No. 1 - 2008
Norway - the leading nature-based cruise destination in Europe
In Cruise Norway news number 1 2008, you can read more about:
- New Cruise Norway members
- Cruise Norway activities 2008
- Oslo - the Winter Capital
- Tromsø - the Arctic Capital
- North Cape - King Crab Safari
- Sandefjord - new attractive Viking destination
New Cruise Norway members from January 2008
Vik in Sognefjord - www.vik.kommune.no
Cruise destination Skjolden in Sognefjord - www.sognefjord.no
Both Vik and Skjolden are situated in the longest navigable fjord in the world. They are both close to the World Natural Heritage site "the Nærøyfjorden". Vik port is tender port as is Skjolden port until the summer of 2010.
VisitTrondheim - www.trondheim.no
Trondheim is situated in "the heart of Norway". It is one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia, with more than a thousand years of experience in welcoming visitors from all over the world. It was the Viking King Olav Trygvason who founded the town in 997 (AD), and many kings of Norway have been crowned or blessed in the thousand-year-old Nidaros Cathedral. Trondheim is the historical capital of Norway.
Bodø - www.bodohavn.no
Bodø, the second biggest town in Northern Norway, is the administrative centre of Nordland County, and has all the service offerings of a modern town. Bodø has excellent travel connections, as the sea port, railway station and airport are located within just a couple of kilometres of each other.
Cruise Norway activities 2008 - Mark the dates !
US/Seatrade Miami 12.3
Visit the Norwegian destinations at booth 1309 and participate in the "Taste of Norway lunch" Wednesday 12th between 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
United Kingdom 22.5
Norwegian workshop in London May 22nd. From 2pm and evening event
Germany 2.10
Norwegian workshop in Hamburg October 2nd. 12 - 4:00 pm
Cruise Norway website is updated with new relevant information such as trade news, and all Cruise Norway newsletters can be downloaded.
Oslo - "the Winter Capital"
Four Christmas cruises called at Oslo in December. P&O's Artemis, Fred.Olsen's Black Watch and Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 and the new flag ship Queen Victoria on her maiden voyage all came on Christmas cruises to Oslo. More than 6 000 passengers visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, the Viking ships, the museums at Bygdøy, the Christmas market and other popular attractions in and around Oslo.
Tromsø - "the Arctic Capital"
Tromsø in winter is a surprise to most visitors. The endless winter darkness is not as dark after all, the midday dawn allows for wonderful sunset colours, and the city lights are warm and inviting. Finally, the fragile and elegantly dancing rays of the Northern Lights add that touch of mystery and otherworldly beauty, and here on the northern coasts the Aurora frequency is the highest in the world. By the way, the temperature hovers around -4C, surprisingly tolerable and inviting.
Another surprise is the active social and cultural scene; this is the time for thought-provoking and challenging theatre, classical concerts and arctic light-inspired art, and the intimacy is conducive to rock concerts and jazz sessions. The cafés are more crowded than ever, and the nightlife gets all the more intensive. Visitors are few and far between, and receive an even friendlier reception than in summer. Don?t miss the chance to visit captivating museums of arctic history and culture, galleries of surprising, arctic arts, see the seals in the experience centre of Polaria and listen to the new organ in the landmark Arctic Cathedral.
No winter visit, though, is complete without venturing into the Arctic winter landscapes that surround the city. Dog sledding is both fast and environmentally friendly, while reindeer sledding is the oldest means of transport in the far north. The world?s first cross country skiing championship took place in Tromsø in 1843, so don't miss the chance of learning this elegant sport. All the activities as safe, well-organised and easy to book.
Tromsø in winter is luminous, warming and inviting. For more information see www.visittromso.no
North Cape - new exciting shore excursion - King Crab Safari
We welcome you to the port of Honningsvåg, and invite you to experience our nature very closely. In three hour we will give you deep sea rafting and the opportunity to see and eat big king crabs.
We take you deep sea rafting to Sarnesfjorden. Here we stop and check what's inside the traps down in the deep. The trip continues to our lavvocamp. Here we go ashore and prepare the catch of the day.
The King Crab can measure up to 2 meters between its claws, and weigh as much as 10 kilos. However, we are most likely to catch "small" Crabs at 3 to 7 kilos.
Please also check www.destinasjon-71nord.no for more information
Sandefjord - a new attractive "Viking destination" - www.visitsandefjord.com
Photos: Mokollen - Frank K. Opsahl, Gaia- Båtlaget Gaia
Sandefjord is situated in the county of Vestfold, 2 hours' drive from the capital Oslo. Sandefjord is known for its Viking history. The latest excavations (Nov. 2007) at Borre, just 40 minutes from the port, reveal traces of the great Viking King halls. Among several Viking attractions already excavated in the county are a number of different local variants, and altogether we believe we are able to satisfy whatever interests the cruise passengers may have in this area.
The harbours in Vestfold (4) have a concentrated focus on the cruise market, pinpointing Vestfold as a new cruise destination. Under the slogan "Viking for a Day", visitors can steep in Viking-related facts from all over Vestfold. Sandefjord is linked to Europe from Oslo Torp Airport (15 minutes from the town centre), with connections to London Stansted, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and other European cities, and by Colorline, the ferry between Strømstad in Sweden and Sandefjord.
