“Overnight turnaround calls are important for the port and the city as it brings good business to the city and hotels,” said Sandra Diana Bratland, head of cruise development for the port of Bergen.

“We are therefore particularly glad to see number of turnaround calls increase year by year.”

Bergen, Norway’s largest port, will welcome 28 turnaround calls this year as part of 329-call, 653,110-passenger season, up more than a 100,000 passengers from 2017. There are also 15 inaugural visits. Next year, passenger numbers drop a bit but turnarounds increase to 33.

“Bergen is committed to keep the city a good place to live in, do business in and to visit and as such, are working to find good ways to balance cruise and other incoming tourism,”
Bratland continued.

Ships berth in walking distance to the city-center, with full day excursions available to Hardanger to experience fjord Norway. From Bergen it is only short sailing distances to several ofthe other popular destinations in the region such as Stavanger, Haugesund, Flåm, Eidfjord, Geiranger, Olden and Ålesund, Bratland said.

“We have a limited number of berths available and we are in the favorable position that we receive so many requests for berths that we sometimes have to say no and suggest other available dates,” she continued. “As such, we expect to see around the same number of calls in 2023 as we have today. It is our wish that any increase in number of calls should come in the shoulder and off season. Cruising in Norway in the winter has become more and more popular over the years and Bergen has a lot to offer outside of the hectic summer season.”