By
Michele Witthaus |
Every year, Cruise Norway hosts at least two familiarisation (‘fam’) trips for cruise line representatives and journalists. The trips take in different regions each year and serve to showcase what various ports have to offer, along with the shore excursion options in each destination.
Eight cruise line representatives, whose companies have ships ranging in size from smaller luxury craft to the largest modern cruise vessels, participated in a trip from 5-9 September 2016 to northern Norway. The tour included port inspections in several popular and growing cruise destinations (Harstad, Sortland/Vesterålen, Lofoten, Bodø and Brønnøysund), providing crucial information about docking facilities, air and water drafts, seasonal weather patterns and onward connections in towns and cities.
A key aspect of the fam trips is the opportunity for shore excursion planners to experience everything that is on offer for cruise guests. In Harstad, the itinerary took in a range of attractions, starting with World War II history in the shape of the Adolf Gun, one of the largest cannons ever assembled by the Nazis and used during the occupation of Norway. The unusual architecture of Trondenes Church and the natural beauty of Elgsnes beach (complete with local delicacies served by a chef) were also showcased.
Norway is known for its outdoor activities and cruise line planners took the opportunity to test out the level of fitness required for the more active pursuits offered. During the week’s travels, the group tried out horseriding on the beach with Icelandic ponies at Hov Horsefarm (situated close to the award-winning Lofoten Links golf course); a RIB boat ride in one of the world’s strongest naturally occurring whirlpool sites, Saltstraumen in Bodø; and two brisk hikes. The first of these took walkers up Mount Keipen in Harstad, followed by coffee and pancake-style ‘lefse’ on a majestic mountaintop; and the second (on the last day of the trip) introduced the iconic Torghatten in Berønnøysund, where a steep uphill trail rewarded the group with views of a huge naturally occurring arch within the mountaintop, revealing scores of small islands in the sea beyond.
More cerebral activities included a private mini-concert at Bodø Cathedral on one of the world’s largest modern pipe organs. There were also several museum visits to enjoy works by well-loved Norwegian artists, including Kåre Espolin Johnson in Lofoten, who depicted the lives of fishermen in traditional boats. A stroll through the fascinating Coastal Express Museum at Stokmarknes in cruise port Sortland/Vesterålen was popular for its lovingly reconstructed interiors featuring actual equipment and furniture from Hurtigruten’s older ships that have served the coast of Norway for many years.
The region has several museums that trace the history of Viking life and the rise over many centuries of fishing in this region, where livelihoods have long depended on plentiful cod and other fish. Historical highlights for the fam trip participants included the Lofotmuseet, the Viking museum at Borg in cruise port Leknes/Lofoten, and the carefully preserved houses set in beautiful surroundings on the water at Kjerringøy, which attracts visitors to the cruise port of Bodø. At the other end of the historical spectrum, a visit to a working salmon farm, the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre in Brønnøysund, demonstrated the success of current sustainable fishing methods in Norway.
Cruise Norway’s fam trips offer valuable insights into trends in shore excursions, from the traditional to the cutting edge. Planners in the group predicted strong interest from their guests in a visit to a glassblower in Vikten in Lofoten, whose stunning location between beach and mountain provide quartz used in the works. Also popular was a quirky tour of a blacksmith’s workspace and engine collection in Sund. In the town of Melbu, near the cruise port of Sortland/Vesterålen, there were animated discussions about how the cruise operators might package and sell a distinctly avant-garde evening concert conducted in pitch darkness in a disused herring oil tank whose acoustics provide a pronounced echo effect.
A blurring of the lines between museum, restaurant and entertainment experiences was noticeable in several attractions, for example Full Steam in Henningsvær in Lofoten, which combined the history of local cod fishing with an intimate and authentic dining experience. Guests were invited to take a dose of pure cod liver oil – balanced by a sampling of caviar straight from a smoked cod roe.
Ways to maximise the accessibility, timing and enjoyability of excursions for the guests of each cruise line were discussed at all locations, with the owners or managers of each attraction on hand to answer questions. For their part, the cruise line participants in the fam trip listed the passion and enthusiasm of the guides and hosts, good tour opportunities, quality ports, interesting venues and sights, and great food among the regional highlights that would inform their planning sessions for forthcoming itineraries.