Record number cruise ships expected

Tour traffic being rerouted to Norway from the Baltic Sea

Photo: Marit Rasmussen / NTB
A cruise ship sets anchor in the Geiranger Fjord, a popular summer tourist destination.

NTB

In 2019, 3.7 million cruise passengers visited the Norwegian coast, and there was a total of 2,881 ports of call. This year, a total of 4 million passengers and 3,422 calls are expected, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA).

The reason for the increase is the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the cancellation of voyages around the Baltic Sea because of  the war in Ukraine. Instead, more ships are being sent to Scandinavia.

For Norway, most of these ships will sail to the Oslo Fjord and the Skagerrak coast, the NCA stated.

But the typical cruise ports have little or no spare capacity. The solution has been for more cruise ships to call at ports that have not previously been typical cruise destinations.

In Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, traffic is increasing, but Ålesund stands out, the NCA said.

In Ålesund, 250 calls are expected, while a total of 677 calls are expected in this entire area. Geiranger has set a limit of three cruise ships to anchor at a time.

In Bergen, a maximum of three cruise ships per day and a maximum of 8,000 passengers has been set. However, almost 300 cruise ship calls are expected this year.

“This means fewer ships per day, but a longer season,” the NCA stated.

In 2019, 3.7 million cruise passengers visited the Norwegian coast, and there was a total of 2,881 ports of call. This year, a total of 4 million passengers and 3,422 calls are expected, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA).

The reason for the increase is the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the cancellation of voyages around the Baltic Sea because of  the war in Ukraine. Instead, more ships are being sent to Scandinavia.

For Norway, most of these ships will sail to the Oslo Fjord and the Skagerrak coast, the NCA stated.

But the typical cruise ports have little or no spare capacity. The solution has been for more cruise ships to call at ports that have not previously been typical cruise destinations.

In Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, traffic is increasing, but Ålesund stands out, the NCA said.

In Ålesund, 250 calls are expected, while a total of 677 calls are expected in this entire area. Geiranger has set a limit of three cruise ships to anchor at a time.

In Bergen, a maximum of three cruise ships per day and a maximum of 8,000 passengers has been set. However, almost 300 cruise ship calls are expected this year.

“This means fewer ships per day, but a longer season,” the NCA stated.

In Måløy in Nordfjord, 25 calls are expected this year.

The NCA also expects an increase in cruise activity in Nordland compared with 2019, putting more ship pilots on duty throughout the high season.

In Rogaland, Stavanger and Haugesund will notice the increased cruise traffic. The port of Stavanger has set a ceiling of around 200 calls, while Haugesund in the last four years has gone from none to 140 calls.

In Kristiansand, 140 cruise ships are expected in 2022, with three calls per day at the busiest. Other destinations in the area have between one and 11 calls this year. This applies to Egersund, Flekkefjord, Farsund, Lyngdal, Mandal, Arendal, and Kragerø.

As a result of increased traffic during the season, staffing in Kristiansand and Sokndal has been increased, according to the NCA.

In the Oslo Fjord, a large increase is expected compared with 2019.

“The cruise ships mainly go to and from Oslo. No other ports have so far registered cruise ship visits in this area,” said the NCA. .

In Måløy in Nordfjord, 25 calls are expected this year.

The NCA also expects an increase in cruise activity in Nordland compared with 2019, putting more ship pilots on duty throughout the high season.

In Rogaland, Stavanger and Haugesund will notice the increased cruise traffic. The port of Stavanger has set a ceiling of around 200 calls, while Haugesund in the last four

This article originally appeared in the June 10, 2022, issue of The Norwegian American.