Welcome to ARNE&CARLOS’ Knitting under the Northern Lights!

It is with great pleasure we welcome you to Norway for our knitting cruise onboard the beautiful new ship MS Havila Castor! Join us for the cruise ‘Knitting under The Northern Lights'! This eventful tour will take you to the capital Oslo for a two days pre cruise program, before taking the train over the scenic mountains westbound to Bergen, where the cruise starts and ends after the classic roundtrip along the coast.

We are especially delighted to introduce you to Havila Voyages which is a Norwegian shipping company which sails the classic coastal voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes, with the Norwegian coast's most environmentally friendly ships. The new ships are loaded with the world's largest battery pack, and for four hours they can sail without noise or emissions through vulnerable fjords. The batteries are charged with clean hydropower at the shore, and when the batteries are low they switch to natural gas which cuts CO2 by around 25%. Excess heat from cooling water and sea is used for heating on board. On the menu are locally made dishes from local producers, and all unnecessary plastic is avoided.

October is a perfect month to do ‘the world’s most beautiful sea voyage’ and to experience the mythical Northern Lights. Although science today has revealed many of the secrets of the Northern Lights, we still allow ourselves to be captivated by the mystery of the sky's own fireworks. And in earlier days, the Northern Lights were the basis of many myths and superstitions. The Latin name for the Northern Lights is the Aurora Borealis. To see the Northern Lights, there must be dark, clear skies. The Northern Lights are seen in the winter but most frequently in late autumn and early spring, and October is a very good month to experience this phenomenon. A few hours before and around midnight, the Northern Lights are seen most frequently and at their most intense.

The cruise will take us to 34 ports along the Norwegian coast, some port of calls are short, some longer. Havila is commissioned by the Norwegian government to serve the population and communities along the coast with ferry service, mail, cargo and other supplies, which means the ship is a working ship as well as a cruise ship carrying tourists. This will give you an interesting experience of the local life along the coast.

During the cruise you will enjoy the company of your hosts ARNE&CARLOS, attend their interesting lectures and take part in the exciting mystery knitalong! The trip of a lifetime – you don’t want to miss this opportunity!

ARNE & CARLOS

Scandinavians Arne Nerjordet and Carlos Zachrisson are highly regarded fashion designers, textile artists, YouTubers and authors. They are best known for their original, colourful and visually striking designs as well as their knitwear and their books. Their work is highly influenced by their Scandinavian background and their everyday life in rural Norway. They work under their artist name ARNE & CARLOS, which they established in 2001.

Read more about ARNE & CARLOS here.

Program

PROGRAM
Please note program is subject to changes

B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner

Day 1 Arrival Oslo 8 Oct 2022
Arrival Oslo, Norway from your home destination by own arrangement. Check in at your hotel in downtown Oslo – Clarion The Hub.

Day 2 Oslo City Tour 9 Oct 2022 (B, L)
After breakfast, welcome to a full day city tour of Oslo where you will visit all the major attractions - Vigelands Park, the Opera House and Bygdøy with the stave church. Lunch is included in the waterfront area. Enjoy a pleasant evening on your own in Norway’s capital.

Day 3 Oslo - Bergen 10 Oct 2022 (B, L)
A relaxing day travelling by train from Oslo to Bergen, a scenic train ride over the mountain range between east and west Norway. The train is comfortable and a lunch box will be provided. There is also a café onboard the train. The luggage will be transported separately by car, so only handluggage is required on the train. And your knitting of course! The trip takes about seven hours. In Bergen we will check into our lovely Havnekontoret Hotel located in Bryggen area. A light evening snack is included in the hotel, or feel free to visit one of the many lovely nearby restaurants on your own.

Day 4 Bergen 11 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
After a lovely breakfast in Havnekontoret Hotel, it is time for check out and the full day tour of Bergen and the surrounding area starts. A very interesting visit to Norway’s oldest yarn factory Hillesvåg is on the program, with an opportunity to buy their products at the factory outlet. Lunch will be at Oleana – with stunning fjord view. Oleana produces beautiful knitwear. The tour ends at the Cruise Terminal and embarkation starts at 17.00. Welcome cocktail onboard MS Havila Castor with ARNE&CARLOS at 18.30. You will receive your Mystery Knitalong Kit. Dinner will be served at the Havrand Restaurant after our welcome drinks.

Day 5 Ålesund 12 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
In Ålesund the inhabitants claim this is Norway’s most beautiful town – and they could very well be right! The city is renowned for its beautiful Art Nouveau architecture. During the call in Ålesund the ship will make a detour to the magnificent Hjørundfjord with unforgettable scenery. Today ARNE&CARLOS will also be giving their first interesting lecture.

Day 6 Trondheim 13 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Trondheim was founded by Vikings in 997 AD. The most famous building here is Nidaros Cathedral built in Gothic style. Explore the city on your own or take part in one of Havila’s optional excursions (additional cost). In Trondheim, our guest lecturer Anne Bårdsgård will join us. She is a best-selling author on Selbu Knitting and Selbu Mittens and will give an interesting lecture on the history behind the famous Selbu pattern

Day 7 Crossing the Arctic Circle - Bodø 14 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Today we cross the Arctic Circle! As we sail northwards into the Arctic waters the days get darker and with clear skies there are good chances of experiencing the Northern Lights. During the call in Bodø you may want to join Havila’s excursion to Saltstraumen – the world’s most powerful maelstrom. We sail through the Lofoten archipelago towards the pretty fishing village Svolvær, for a late evening call. If weather allows we may sail in the very narrow and mysterious Trollfjord this evening!

Day 8 Tromsø 15 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Enjoy Norway’s beautiful coastal scenery as MS Havila Castor sails north, stopping at altogether 34 ports, carrying not only passengers but mail and goods as well – this is a working ship with an interesting mix of locals and tourists. In the afternoon the ship will arrive in Tromsø, gateway to the Arctic and the largest city in Northern Norway – also called ‘Paris of the North’, because of its lively restaurant and bar scene.

Day 9 At the top of Norway – North Cape 16 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Arrival Honningsvåg - the portal to the North Cape, where a globe monument marks the top of Europe. The very popular excursion up to the dramatic promontory is included in this travel adventure!

Day 10 Kirkenes 17 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Kirkenes is the turning point for the northbound journey, the coastal express changes direction and heads south. Kirkenes suffered severe damage during WWII bombings. The town is quite an outpost influenced by many different cultures and nationalities. Havila offers several interesting excurisons in this unusual port - maybe you want to try the King Crab Safari?

Day 11 At the top of Europe – Hammerfest 18 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Cruising southbound MS Havila Castor calls at Hammerfest which used to be the northernmost town in the world before Longyearbyen in Svalbard claimed the title. As the cruise continues south to Tromsø, you may glimpse views of the Lyngen Alps, which boast some of the highest peaks in all of Norway. In Tromsø you may attend a candlelit classical midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral, an optional excursion arranged by Havila (additional cost).

Day 12 Lofoten Archipelago 19 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Today you will be exploring the Lofoten archipelago, a highlight of the scenic route. The birthplace of the coastal express, Stokmarknes is a port of call where the Coastal Express museum can be visited. The building resembles a ship in a bottle and chronicles the coastal express legacy. In Stokmarknes textile craftswoman and sheepfarmer Ragnhild Lie will join us. She will tell us about the wool production at her farm in Lofoten, where she keeps Old Norse Sheep. Her focus is on local production, traditional craft skills, and sustainable high-quality products. Ragnhild will of course bring some Lofoten Wool with her, both yarn and knitted products so look out for our pop-up yarn shop!

Day 13 Helgeland Coast – where the trolls live 20 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Admire the fascinating mountain range the Seven Sisters and see the hole passing straight through Torghatten mountain and learn about the myths and legends of the area. This part of the coast is stunning!

Day 14       Viking Capital and Bacalao capital 21 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
Two important ‘capitals’ will be visited today – Trondheim the Viking Capital and Kristiansund the Bacalao capital! If you missed attractions in Trondheim on the northbound journey, now is your chance to catch up. Havila offers an excursion to The Atlantic Road – ranked as the world’s best road trip by The Guardian. This is our last evening on board and we will meet for a farewell drink!

Day 15       Fjord country and the home stretch to Bergen 22 Oct 2022 (B, L, D)
As MS Havila Castor takes us south towards Bergen, enjoy the stunning coastal scenery and fjord landscape, on our last day on board. Today ARNE & CARLOS will give another lecture about their interesting life and work as designers.
MS Havila Castor arrives in Bergen at 14.45 in the afternoon, and it is time to say goodbye to the ship’s crew, new friends, and ARNE&CARLOS after a wonderful time with lots of lovely memories!

Havila Coastal Express

MS Havila Castor

The Havila ships are classic and beautiful with décor that reflects Norwegian landscapes including the sea, the sky, mountains, and glaciers. Natural materials and Nordic design create a warm, genuine and unpretentious atmosphere, in which you are sure to feel at ease. You can enjoy the scenery gliding by outside from the ship’s many public areas. Comfortable seats and panoramic windows give you the best possible views of the Norwegian coastline.

On board, the emphasis is on providing passengers with spacious cabins. The cabins are intended to be pleasant places to relax during the day and sleep well at night. The typical Nordic décor reflects the landscape through which you will be sailing. Most of the cabins have sea views, while others are located inside the ship. The cabins and suites range from 16m² to 45m², and can accommodate up to four people. All cabins have wifi and USB ports.

Havila Excursions

Havila offers interesting excursions along the coast and the expedition team on board will give talks about the ports of call and information about the excursions. Read more about them here

Havila Food Stories

The location along the coast will determine the menu onboard Havila Voyages. This gives great freedom of choice and fosters a closer appreciation of the different parts of the country in which you are sailing. Havila Voyages has divided the world’s most beautiful sea voyage into four parts, each with its own unique flavors and dishes. This means that the menu changes every three days, so you can also go on a culinary voyage of discovery, with something new and exciting every day. At the same time, they also have some set dishes so that you can enjoy those you like best throughout your trip. Whichever you choose, the flavors are based on the best ingredients from the land as well as the world’s best seafood from the clean, cold waters of the Norwegian Sea.

Havila Gold Card is included with all its golden advantages!

Food and beverage:
•   During the voyage you get one evening in the fine dining restaurant Hildring with an exclusive five-course menu
•   Havila Gold’s exclusive extra choices at breakfast, lunch and dinner
•   Tea and coffee package included
•   Mineral water and cold-pressed juices with all restaurant meals

Service:
•   Havila Gold Lounge with drinks and snacks in Havblikk after check-in from Bergen
•   Welcome pack in the cabin including sparkling wine
•   No cover charge for room service
•   Discount on selected items in the shop