Norway cruise resrictions

[davecttr]

Restrictions on Norway cruising - apparently Norway may be adopting a 'zero emission' policy for ships in at least 3 world heritage fjords including ports such as Flam and Geiranger. This should be implemented by 2026 and zero emission means no exhaust so essentially battery power or hydrogen fuel - Looks like it is bye bye to cruising the fjords on anything but the latest ships

[Harry Peterson]

20 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

You don't think it's a bit hypocritical of the Norewgians to demand zero emissions when just about their entire economy is based on their oil industry?

Just hard economics, supply,  demand and a clear indication of where the power lies. Sentiment doesn't come into it when you're fortunate enough to be in the position that Norway's in.

[terrierjohn]

33 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Just hard economics, supply,  demand and a clear indication of where the power lies. Sentiment doesn't come into it when you're fortunate enough to be in the position that Norway's in.

So you're not really an environmentalist at all Harry, merely a pragmatist.  If Norway was at all bothered about climate change they would phase out their oilfields, at the same time as gradually introducing emissions reductions, that would have a much greater effect on greenhouse gases.

Edited November 10, 2019 by terrierjohn

[davecttr]

Apparently the Norwegian oil fund has just topped 1 trillion $

[Dinglebert]

30 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Apparently the Norwegian oil fund has just topped 1 trillion $

which they have used to benefit their country as compared to us who squandered it.   When we were in Flam this year we went a walk round the hills to find some signs put up by the local farmer who clearly expressed his opinion on the cruise ships docking nearby.  I don't really see that the ships bring in much income.  The local hotels yes with their sky high prices.  People just get back on board for lunch.

[brian1]

Well,those farmers had better get more signs made.P&O is coming back with a vengeance.A ship twice as big with the right ecofuel,lol.

[Eglesbrech]

This just adds to the list of places where cruise ships are becoming less and less welcome. 
 

We were in Flam earlier this year and it was absolutely mobbed with people as there were 2 cruise ships in, a hydrofoil and about 30 coaches in the overspill coach park far less the central one. It was not pleasant as there was a crush everywhere.

 

The  first time we went to Flam it was a pretty little village with just a post office with a small museum at the back and one hotel. It is now a tourist haven and it must drive the locals mad to have so many people taking the place over day after day.

 

Cruising is becoming a victim of its own success, too many ships taking too many tourists to places that were never designed for volume tourism and are being spoiled by it.

 

Im so glad I have been to a lot of these beautiful places when they were relatively quiet as I think the list of no go areas for cruise ships will just get bigger by the year.

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

Well,those farmers had better get more signs made.P&O is coming back with a vengeance.A ship twice as big with the right ecofuel,lol.

Except as I understand it LNG is not a zero emission fuel so would not be allowed under the proposed regulations. Hydrogen fuel is not zero emission either but as the emission is pure water it is none polluting, especially in a watery environment.

[brian1]

2 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Except as I understand it LNG is not a zero emission fuel so would not be allowed under the proposed regulations. Hydrogen fuel is not zero emission either but as the emission is pure water it is none polluting, especially in a watery environment.

All the spiel I googled said it was zero.The last resort is to put holes in the lower cheapo cabins to accommodate oars.

[jaydee6969]

2 hours ago, brian1 said:

Well,those farmers had better get more signs made.P&O is coming back with a vengeance.A ship twice as big with the right ecofuel,lol.

Except Iona will not be visiting Flam.  The port has a limit of 2 ships with a total maximum passengers of 5000.  Iona exceeds this on its own.

Edited November 11, 2019 by jaydee6969

[brian1]

21 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

Except Iona will not be visiting Flam.  The port has a limit of 2 ships with a total maximum passengers of 5000.  Iona exceeds this on its own.

Well that's gonna be a bummer for a ship that's bigging up it's Norway maiden season.Flam is one of the biggies,surely.

[newbie cruissy]

11 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Well that's gonna be a bummer for a ship that's bigging up it's Norway maiden season.Flam is one of the biggies,surely.

We are on Iona next year - Flam is not on the schedule. Route is Stavanger - Olden - Geiranger - Bergen

[jaydee6969]

10 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Well that's gonna be a bummer for a ship that's bigging up it's Norway maiden season.Flam is one of the biggies,surely.

 

At Iona launch for its inaugural Norway season Flam was dropped for Geiranger for 2020, and Bergen is dropped in 2021 for Haugesund.  As far as I can tell Arcadia is the only P&O ship to visit Flam between now and march 2022, and that's only once.

[brian1]

10 minutes ago, newbie cruissy said:

We are on Iona next year - Flam is not on the schedule. Route is Stavanger - Olden - Geiranger - Bergen

That's my point.Flam is one of the bucket list ports and it's being missed.MSC have a 5000+ docking next year,admittedly it's only 176000 tons.just a baby ,lol.

[pete14]

4 minutes ago, brian1 said:

That's my point.Flam is one of the bucket list ports and it's being missed.MSC have a 5000+ docking next year,admittedly it's only 176000 tons.just a baby ,lol.

Apart from the railway, there is nothing special about Flam apart from the beautiful scenery which is similar to what you see in most other ports on the fjords. There is of course a micro brewery / pub but I couldn’t afford to spend long inside it!

[brian1]

8 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Apart from the railway, there is nothing special about Flam apart from the beautiful scenery which is similar to what you see in most other ports on the fjords. There is of course a micro brewery / pub but I couldn’t afford to spend long inside it!

Fair enough,we're all florded out anyway.Done Oslo and probably every other fjord system in the world.Just contributing to the debate.

[Eglesbrech]

13 minutes ago, pete14 said:

Apart from the railway, there is nothing special about Flam apart from the beautiful scenery which is similar to what you see in most other ports on the fjords. There is of course a micro brewery / pub but I couldn’t afford to spend long inside it!

I think a lot of people go just for the railway journey. I have to say that if you want to sit on a train and admire the view you can save the long sea journey and just come North for something just as lovely and not nearly so crowded (although the “HarryPotter” journey is beginning to get busy).

 

I won’t miss Flam, done it many times and in much nicer circumstances than the current over tourism.

 

 

 

 

[Rupert2251]

1 hour ago, Eglesbrech said:

I think a lot of people go just for the railway journey. I have to say that if you want to sit on a train and admire the view you can save the long sea journey and just come North for something just as lovely and not nearly so crowded (although the “HarryPotter” journey is beginning to get busy).

 

I won’t miss Flam, done it many times and in much nicer circumstances than the current over tourism.

 

 

 

 

Done the Harry Potter journey from Fort William to Mallaig - fabulous, simply stunning 🧙‍♀️

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, pete14 said:

Apart from the railway, there is nothing special about Flam apart from the beautiful scenery which is similar to what you see in most other ports on the fjords. There is of course a micro brewery / pub but I couldn’t afford to spend long inside it!

And the option to cruise Naeroy Fjord to Gudvangen. I think they have already introduced some electric ships on that route.

[Host Sharon]

I posted on this topic a month or so ago. Ironical really when every cruise line features Norway heavily in their itineraries next year at the expense of the central and eastern Med.

[brian1]

4 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

I think a lot of people go just for the railway journey. I have to say that if you want to sit on a train and admire the view you can save the long sea journey and just come North for something just as lovely and not nearly so crowded (although the “HarryPotter” journey is beginning to get busy).

 

I won’t miss Flam, done it many times and in much nicer circumstances than the current over tourism.

 

 

 

 

Just googled the Harry Potter train,looks great and cheaper than Flam.I said on another thread there are loads of beautiful places in the UK we haven't seen.I think 4 days in this area is on our bucket list.

[hansol1966]

By the original post these conditions won’t be implemented till at least 2026. Fill your boots over the next few years.

[Eglesbrech]

39 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Just googled the Harry Potter train,looks great and cheaper than Flam.I said on another thread there are loads of beautiful places in the UK we haven't seen.I think 4 days in this area is on our bucket list.

There was a lovely story about this train. Some tourists on the road with their young children got stuck when their car broke down and had no idea where they were to get help, (no road signs) and it was getting very cold and more snowy by the minute. They phoned the Police who asked if they could see the railway track which they could so the Police told them to go and stand by the track and they would get a train to look out for them and stop for them.

 

It was the Harry Potter one and the kids thought it was real magic being in the snow and rescued by the Hogwarts express, which is why it made the papers.