Press release -
Havila Voyages: Incident on “MS Havila Polaris”
Today, July 24, 2024, at 13:18, there was an incident with the coastal cruise ship "MS Havila Polaris" off Stranda on its way into the Geirangerfjord. All passengers and part of the crew have been safely disembarked ashore at Stranda.
Havila Polaris was off Stranda on its way into the Geirangerfjord on a northbound route, and at 13:18 today, overheating was reported in the propulsion system on the port side. There has been no outbreak of fire on board, but significant overheating triggered cooling and foam spraying in the affected areas.
Havila Polaris had 397 passengers on board in addition to a crew of 68. The ship docked at Stranda under its own power, where all passengers and 30 crew members were evacuated for safety reasons. The evacuated crew is assisting passengers on land. All evacuees are gathered at the cultural center in Stranda, which will serve as a reception center. No passenger injuries have been reported, but two crew members are being checked by medical personnel on land for suspected smoke inhalation.
**Update at 14:50:**
Havila Polaris has received temporary sailing permission from DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and the Norwegian Maritime Authority to sail back to Ålesund, where Havila Polaris will dock at Storneskaia. Passengers and crew are on their way back on board, and the expected departure from Stranda is in about half an hour.
More information will be released as soon as it becomes available.
Contact Information for Havila Voyages:
Media: +47 477 67 400
Emergency Phone for Crew Relatives: +47 477 67 305
Emergency Phone for Passenger Relatives: +47 477 67 910
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Havila Voyages is a Norwegian shipping company that sails the classic coastal voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes with the Norwegian coast's most environmentally friendly ships.
The four new ships are loaded with one the world's largest battery pack ever installed on passenger ships and can sail for up to four hours without noise or emissions through vulnerable areas. The batteries are charged with clean hydropower at shore, and when the batteries are low we switch to natural gas which cuts CO2 by around 35 %.
The hull is specially designed for maximum energy efficiency, and excess heat from cooling water and sea used for heating on board. On the menu are locally made dishes from local producers, and all unnecessary plastic is avoided. We are already exceeding the authorities' requirements for cutting emission, and we have set sail with zero emissions as the future target.
Havila Voyages is part of the Havila Group that dates back to the 1950s. It all started when the founder, Per Sævik, bought his first fishing boat in his teens. From fishing and herring fishing, Havila is now a group operating in shipping technology, offshore, transport and tourism.
