After a couple of stable years of activity, the port of Stavanger is awaiting a record-breaking 2019. The number of expected visits is expected to be up by 30% and cruise passenger numbers are set to increase by more than 45%, in comparison with 2018.
In addition, the port has become a year-round hub with cruise calls booked into late 2021, according to Anders Bang-Andersen, director of cruise development City & Port of Stavanger.
In 2019, a total of 243 visits from 69 different ships will bring nearly 500,000 passengers to the port city the and surrounding region. In 2018, there were 187 visits and 333,000 cruise passengers.
Statistics show that around 80% of passengers to the port are Europeans, 50% of which come from Northern Europe. Practically all voyages start and end in ports near the North Sea.
Despite the increase, the Stavanger port is not suffering from over-tourism or congestion. All four berths are occupied on a handful of days during the year. There are also 200 days without cruise ship calls.
The outlook for 2020 is encouraging, being slightly up this year.
The first visit of 2019 was on January 15 when Viking Sky was sailing from Tilbury to Alta on ship's first voyage in a series of 6 winter journeys, ‘Hunting for the Northern Lights’.