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CRUICE NORTH 2014
North Cape Turnaround Port (NCTP) is
planning to invest an estimated NOK
40 million in a SeaWalk, a patented
solution to bring passengers safely
ashore without quay facilities or
tendering the passengers in smaller
boats (pictured).
The project has found SeaWalk to be
the best docking solution. The SeaWalk
is a folding floating dock. The benefits
of SeaWalk over the traditional dock
systems include lower costs, environ-
Pullmantur will sail from Malmo and
up to the North Cape throughout the
summer of 2015. The cruise line has
good experience with similar operations
in Trondheim in 2012 and 2013. The
cruise ship “MS Empress” will implement
three such operations in Bodø and two in
Lakselv in 2015.
“Norway offers one of the most
beautiful landscapes and shore excursion
opportunities in the world,” said the Vice
President of Pullmantur, Eduardo López-
Puertas, during Cruise Norway’s summit.
He added that the shore excursions in
Western Norway were rated extremely
highly by the passengers.
“MS Empress”, with a capacity of 2,020
passengers, will make history in 2015
when it becomes by far the largest cruise
ship to complete a turnaround operation
north of the Arctic Circle. “The distance
between the airport and the port in Bodø
is extremely short. It is actually within
walking distance,” says Port Director
Ingvar M. Mathisen of the Port of Bodø.
“Bodø also has an extremely broad
shorex offer and good hotel capacity.”
European Cruise Service will oversee
the process, ensuring that Bodø and
Lakselv deliver in terms of both shorex
and land transport. Bodø already has
most of what is required to handle MS
Empress. Much of the remaining work
will involve arranging sufficient guides
and coaches and also putting the minor
details in place. “The Port of Bodø and
all our local partners are very enthu-
siastic about achieving this and our
ambition is to exceed the expectations
of both Pullmantur and European Cruise
Services,” concludes Mathisen.
MODIFIED SEAWALK
North Cape Turnaround Port in Lakselv
wishes to invest in a so-called SeaWalk
in order to develop satisfactory infra-
structure (see separate article). This
would be a modified version that can
handle luggage as well as the passengers.
However, some are asking themselves
why the facilities in Honningsvåg near the
North Cape are not used for turnaround
operations.
“The reason is simple,” says the
Marketing Manager of NCTP Hege
Jernsletten. “It’s all about logistics. By
localising the SeaWalk at Lakselv, the
coaches will have a 10-minute drive to
and from the airport, enabling us to run an
extremely efficient shuttle service. If we
were to drive to and from Honningsvåg,
a distance of 166 km, we would require a
significant number of coaches and guides.”
The challenge for Lakselv is to create a
sufficient shorex program for the region,
and there is a lot on which to base this.
As well as the North Cape, Sami culture,
coastal culture, fisheries and the local
history are relevant themes for shorex
products. The critical point now is to order
the SeaWalk by June so Pullmantur’s
voyages in 2015 may be implemented on
the basis of the new turnaround port in
Lakselv.
“The success of the project depends
on us having the facilities in place prior to
the 2015 season, so we can handle the
cruise ship, passengers and luggage in
line with the project requirements. We will
manage this,” concludes Jernsletten.
A Walk
on the Sea
Turnaround port in the land of the Midnight Sun
A turnaround port for cruise ships
is a solution where the combi-
nation of a port and airport allows
the passengers on a cruise ship
to be switched. The passengers
who disembark from the cruise
ship are flown home, while the
new passengers are flown in via
the nearby airport. A turnaround
operation involving around 2000
passengers may be implemented in
10 to 14 hours.
The Municipality of Porsanger
and the North Cape Regional Port
Authority have since 2012 been
working to establish a turnaround
port for cruise ships in Lakselv. The
aim is to make possible a week-long
cruise to the land of the Midnight Sun,
in line with market demand.
In order to realize the turnaround
port by the summer of 2015, North
Cape Turnaround Port AS (NCTP)
has now been established. NCTP will
own and operate the dock solution
SeaWalk and in time other infra-
structure in Hamnbukt in Lakselv.
The Spanish cruise line Pullmantur
has booked two calls in June 2015.
The goal is to have the quay and
infrastructure ready for the first
scheduled arrival in early June 2015.
The cruise ship “MS Empress” will
also call at Tromsø, the North Cape
and Bodø. In addition to Lakselv,
turnaround operations will also be
implemented in Bodø (picture to the
left).
Port and airport
