CRUICE NORTH 2015
25
Small and
beautiful city
Harstad is one of the cruise ports in our region with the fewest calls each
year. However, this destination is now taking steps to improve both the
infrastructure and shorex offers in order to make the gem of the Vågsfjord
even more attractive for future cruise calls.
CRUISE NORTH MAGAZINE
With a beautiful location on Norway’s
largest island, Hinnøya, and surrounded
by a picturesque Arctic coastal
landscape, Harstad has much to offer
visitors. “
In winter you can chase the
Northern Lights and in summer you can
enjoy the Midnight Sun at Nupen, Norway’s
most romantic place
,” says Gro Dagsvold,
Cruise Coordinator at Destination
Harstad.
GOURMET AND CULTURE
After participating in the CNNS network’s
signature project, Shorex 2014, Dagsvold
is full of go-ahead spirit to develop new
shorex offers. “
You can now have lunch
or dinner at historic sites in Harstad while
experiencing exciting stories about the
place you’re at. We have a strong belief
that this will be popular among our cruise
guests,
” she says.
Three top-end restaurants in Harstad
are involved in this project and they will
ensure that the quality of the food served
matches the quality of the stories told.
Harstad has an abundance of exciting
historical sites. On the Trondenes
Peninsula you will find one of Norway’s
most beautiful churches, the Trondenes
Church. For most people this is more than
a church; it is a symbol of tradition and
history dating right back to the Viking
era and the Middle Ages. The area was
also significant during World War II. The
Germans built the land-based Adolf Guns
here, which since the end of the Cold War
have been accessible to curious visitors.
NEW CRUISE PORT
Port Director Ivar F. Hagenlund has
outlined ambitious plans for future port
development, which will be adopted
in the near future. “
We want to build a
completely new port in the city centre. The
cruise quay will be to the east, but there
will also be a possibility to dock diagonally
towards the north,
” he says.
The East Quay, which is an extension
of the current quay, will be approximately
300 m long with a depth of 10 m. It will
be a permanent ISPS quay. “
The other
quay will be for the Hurtigruten ships so
cruise will have access 24/7. However,
the Hurtigruten quay will also be able to
be used for cruise calls, using temporary
fences and security,
” he says. “
If these
plans are realized, the cruise capacity
in Harstad will more than double from
2018-19. The final decision will be made
by June 2015,
” says Hagenlund.
The new plans that are designed
to attract more cruise calls to the
Port of Harstad.
