Just under a year after the vessel was put into operation along the historic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes, the Havila Capella ferry was officially christened in Alesund (Norway) on Tuesday, November 8.
Hege Saevik Rabben, a board member of Havila Voyages, served as the ship’s godmother and christened the cruiseferry in clean water taken from Geiranger Fiord.
Rabben said it was "a great honor to be the godmother of such a great ship, especially here in Fosnavag where the ship is registered and the shipping company has its head office.”
“For both Havila Capella and the company, it has been a difficult start to the operation along the coastal route, but we are optimistic for the future”.
Stars were the starting point when the new ships of Havila Voyages were to be named. It all started when chairman & main shareholder Per Saevik announced a naming competition for his 8 grandchildren. The assumption was the names should be Havila plus a star name.
“The names of all four of our ships are guiding stars. Throughout history Capella, Castor, Polaris and Pollux have been used for navigation at sea and to guide sailors home.
“This has been a proud day for us, and as a seaman myself it is good to have finally christened Havila Capella”.
Havila Capella is the most environmentally friendly vessel on the coastal route, with her hybrid operation of LNG-liquefied natural gas and the largest battery pack on a passenger ship in the world. Earlier in 2022, Havila Capella received the “Next Generation Ship Award” during the Nor-Shipping fair outside Oslo.