8
CRUICE NORTH 2014
Cruise port Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen
is without doubt the world’s northernmost
destination for ordinary cruise ships. In
recent years the maritime traffic to the
Arctic region has been limited by environ-
mental measures in various areas.
From 2015 larger cruise ships using
heavy fuel oil will not be able to call at
the classic highlights in Ny-Ålesund and
Magdalendafjorden, however ships that
use light fuel will still be able to visit
these attractions. This means that new
thinking is required by everyone working
for a positive development for the larger
overseas cruises to Svalbard when it
comes to sailing patterns and shore
excursions.
ISFJORDEN
The Tourism Manager at Svalbard Reiseliv,
Ronny Brunvoll, says the tourism industry
is meeting the challenges by looking at
what is on offer in the Longyearbyen
areas, such as Isfjorden (see map). This
large fjord in the middle of Spitsbergen’s
West Coast is not covered by the ban on
heavy fuel oil. It extends far into Svalbard,
surrounded by picturesque mountains
and glaciers.
Longyearbyen, the administrative
centre of Svalbard, with a population of
2,100 people working in mining, earth
observation, tourism, trade or research, is
situated in this fjord. Longyearbyen has a
good airport and a port, which is under
going positive development. The fjord is
only ice-free, and thus accessible by ship,
in the summer months.
The abandoned Russian settlement
of Pyramiden at the head of Billefjorden,
one of several arms of Isfjorden, is one of
several ports of call now under consid-
eration. “There are vulnerable relics of
culture in this area, and naturally we want
this to happen without any environmental
impact, as the authorities require,” says
the tourism manager.
Pyramiden, which in its time was
the large shop-window of the Soviet
state, may be reached via Isfjorden. The
cruise lines can tender their passengers
ashore using smaller boats so they
can experience this town that remains
virtually intact after being abandoned in a
hurry in 1999.
Another Russian settlement is
Barentsburg, which is some distance
further out in the same fjord. There is
still an active mining community here
comprising of several hundred Russian
and Ukrainian workers.
Terje Aunevik, the Managing Director of
Longyearbyen’s largest port agency, Pole
Position AS, is in no doubt that Isfjorden
is an extremely good alternative, quickly
rattling off a variety of advantages. “The
fjord is a compact experience of Svalbard,
and has many of the qualities one finds
elsewhere in the archipelago, such as
the spectacular glaciers, cultural relics
and abandoned settlements. In addition,
emergency preparedness for safety and
the environment will always be close at
hand.”
Spitsbergen Travel, one of the largest
operators in Longyearbyen, coordinates
both turnaround and shore excursion
services for cruise lines of all sizes. “We
noted that there was a perception that
capacity was a major issue for large scale
shore excursions in Longyearbyen,” says
Anika Paust, International Sales Manager
at Spitsbergen Travel. “By improving the
utilisation of transport options, imple-
menting training courses for our guides,
and exploring new options in Isfjorden,
we can now offer a portfolio of shore
excursions to well over 2000 passengers
per day,” she says.
SLOW CRUISING
Terje Aunevik says that the Isfjorden
concept was tested out on Phoenix
Reizen’s “Albatross” in 2013, and that the
feedback was extremely positive from
the captain and passengers alike. In 2014
three of the cruise line’s ships will sail into
Isfjorden: Albatros, Amadea and Artania.
The cruise lines can operate “slow
cruising” in Isfjorden at a speed of less
than 10 knots, enabling the passengers
to relax and enjoy the spectacular nature
and the cruise line to save both time and
fuel costs.
The feedback from the pilots is also
going in the same direction. They say that
the captains on board are looking forward
to sailing shorter distances when they
have arrived in Spitsbergen. Sailing up
the west coast is somewhat monotonous
before you reach the destinations, while
the weather can also be unstable. In
Isfjorden one is guaranteed stable sailing
conditions, while there is also a lot to
see and experience. The many “hidden
treasures” in Isfjorden will therefore
be adapted for the cruise industry,
thus providing cruise passengers an
experience that is at least as good as
before.
NO DECLINE IN 2015
The Governor of Svalbard, the Kingdom
of Norway’s representative in the
archipelago, now has two brand new
rescue helicopters at his disposal. These
Photo: NordNorsk Reiseliv as
Photo: NordNorsk Rei
