How small does a cruise ship need to be to not need tenders in Isafjordur?

[ontheweb]

We have 2 smaller ports both in Iceland and Norway on our cruise this summer. When I asked an NCL phone representative what if any port was a tender port, the immediate answer was only Geiranger.

 

But, I have been in contact with a tour guide in Isafjordur and asked where the tour would meet. Her reply was at the dock where the tenders come in.

 

This seemed to me to contradict what NCL had said, so I googled is Isafjordur a tender port? And the answer was smaller ships did not need to use tenders, but larger ones did. Now though the Prima is not Epic sized, it is still over 3000 passengers. What exactly is a small ship for the definition of using or not needing tenders for this port? If anyone know, I would appreciate the answer.

[CruiserBruce]

We couldn't dock there, and our ship is smaller than Prima. Its a fairly tight situation.

[bearette]

They have ice ...it's where the icebergs from Titanic came from. Assume you are tendering in all of Greenland.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, bearette said:

They have ice ...it's where the icebergs from Titanic came from. Assume you are tendering in all of Greenland.

Islafjordur is in Iceland. You can dock in several ports in Iceland...including Islafjordur if your ship is on the small side.

[bearette]

Opps! Wrong one- we are doing a cruise to both and as you can see I get them mixed up. 
 

Assume they are tendering though and you will be pleasantly surprised if you aren’t. 

[DMP609]

I also posted this information on the NCL site. I am also on a Prima sailing this summer and it does not say we are tendering in Isafjordur. Looking at Celebrity's (I know they are different than NCL, but they also have larger ships visiting) website, they say: "On cruises to Isafjordur, your ship will dock in the port of Isafjordur, which is located within a natural harbor in the Westfjords region."

 

I also found this article: https://www.cruiseeurope.com/news/news-isafjordur-1613379438/ 

so hopefully it means they can now accommodate larger ships.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, DMP609 said:

I also posted this information on the NCL site. I am also on a Prima sailing this summer and it does not say we are tendering in Isafjordur. Looking at Celebrity's (I know they are different than NCL, but they also have larger ships visiting) website, they say: "On cruises to Isafjordur, your ship will dock in the port of Isafjordur, which is located within a natural harbor in the Westfjords region."

 

I also found this article: https://www.cruiseeurope.com/news/news-isafjordur-1613379438/ 

so hopefully it means they can now accommodate larger ships.

Ok 🤞 that we will not need to tender. More worried about the time it takes to tender off a ship that is not very small than the actual act of tendering.

[CruiserBruce]

If you look at the Islafjordur port website, the pictures of ships docked are all small...like not even a thousand pax. The docks are not very big.

[Capt_BJ]

 

 

 

 

the article about pier expansion mentions a 2023 completion ...

Our main cruise ships quay, Sundabakki, has officially started the extension project this month (Feb, 2021). This construction of extension of 300 meters in the port of Isafjordur will bring the sundabakki quay to a length to 500 meters with deepest draft reach to 11M (see picture). This project will fully complete at year 2023, and we expect to service and welcome more ships at summer 2022. This project is aiming to service and respond the growing demand from the market of cruise ships.

 

but the top image says it is from 2023 and there are no signs of work underway - and a project like this does NOT happen overnight. SOOOOO??? ..... I'll be there on VIKING mid July and maybe I'll be able to let you know then!

 

Viking Ocean ships are 745 ft for reference. We are scheduled to dock not tender.

 

p.s. PRIMA is listed at 981'

Edited April 16, 2023 by Capt_BJ

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Capt_BJ said:

 

 

 

 

the article about pier expansion mentions a 2023 completion ...

Our main cruise ships quay, Sundabakki, has officially started the extension project this month (Feb, 2021). This construction of extension of 300 meters in the port of Isafjordur will bring the sundabakki quay to a length to 500 meters with deepest draft reach to 11M (see picture). This project will fully complete at year 2023, and we expect to service and welcome more ships at summer 2022. This project is aiming to service and respond the growing demand from the market of cruise ships.

 

but the top image says it is from 2023 and there are no signs of work underway - and a project like this does NOT happen overnight. SOOOOO??? ..... I'll be there on VIKING mid July and maybe I'll be able to let you know then!

 

Viking Ocean ships are 745 ft for reference. We are scheduled to dock not tender.

 

p.s. PRIMA is listed at 981'

Thanks in advance, that would be helpful. If you cannot dock, we definitely cannot being larger. If you can, maybe there is a chance, but it would not be definite.

[CruiserBruce]

@Capt_BJ, we were there in July 2022. No sign of any construction. Plus I think the general entrance area is a bit tight to be putting a ship into.