How Norway’s Havila Voyages Offers Cruise Dining With Much Less Waste

09.02.2024 - 16:28 / forbes.com

Cruises are renowned for their lavish buffet restaurants, offering a near unfathomable choice of food options almost around the clock. But from cold food and the risk of spreading viruses on serving utensils to the high amount of wastage, there are significant downsides to cruise ship buffets.

In an effort to reduce food waste, a new provider of coastal cruises along the Norwegian coastline has introduced a dining concept with no buffet restaurant. Instead, breakfast and lunch on Havila Voyages consist of à la carte menus of small dishes made to order.

Guests can still order unlimited amounts, but the concept results in substantially less waste compared to a buffet concept.

Havila Voyages communications manager Lasse Vangstein says that although the ambitious goal was to reduce food waste to just 75 grams (2.65 ounces) per person per day, the company actually achieved 69 grams (2.43 ounces) in 2022 and 60 grams (2.12 ounces) in 2023.

Carl Johan Oscar Carlander works as head chef on the company’s coastal cruise ferry Havila Polaris. He believes there are several major plus points of this concept for the guests.

“I usually spend some time out in the restaurant to talk to as many guests as possible, so I hear the positive feedback on the small dish concept. They appreciate the variety of dishes to order, and how the dishes are of a higher quality than they would be on a buffet. The portions are deliberately small to reduce waste, but guests can easily order more if they’re still hungry,” he explains.

The three main meals for cruise passengers are supplemented by snacks and light meals available from the cafe that’s also used by local ferry passengers. On certain days, local dishes are put under the spotlight at specific events, often held out on deck and timed for sailaways or scenic points in the journey.

Finally, a fine dining restaurant with a fixed five-course menu completes the onboard choice.

The Norwegian coastal route has been operating in various forms for more than 130 years. Although originally a local ferry and cargo provider to small communities, the service is today best known internationally for its cruise-like tourism experiences.

The service still functions as a local ferry and stops at 34 different ports (most of them twice) over the course of its 11-night roundtrip voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes. Havila operates four of the eleven ships on the historic route, and this fixed timetable brings more benefits to its dining concept.

“We don't just focus on reducing waste. Another important focus area is to use as much locally produced food as possible. We work with a lot of suppliers up and down the coast,” says Carlander.

For example, Arctic cod (skrei), reindeer meat, and cloudberries are