label showing its destination.The ship has its own forklift to move cargo around.Cargo bay aboard m/s Havila Castor.Tromsø is getting some OJ; on the right are collapsed boxes for shipping king crab orders.Tank where food waste is converted into fish food for discharge when in open seas.Cold room for trash (top); paper recycling; can & glass crusher; broken ceramic ware for recyclingOn the door of the workshop.One of the pristine workshops ... everything has a place, everything in its place.Chief engineer explaining what all the monitors are in the engine control room.m/s Havila Castor's engine control room.The founder of Havila, Per Sævik, talking about the formation on the company.Some of the sustainability measures used by Havila vessels.Interesting tidbits ... post-tour handout.

    NB Day 5: Insider Tour

    August 12 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 46 °F

    What was planned for us — and what, therefore, changed how I intended to pass the morning — was the Insider Tour of m/s Havila Castor.

    Though the tour is not widely promoted, nor scheduled in advance, I had read about it while doing my pre-voyage research. Mui went to the service center on embarkation day to add our names to the list. We were advised soon after signing up that the tour would be conducted today, 12 August. But not feeling well the past two days, it had slipped my mind. At least the P/A reminder announcement gave us a 15-minute warning before we had to present ourselves at the conference room.

    The tour was led by the ship’s Hotel Manager and the Service Manager. It lasted a little over an hour … ending with a video presentation that introduced us to Per Sævik, the founder of the company. Now 85, he retired last year as chairman of the company, leaving operations in the hands of his children who are following the path he set for sustainable cruising along the Norwegian Coast.

    By participating in the tour, we essentially went behind the scenes … not just to the bridge, where the Captain explained how the ship’s navigation systems work, but also to the crew deck, the cargo area, and to many of the work areas, such as the trash/recycling room, the workshop, and the engine control room.

    It was an interesting glimpse into how things operate on a Havila ship and the goals of the company … which include operating climate-neutral vessels by 2028. Havila’s focus on sustainability is quite commendable … all the more so because they are already preparing to meet the more stringent rules for plying these waters … expected to be forthcoming in the near future.

    One of the things that struck me in particular is how they have managed to reduce food waste. While such waste on traditional cruise ships can be as much as 1 kg per passenger/per day, on Havila the target for waste is to be no more than 75 grams (2025 statistics showed the average per passenger/per day waste was 68 grams). This is done by having table-service for all meals and just a small supplemental buffet at breakfast. There is no food just lying around for people to grab … or not. As well, plated portions are on the small side … with passengers able to request second helpings if they haven’t had enough. (We felt the portions were just right.)

    Now … back to my plan to enjoy the scenery as we continue north.    Read more