How was 2025 for you? If you felt stressed out, you’re not alone. And it isn’t just family commitments, financial strains and the state of world politics that are getting to us.
According to the World Health Organisation, noise pollution has become a major stressor. It seems that urban hubbub, traffic, background music and constant smartphone chatter are creating unacceptable levels of noise that are driving us all nuts.
So what’s the solution? Well, that’s a complicated social issue far beyond the remit of this column, but Havila Voyages is proposing a temporary fix: a “silent travel” cruise in one of the world’s quietest places.
Norway is tranquil. Havila has sound-measurement stations at various locations along the coast and on its website compares the results with those of international cities. Geiranger in Norway had 37 decibels of background noise on one recent day, New York 86.
No Australian city is listed, but the Australian government recommends an average noise limit of 60 decibels a day.
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Havila claims that most Norwegian coastal noise comes from nature, with rustling leaves creating 20 decibels and light rain 40 decibels. When its ships are running on battery, they create 60 decibels of noise.
It might sound like a marketing gimmick, but noise pollution does have a serious health impact. The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney says the stress from traffic noise alone causes high blood pressure and an increased chance of a heart attack or stroke.
Which brings me to expedition and luxury cruising, which on the whole provides relatively noise-free and relaxing environments, at least if you steer clear of amplified live music in lounges and the theatre.
You can boost your wellbeing even more on dedicated wellness cruises from Crystal Cruises, Seabourn and the like. All upmarket lines from Explora Journeys to Silversea have wellness centres and a range of onboard wellness activities such as yoga and meditation classes.
Ships apart, there’s something soothing about the vast expanses of sea and sky that drift by as you slump on the deck in a semi-doze without having to think about much more than which restaurant you’ll dine in that evening.
You could make a fair case for luxury cruising being the most stress-free holiday short of camping in a national park – although, when camping, you’ll have to deal with the indignities of rough living.
It might be time to slot a rejuvenating cruise getaway into your schedule this year. Surely you’ve earned it. Here’s to happy, calming cruising in 2026.
And if you can’t do that, then you might at least hunt down Havila Voyage’s Spotify playlist and tune into such soothing hits as “Birds singing by the river in Oye”, “Rowing in calm water in Geiranger” and “Sheep grazing in Floro”. Beats listening to traffic or the world news.
Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home.
