Q – We’ve been looking into cruises to Norway and the Fjords next summer on one of the better lines. We’re just amazed at how few there are and we wonder why the demand isn’t greater. It seems that Seabourn, Crystal, Regent, and Silversea will do one, possibly two of these itineraries each summer yet they have multiple departures to the Greek islands or the Baltic and Russia. It all makes us think that the itineraries are lousy so demand is low. Is that the bottom line?
A – No, you’re far off course but we understand how you got there. Cruise lines could generate marketing interest and increase the number of Norwegian coastal voyages if they felt they had a shot at full ships. But apart from the fact that most Americans just don’t know how beautiful the Norwegian fjords really are, we suspect the real reason that you don’t see more itineraries in the region has to do with the cost of operations in Scandinavian waters. Port services, docking fees, fuel, and labor costs are all significantly higher than what the lines have to pay to operate in the Baltic or the Med. In fact, pilots who guide cruise ships into port are paid higher salaries in Norway than virtually anywhere else in the world.
The cruise lines must maintain a fairly even keel when it comes to per diem costs to their customers. So many of the Scandinavian port charges come right off the bottom line. This is more an economic issue than anything else. It is an absolutely wonderful itinerary for experienced cruisers looking for something different.
