Cruising in the winter in Norway offers a very different experience from a typical summer cruise in … [+]
Norway has never been more popular as a cruise destination. In 2023, more than six million passenger visits were recorded by Norwegian cruise ports, an all-time record.
Yet in the popular summer season, Norway’s busiest ports are full to the brim with cruise ships. So, where is that growth coming from?
The typical Norwegian fjords cruise used to be a summer-only experience, with ships relocated to the Mediterranean or other parts of the world for the rest of the year. But the popularity of Norway has seen cruise lines experiment with lengthening the fjords season from as early as April to as late as September.
This increase in the number of fjords itineraries comes at a time when winter cruising is also enjoying a boom in popularity, thanks to the extensive coverage of the solar maximum meaning it’s prime time to see the northern lights.
Fjords Season Longer Than Ever
The Norwegian fjords region is famous as a summer destination, with images of lush green mountainsides and bright blue skies used to draw in travelers from all over the world. Despite more uncertain weather, many cruise lines have extended their seasons in the fjords from the late spring through to fall.
It’s not just about offering the same itineraries earlier and later. James Moss, itinerary product manager at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines explains that cruising outside the beautiful spring and summer months offers chances to see different sides of Norway.
Blossoming apples in Hardangerfjord are among the attractions in Fjord Norway outside the high … [+]
“In autumn, we take guests to Hardangerfjord for the harvest season. In Ulvik, we offer guests the opportunity to meet local farm owners and sample produce like pears and apples,” he says.
Boom In Northern Lights Travel
Interest in northern lights cruise itineraries has also grown significantly in recent years, due in large part to the prominent coverage of the expected solar maximum in the media.
The best northern lights itineraries aim to get north of the Arctic circle as early in the cruise as possible in order to maximize the number of port calls from where aurora chasing is possible. There are also good chances of sightings from the ships themselves, if you’re prepared to dress up warm and stay up late.
Although the chance to see the northern lights is the star attraction, cruising Northern Norway in the winter offers other benefits too.
Moss says guests can “witness the fjords from a different perspective with stunning snow-topped peaks” and experience thrilling winter activities “such as ice fishing, dog sledding and snow-shoeing.”
Popular With German Lines
Norway is also becoming a more popular destination for German-focused cruise lines. AIDA Cruises—part of the same Carnival group as Costa, Cunard, Holland America, P&O Cruises, and Princess—is a common sight at ports less popular with other cruise lines such as Trondheim.
Other European cruise lines such as MSC Cruises start many itineraries from Kiel or Hamburg.
New Hurtigruten Offering
Since Hurtigruten lost its monopoly on the Norwegian coastal route, the company has sought new uses for some of its vessels.
Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord now offers visitors the chance to sail to the North Cape during the … [+]
To celebrate 130 years of the coastal route, Hurtigruten introduced two new routes for MS Trollfjord that act more like cruises than local transport. The popularity of the new offer has resulted in Hurtigruten making the two routes permanent, with a few alterations.
In the summer, the ‘Svalbard Line’ will take guests from Bergen, up the Norwegian coast, and over to Svalbard, with port calls at remote settlements Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund.
In the winter, the ‘North Cape Line’ travels from Oslo, all around the south of Norway and up the coastline to Honningsvåg, for the North Cape, before returning to Bergen. Both routes offer ports never before served by the line.
Hurtigruten’s coastal ferry rival Havila Voyages also announced an extension to its Geirangerfjord season. For many years, the coastal ferry has taken a detour from Ålesund into one of Norway’s most scenic fjords for the summer season.
In 2025, the Havila ships—which are capable of sailing on battery power for up to four hours—will also carry tourists and locals into the Geirangerfjord during April and May.
Growth In Expedition Cruising
Cruise ships carrying more than 200 guests—the vast majority of mainstream cruise lines—face tough new environmental regulations that open up the Arctic travel market for specialist expedition cruise companies. The number of expedition ships visiting Longyearbyen had already increased from 39 in 2016 to 81 in 2022.
While sailings in and around Svalbard are restricted to the late spring and summer months when light is available, many expedition ships offer trips in Arctic Norway during the winter season for northern lights expeditions and whale-watching tours.