75 introduced on 1 January 2025, which requires cruise lines to pay $18 per passenger, per 24-hour period spent within Icelandic waters, regardless of whether guests disembark. “Community concerns should be listened to respectfully and solutions developed locally through dialogue among authorities, ports, tourism organisations, businesses, residents and the cruise industry,” says Francesco Di Palma, vice president of itinerary management and port and fleet captain at Explora Journeys. “Cruise tourism is carefully planned and predictable, with itineraries generally developed years in advance. This gives destinations the opportunity to coordinate schedules, prepare local services and manage visitor flows more effectively. The objective should be to create meaningful local value through shore experiences, transport, hospitality and participation by local businesses. Tourism that is socially accepted, environmentally responsible and economically valuable benefits residents, visitors and local businesses alike.” While concerns around visitor numbers and community impact continue to dominate policy discussions across Northern Europe, many cruise operators see itinerary planning as part of the solution. Smaller ships, longer port stays and increased deployment during shoulder seasons can help spread visitor numbers more evenly and distribute economic benefits beyond peak summer months. According to Cruise Baltic’s 2026 Market Review, cruise calls from October to December 2025 increased by 33.2 per cent compared with 2024, rising from 184 to 245 calls. The number of December ‘Christmas cruises’ also grew from 47 to 63, while traffic in May and September highlighted “sustained demand” beyond the traditional summer season. “Our European voyages currently operate in the shoulder seasons, such as spring and autumn, when many of the places we visit experience less tourism, helping to extend the season,” explains Roebers. “We also visit places that cannot be accessed by large ships, such as the UK’s Isles of Scilly, Harlingen in the Netherlands, Seville in Spain and Heligoland in Germany. Our ships Nansen, which carries fewer than 490 passengers, and Fram, which carries fewer than 200, can call at smaller and more remote places. Most importantly, we need to include local voices in the design of our itineraries. That means making connections early and asking what they would like to show us, rather than telling them what we want them to offer.” Photo: Windstar Cruises Windstar Cruises’ river-to-ocean cruises travel along rivers such as the River Thames in London, UK, before continuing out to sea “ Tourism that is socially accepted, environmentally responsible and economically valuable benefits residents, visitors and local businesses alike” Captain Francesco Di Palma Explora Journeys
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