Havila Capella Sails on Her First Voyage The CEO of Havila Voyages, Bent Martini, has announced that the cruise line is “very happy” to finally cast off its first ship designed to operate on the Norwegian coast.
The 468-passenger Havila Capella set sail on Dec. 12 and, in that way, became “an integral part of everyday traffic which forms part of the lifeblood of the coast,” according to Havila.
“As we have established a new shipping company and built the first new ship in 18 years with three more new ships in store, I think we should dare to say that Dec. 12, 2021, is a historic day both for Havila Voyages and for the coastal route Bergen-Kirkenes,” Martini said.
According to a press release, Havila Voyages spent around 500 million Norwegian krones (over $55.5 million) to make its ships environmentally friendly. With the launch of the Capella, the cruise line is still awaiting the delivery of and the beginning of operations for Capella’s three sister ships: the Castor, Polaris and Pollux.
All four ships are plug-in hybrid ships that boast the world’s largest battery packs designed for passenger ships. They weigh 86 tons and have a capacity of 6.1 megawatt hours which is equivalent to 600 top-of-the-range Teslas, according to Havila.
“The batteries allow us to sail for four hours without noise and emissions, and we can sail quietly and sustainably through world heritage fjords and pristine nature,” Martini said.
But the battery packs are “just one of several measures that mean that our ships cut NOx emissions by around 90 percent and CO2 emissions by around 25 percent,” he added.
The buffetless food concept onboard means that guests are personally served at their tables for all meals cutting food waste by a total of 60 tonnes per year.
Martini said that Havila Voyages “sails among the world’s heritage and priceless nature and should do so in such a way that even those who come after us can experience it in the same way.”
“Havila Voyages will provide great experiences with small climate footprints,” he concluded.
