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Brim Explorer: the silent hybrid

Hybrid-electric catamarans that sail in near silence — 4 hours, shore landing with tasting (weather permitting), and a season that tells its own honest story.

Brim Explorer’s pitch is audible the moment the diesel cuts out: on electric power the catamaran is close to silent, and the fjord sounds like a fjord instead of an engine room. The 4-hour trip includes a shore landing with a local tasting — weather permitting — plus Wi-Fi on board and, likewise weather permitting, an underwater drone that shows the kelp forest below the surface. At our last check (September 2026) the cruise was rated 4.5 across more than 2,600 reviews and flagged as “in high demand”; the operator’s own adult fare is NOK 1,490.

The season is the honest part

Brim sails its fjord cruise February–April and September–October. In the deep winter the same boats switch to whale watching and northern-lights trips — an operator telling you plainly when fjord sightseeing is worth the ticket. If your dates fall in November–January and you want a day on the water, follow the boats: our sister site tromso-whalewatching.com compares the whale safaris.

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Before you book: three things the booking page undersells.

The landing is a cultural stop, not a highlight hike. It visits a traditional fish-drying site with a small museum; many passengers enjoy it, some reviewers call it “pretty lame”. It is also weather-dependent — on rough days the boat stays out, and the underwater drone stays on deck. And beyond the tasting, food and drinks on board are for purchase, which shows in the numbers: the value sub-score (4.2 at our last check) is the lowest of the three compared cruises. Book for the silent boat and the format; treat landing and drone as bonuses.

The cruise, bookable

Every option side by side, with the same facts for each. Open a card for the full tour details.

Arctic Fjord Cruise with Shore Landing
Brim Explorer

Arctic Fjord Cruise with Shore Landing

4 h hybrid-electric catamaran · near-silent · shore landing with tasting and underwater drone, both weather permitting.

  • Duration: 4 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
from €138 ★ 4.5 (2,614 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide →
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Hybrid-electric catamaran — sails in near silence on electric power
  • Shore landing with a local tasting included (weather permitting)
  • Wi-Fi on board and an underwater drone (weather permitting) for a look beneath the surface
  • Rated 4.5★ across more than 2,600 reviews and flagged as "in high demand" at our last check (September 2026)
  • Fjord-cruise season: February–April and September–October

About this cruise

Brim Explorer runs this 4-hour fjord cruise on its hybrid-electric catamarans: on electric power the boat is close to silent, which changes the feel of the fjord completely. The trip includes a shore landing with a local tasting — weather permitting, like the underwater drone that shows what is happening below the surface. There is Wi-Fi on board; beyond the tasting, food and drinks are for purchase. At our last check (September 2026) the cruise was rated 4.5 across more than 2,600 reviews and flagged as in high demand; the operator's own adult fare is NOK 1,490.

One note on the shore landing: it stops at a traditional fish-drying site, and while many passengers enjoy the break ashore, some reviewers find it underwhelming — 'pretty lame' is a phrase that appears. If the landing is your main reason to pick this cruise, calibrate your expectations; if the silent boat and the overall format appeal, it is a strong pick.

Important for planning: Brim's fjord-cruise season runs February to April and September to October. In the deep winter months the same boats sail whale watching and northern-lights trips instead of fjord sightseeing.

Know before you go

  • The shore landing visits a fish-drying site — a cultural stop, not a highlight hike. Some love it, some find it underwhelming.
  • Both the shore landing and the underwater drone are weather-dependent — on rough days the boat stays out and the drone stays on deck.
  • Beyond the tasting at the landing, food and drinks on board are for purchase, not included.
  • Fjord cruises run February–April and September–October; in the deep winter Brim's boats run whale and northern-lights trips instead.

Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.

Who this cruise fits

Good fit if…

  • The near-silent electric boat is the experience you want — it changes how the fjord feels
  • You like the idea of stepping ashore mid-trip, taken as a cultural stop
  • You value the extras: Wi-Fi, the underwater drone (weather permitting), a structured guided format the reviews praise
  • Your dates fall in Feb–Apr or Sep–Oct

Not ideal if…

  • The shore landing is your main reason to book — calibrate: it is a fish-drying site, not a hike, and weather can cancel it
  • You expect included catering — beyond the tasting, food and drinks are for purchase
  • You travel November–January — this boat goes whale watching then

The landing, described without gloss

The boat moors and you go ashore at a traditional fish-drying site — racks, a small museum, a local tasting included. Reviewers who take it as what it is (“loved the stop at the fish racks with the little museum”) rate it warmly; reviewers who expected a highlight excursion are the source of the “pretty lame” verdict in the research. Both reactions are real, which is why we print both. And because the landing is weather-dependent, treat it as a likely part of the trip rather than a certainty.

Why the silence matters

Less engine noise disturbs the fjord less — and it changes the passengers’ experience as much as the wildlife’s: conversations at speaking volume on deck, the water audible against the hull. Reviews describe the boats themselves as beautiful, and the guided format as structured and entertaining. It is the most distinctive boat experience of the compared cruises — that, not the landing, is the reason to pick it.

What passengers say about the Brim cruise

Recent reviews, quoted word for word — including the fish racks and one aurora surprise.

★★★★★
Lovely cruise, staff were friendly and informative. Loved the stop at the fish racks with the little museum. Beautiful boat, highly recommended
Jacqueline, UK · April 2026
★★★★★
An interesting cruise through the fjord, with plenty of explanations … The shore excursion to the fish racks was also very nice.
Anneliese, Germany · April 2026 translated
★★★★★
… Tobias, Francesca, and the team guided us on the 4-hour tour in a very structured, entertaining manner …
Nina, Germany · March 2026 translated, shortened
★★★★★
Absolutely fantastic as we encounter the Northern Lights less than 2 hours from the start of the tour …
Helena, USA · April 2026
★★★★★
What a fantastic Fjords trip lovely Sunny 😎 weather. Visiting lots of places. Such good value for the money
viv, UK · April 2026

Real reviews from GetYourGuide bookings, quoted word for word — shortened where marked, never rewritten. First name and country only.

FAQ

How long is the Brim Explorer fjord cruise?

4 hours, from the Tromsø city-centre harbour — the longest of the compared sightseeing cruises.

Is the shore landing guaranteed?

No — it is weather-dependent, like the underwater drone. On rough days the boat stays out and the drone stays on deck. Most trips make the stop, but book for the boat, not for a guarantee.

What is included in the price?

The cruise, the guided format, Wi-Fi on board, and — weather permitting — the shore landing with its local tasting and the underwater drone. Other food and drinks on board are for purchase.

When does Brim Explorer run fjord cruises?

February to April and September to October. In the deep winter the same hybrid-electric catamarans run whale-watching and northern-lights trips instead — see our sister site tromso-whalewatching.com for that season.

Is the Brim cruise good for northern lights?

It is a sightseeing cruise, not an aurora hunt — but on dark-season evening departures it happens: one reviewer reported northern lights within two hours of the start. A bonus when it comes, never the promise.

Can I cancel my booking?

Yes — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure at our last check. The exact policy is shown on the booking page before you pay.

Related on this site

Compare all three cruises →

Brim vs. Rødne vs. the luxury catamaran, side by side.

The Rødne alternative →

The classic 3.5-hour cruise — year-round and lower-priced.

Same boats, Nov–Jan →

Brim's winter programme: whale safaris, compared on our sister site.

The silent boat it is?

4 hours, near-silent, landing and drone as weather allows — in high demand for a reason.

See the cruise ↑