Norway is an increasingly popular destination for cruise ships, topping bucket lists for various reasons
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Anonym |
This article was first published in the Itinerary Planning Special Report 2016. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
For Cruise Norway – along with its near 40 member ports – this is excellent news. “With the implementation of the ECA-regulative in January 2015, we had some concerns that there would be a negative impact on the number of calls to Norway after 2015 but, after seeing the prognosis for 2016, we are extremely happy to see this is not the case,” says managing director of Cruise Norway, Sandra Bratland.
Bratland believes that Norway’s number one attraction is its stunning nature and scenic beauty. “Each region has its own characteristics and is well worth a visit,” she says. “Surrounded by high mountains, the fjords give ships the unique possibility of sailing deep into the country where the landscape can be very different from the coast. Nine of the world’s tallest waterfalls are located here, and many can be viewed from the ship while sailing into one of the fjords.
While 70% of the cruise calls to Fjord Norway are during its short summer season, Bratland says she’s now experiencing more visitors during the off peak months. “In Norway we see cruise calls in all 12 months of the year, however the main season is a short summer season stretching from May to September. This means that the majority of the calls are concentrated in a short period of time. It’s nice to see passengers increasingly looking to visit outside of these times.”
Bratland is also keen to raise awareness about greener travel. “It’s great to see the cruise industry increasingly becoming more environmentally friendly by being innovative and implementing new technology to reduce their environmental footprint,” she says.