The Future of Cruising in the Norwegian Fjords!

The beauty of the fjords, the opportunity for mountain walks and the crisp weather make Norway a dream holiday destination for many. A cruise is an ideal way to navigate the fjords’ many attractions, with the opportunity to wake up to a fresh natural wonder every morning. After our cruise last year we have decided we would not hesitate to do this cruise again. It was just so relaxed and beautiful.

I recently read a very interesting article which has caused me some concern about the future of cruises to this beautiful part of the world. Norway has apparently taken the audacious decision to ban all polluting ships from the UNESCO World Heritage fjords by 2026. The resolution will impact the cruise and ferry industry heavily, way beyond these fjords.

Polluting ships? You might be thinking of a 50-year old veteran ferry but this would also include P&O’s Cruises most environmentally friendly ship – Iona,  which will be operating seven-day sailings from Southampton to the Norwegian fjords, in her inaugural season. The 180,000 gross tonne ship is due to commence operating the no-fly itinerary from its UK home port of Southampton, from May 2020.

In fact, according to what I read, even a modern LNG-powered ship will no longer be welcome in the famous fjords such as the Geirangerfjord and Naeroy.  In the near future, these fjords will only be accessible for ships producing zero emissions.

Now you can imagine this will be quite a blow for the cruise industry. The only zero-emission energy so far is electricity.  Either a ship is fully relying on batteries, or a ship is hybrid. Does this then mean that fossil fuel could be used outside, and once in these protected fjords, the energy source would be electricity?

This will still create major logistical challenges for cruise tourism in Norway.

Tourism is already well developed in these sensitive fjords, and a 40 per cent increase in tourist traffic has been projected by 2030.

“Growth at this level will be unsustainable unless we find new ways to manage tourism in the heritage fjords,” says State Secretary Atle Hamar in the Ministry of Climate and Environment. “The tourism industry will have to take a role in the clean-up, and the government’s assignment is to implement rules and regulations that place responsibility where it belongs.”

Call me today and book your Norway Fjord cruise before 2026!