Norway’s prestige as one of the world’s most exciting cruise destinations is demonstrated by the record number of guests.
During the 2023 cruise season, there were a total of 3,943 cruise calls at Norwegian ports, almost 500 more than last year. Passenger numbers have skyrocketed, with more than 6. 1 million visits recorded in 2023.
A passenger stopover is counted according to the port, so a cruise passenger will be counted times on a cruise itinerary with stopovers in Norway. Still, this represents an increase of about 1. 9 million from last year.
Such a notable rise surprised officials at the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Arve Dimmen, director of navigation technology and maritime services, says the increase in passenger visits was “significantly greater” than they’d expected.
One major contributor to the sharp increase in passenger visits compared to port calls is the introduction of ever larger cruise ships.
During the summer, Norwegian ports are home to megaships from corporations such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, with a capacity of more than 5,000 passengers.
This trend of larger ships visiting Norway is expected to continue, and in 2024 several new cruise ships will set passenger capacity records.
The record-breaking cruise season is also due in part to increased winter itineraries and cruises in the shoulder seasons, on both sides of the main summer season.
Northern lights cruises are growing in popularity, with northern ports such as Tromsø, Alta, and Narvik proving popular with British and German cruise lines between September and March.
The increase in off-season cruises is a natural evolution of Norway’s popularity as a cruise destination, says Harald Borgø, Senior Advisor to the Norwegian Coastal Administration: “Part of the context for this progression is due to limitations on the number of port calls consistent with the day in summer, when traffic increases, It will have to be spread over several days of the year.
Bergen and Ålesund claimed to be the busiest cruise ports in 2023. Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, received 358 cruise ships, more than any other port.
However, its coastal rival, Ålesund, welcomed more than 650,000 cruise passengers, more than any port. This is due to the fact that Ålesund has gained larger vessels on average.
Bergen’s cruise port accommodates three or sometimes four cruise ships at a time, making it easier for smaller ships to find a berth there during the peak summer season.
Port of Bergen officials say they expect fewer ships and more passengers in 2024. “This means that many giant ships arrive in Bergen with room for more passengers,” said Frode Sagmo, cruise coordinator at the Port of Bergen.
Back in 2016, only four Norwegian destinations were visited by more than 200,000 cruise passengers, but that number has jumped to 10 ports in 2023. Stavanger, Geiranger, and Flåm were other popular choices.
For the 2024 season, the Norwegian Coastal Administration estimates a 4% increase in the number of cruise ship calls through 2023 and a 6% increase in the number of cruise line visits.
If this estimate comes true, 2024 will be the first year in which cruise ships will make more than 4,000 calls in Norway.
This can be partly explained by the upcoming update of the law by the Norwegian government. In just a few years, only zero-emission ships will be able to sail in the parts of Norway’s Western Fjords that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This update will mean that travellers who have wanted to stop at iconic destinations in the Norwegian fjords, including Geiranger and Flåm, on a cruise will have to bring forward their plans to 2024 or 2025.
Other environmental changes are underway that will have less impact on passengers. By 2024, the Port of Bergen needs part of all cruise ships to be connected to their green energy source facilities on land so that they can turn off their diesel engines. By 2026, port officials expect all ships to use force ashore when in port.