Copy My Trip: An eco-friendly voyage on Norway's Kystruten

28.09.2024 - 10:43 / lonelyplanet.com / Melissa Yeager

Sep 27, 2024 • 6 min read

Lonely Planet Destination Editor Melissa Yeager just returned from sailing the fjords of the coastal route of Norway. Here, she shares an alternative, ecofriendly option for experiencing the wonder of the Norwegian landscape from the sea.

When I travel, I personally crave the flexibility to decide my itinerary and timeline. The freedom to spend more time in places I love as well as sampling the culinary treasures of each destination. So typically, a cruise is not on the top of my list when it comes to planning.

Yet, there are some places where I think sailing on a ship is the better option – one of those being sailing the fjords of Norway, where standing on the bow of a ship as the spectacular landscape soars above you will truly leave you in awe of this world we live in.

I have a bit of a conflicted inner dialogue when it comes to cruises. The environmental impacts are well documented, with pollution and food waste among the top concerns. Many ships have ballooned into vessels with populations rivaling small towns (7600 people on the largest ship sailing these days), contributing to overtourism in delicate places. On the other hand, cruising makes travel more accessible for some people – for example, if you have mobility concerns. Cruises also allows access to places off limits to some travelers and families to enjoy time together with more ease. It feels a bit inconsiderate to write off this method of travel that can be empowering to others with that in mind.

That’s why I was super intrigued to receive an invitation from Havila Voyages, a cruise line that launched in 2019, navigating Norway’s Kystruten (coast route). Havila boasts of being an eco-friendly cruise line, tackling the concerns of cruise ship travel head-on, and seeking to minimize the associated environmental footprint. With strategies like running on hybrid power to limit emissions, as well as designing food services that avoid food waste onboard, the company is committed to reducing its impact.

What makes the Kystruten route special is it is the historic government-regulated shipping route that ferries goods and people along the coastal communities of Norway. So while the ship looks like a sleek cruise ship and has amenities like restaurants, gym, jacuzzi and shops, it also supports the local communities by helping residents and freight move between these coastal towns.

There are two companies that currently have contracts with the Norwegian government to operate on this route. I sailed with Havila Voyages, which has 179 cabins and can host about 640 total people onboard. It's a rather small ship when compared with the mega cruise lines which can host several thousand. What I truly loved about this business model,