Ship reference
Havila Castor
Ship specifications and sources.
Quick facts
- Cruise line
- Havila Voyages
- Class
- HAV 923 (Havyard 923 design)
- Entered service
- 2022
- Status
- In service
About us Havila Castor
Havila Castor became Havila Voyages' second operating coastal ship when it left Bergen on its maiden round voyage on 10 May 2022. Tersan's dated delivery announcement places handover in April 2022. These actual events are distinct from earlier announced start dates. The ship's permanent IMO number is 9865582, and current insurer Skuld identifies 15,519 gross tonnage under the Norwegian flag.
The construction-year field remains unresolved because Skuld lists 2021 while the operator's current fleet overview calls it built in 2022. The service year is independently established by the contemporary maiden-voyage report. A similar discrepancy affects length: the builder's individual project page says 122.7 metres, but its catalogue lists 124.10 metres for the series. Both references give 22 metres beam. Neither disagreement is settled by inventing a more precise figure.
Castor uses the HAV 923 design, with LNG-electric machinery and a 6.1-megawatt-hour battery system. It became a practical demonstration of battery operation when it entered Geirangerfjord on battery power on 2 June 2022, an event confirmed in the operator's later retrospective. This concerned a specific fjord passage, not an emissions-free journey from Bergen to Kirkenes. The ship can charge alongside where suitable electrical infrastructure is available.
The current fleet specification gives 179 cabins and total capacity of 640 passengers. The transport service also carries local travellers, so the full passenger count is different from the number accommodated overnight. When choosing a departure, compare the route and cabin category together. Calls serve the coastal timetable and can be much shorter than a conventional cruise visit.
Havrand provides table-service meals, Havly is the café and Hildring offers a separate fine-dining choice. Panoramic lounges, observation decks and the outdoor hot-tub area provide different settings between ports. The fare determines what dining and drinks are included. Norwegian, English and German are the main onboard languages; prices use Norwegian kroner. For a traveller who values scenery, the practical comparison is between room location, seasonal daylight and actual port time, with the ship's working transport role kept in view.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Year built | — |
| Entered service | 2022 |
| Gross tonnage (GT) | 15,519 |
| Guests at double occupancy | — |
| Maximum guests | 640 |
| Crew | — |
| Cabins | 179 |
| Decks (total) | — |
| Length (m) | — |
| Beam (m) | 22 |
| Last verified refurbishment year | — |
| Maximum speed (knots) | — |
| IMO | 9865582 |
| Shipyard | Tersan Shipyard, Yalova, Turkey |
| Flag | Norway |
| Propulsion / fuel description | LNG-electric propulsion with a 6.1 MWh battery system and shore charging |
A dash means no independently verified value is available. Guest counts at double occupancy and maximum capacity are different measures. GT measures enclosed volume, not weight.
Other ships in the same recorded class
Shared class does not guarantee identical cabins, venues or deck layouts.
| Havila Capella | HAV 923 (Havyard 923 design) | 2021 | 15,519 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havila Polaris | HAV 923 (Havyard 923 design) | — | 15,519 |
| Havila Pollux | HAV 923 (Havyard 923 design) | — | 15,519 |
Last checked:
Sources
- Havila — current four named ships — Accessed
- Skuld — current 2026/27 matching vessel record — Accessed
Current certificates20February2026–20February2027; IMO, flag and15519GT match. Castor2021/Polaris2021/Pollux2022 construction years conflict with current operator2022/2023/2023.
- Tersan — individual delivered project — Accessed
Individual project LOA122.7 versus yardcatalogue124.10 unresolved; 22mbeam agrees.
- Tersan — shipyard catalogue — Accessed
Allfour named hulls; 124.10LOA conflicts individualproject122.7.
- HAV Design — transport design references — Accessed
AllfourHAV923; outdated2022deliveryofPolaris/Polluxnotused.
- Havila — current four-ship specifications — Accessed
179cabins/640passengers; currentpublished124mroundednotresolutionofpreciseyarddifference. Service15.5notmaximum.
- Havila — individual actual maiden-voyage report — Accessed
Contemporary actual departure, not earlier planned schedules. Polaris departedBergen18August2023 before scheduledBodostart.
- Havila — current onboard spaces — Accessed
- Havila — current FAQ — Accessed
MainNO/EN/DE, pricesNOK verifiedcurrentembeddedFAQPageJSON-LD.
- Havila — existing LNG and battery equipment — Accessed
Hydrogenready not installedhydrogen; up tofourhoursbattery not fullroundtrip.
- Tersan — actual Castor April2022delivery — Accessed
Deliverynotassumedconstructionyear, whichconflictsSkuld.
- Havila — retrospective confirms2June2022batteryfjordpassage — Accessed
SpecificCastorpassagenotblanketclimateclaim; historicregulatorydiscussionnotcurrentlawguidance.