the history and the beauty of the places they’re visiting.” A great example of this in Isafjordur, Iceland, where Fred. Olsen’s passengers can meet with local farmers to gain an insight into life in one of the most remote parts of Iceland. “Guests visiting this part of the world with us are pretty adventurous, and really want to have new and unique experiences while they are there,” says Lister. “Our journey planners take great pride in hand-crafting each itinerary, ensuring guests can get the most out of each sailing and destination. Northern Europe is ideal for this, with so many fantastic experiences, from witnessing natural phenomena such as the midnight sun or northern lights, venturing into the Arctic Circle in the height of winter, or exploring some majestic cities rich in culture and history.” Logistical challenges are a key part of the itinerary planning process too; something that tourism boards and port authorities are becoming privy to. “The time from the port to the city centre is very important for the cruise line to deliver a great guest experience, but also for the destination as the ship may only be in port for a few hours,” says Skaarup. “Every single minute in a traffic jam equates to lost revenue for the local community.” As such, Cruise Baltic is encouraging visiting operators to opt for overnight stays in the region. “So far we have succeeded,” adds Skaarup. “We’ve seen a large increase between 2017 and 2019.” While the ports of call are clearly key in any itinerary, some cruise lines also invest a lot of energy into the journey. “It’s not just the ports themselves that we consider, but also the scenery when sailing to and from each destination,” says Lister. “At Fred. Olsen, we believe in the joy of the journey, and know some of the best views are those that can be seen from the water. “We don’t sail directly from A to B – we love taking the scenic route and will always make the time to showcase each destination’s natural beauty. It will come as no surprise that our programme features plenty of calls into our homeland Norway, where we can sail right into the heart of the fjords and offer breathtaking scenery direct from our smaller ships.” CFIP The region offers a diverse range of activities across all seasons REGIONAL SPOTL IGHT: NORTHERN EUROPE “ The Baltic Sea and Northern Europe region stands out because of the diversity in destination” Ida Katrine Skaarup, Cruise Baltic Photos: Cruise Baltic 8 4
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