Norwegian Fjords 2026

[Lolou127]

We are almost ready to hit the book button on one of the Sky sailings to the Fjords, but does anyone know if she’s likely to be affected by the new regulations that Norway will require from 2026 regarding the fuel type of ships allowed into the Fjords?

[pink845]

We have booked the Sky Princess for the June 13, 2026 sailing to Norway.  Prices have increased tremendously since we booked.  Still so far off.  Perhaps only certain of the Norwegian ports will require the LNG ships.  It would be irresponsible for Princess to allow us to book a cruise where they already know their ships will be prohibited from entering.  I intend to keep an eye on this issue.

[NMTraveller]

I am watching this also.  I am on the Sky in 2026.

 

I wonder if Norway will really do this?  If they do I wonder if Princess will have an excursion on a smaller boat that complies that will cruise through the fjords.

[NMTraveller]

I would think that the Sun Princess could do this itinerary with LNG?  Doesn't Princess have another new LNG ship coming?

[karatemom2]

Seems like there may already be an impact as I have not seen Geiranger or Flam on any of the future itineraries - two of the most beautiful deep fjords. I am so glad we got our trip in this year. 

 

[roomba920]

We went to Norway with P&O this past May. We originally booked it for 2024 due to hearing this would be the last year large non- electric ships would be allowed in. However, I believe Norway has extended that.

[Lolou127]

3 hours ago, roomba920 said:

We went to Norway with P&O this past May. We originally booked it for 2024 due to hearing this would be the last year large non- electric ships would be allowed in. However, I believe Norway has extended that.

I thought the P and O Iona was designed with this in mind? this is my other thought if Sky is unable to go there.

If Princess change the itinerary there is no option to cancel and get your deposit returned is there?

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, Lolou127 said:

I thought the P and O Iona was designed with this in mind? this is my other thought if Sky is unable to go there.

If Princess change the itinerary there is no option to cancel and get your deposit returned is there?

Technically, cruise lines can cancel any port at any time.  If they change the itinerary prior to final payment, you have  the option to cancel and receive any refundable deposits back.  It is ultimately up Princess as to whether they would  choose to refund any nonrefundable deposits.  This has been an issue on NCL, with ports cancelled after final payment "to help the environment." with cruisers unable to switch to a different sailing or cancel.   I would hope that Princess would be generous with refunds if they cancel the ports that are the highlights of a Norwegian cruise, but there's no guarantee.  

 

Please note that of the three most popular fjords (Geiranger, Flam and Olden), Olden will remain accessible after the new regulations are in place.  This will allow you to visit the Loen skylift and Briskdal Glacier.  (Briskdal was a lovely bus ride and hike, although the glacier itself hit hard by global warming).  I cannot comment upon this myself, since I visited the Loen skylit 3 days after it opened, and there were no ship tours running there yet), but more recent posters have reported long lines to access the Loen skylift.  I would be concerned about how crowded Olden may become if the other popular fjords are no longer accessible.  You can check cruise timetables to see how many ships will be in Olden when you find an itinerary you are considering booking.

 

Geiranger and Flam are the two popular fjords that will be affected if the new regulations are enforced.  However, please note that cruise ships can still sail to Hellesylt, which is a one hour ferry ride from Geiranger.  The beautiful viewpoints in Geiranger can be visited in a few hours, so if you have a full port day you would be able to access Geiranger although it will be a bit more expensive and less convenient.     

 

The other issue is that the fjords are stunning on the clear day we had in Geiranger, but less spectacular on the cloudy days we experienced in Olden and Flam.  If you are only visiting one deep fjord for one day, you might not get clear weather.    

 

In Flam, the highlight is the Flam railroad, but people on the Baltic forums have noted that other parts of the Norwegian trains were just as beautiful, so perhaps those ports would become more popular if Flam is no longer accessible.  The sail in to the Flam fjord itself is gorgeous, so that would also be lost.  

 

 

 

Edited July 30 by kitkat343

[milolii]

You might want to post  on the port of call boards.  There are several posters who live in Norway/Scandinavia and keep up with the ongoing changes.  The moderators may  move this thread anyway.  I don’t think the Norwegian government has any intention of delaying the implementation date. 
 

If I were planning a trip now, I would add in some land opportunities such as Norway in a Nutshell, maybe flying into either Oslo or Bergen.  We did this in May and then flew to London to catch the ship.   Absolutely wonderful trip.  As @karatemom2 and @kitkat343 have pointed out, Geiranger and Flam have been removed already.  The idea to catch a ferry from Hellesylt to Geiranger is interesting and worth exploring. 
 

It is possible the newer Princess ships  may qualify for permission  to enter these fjords. 
 

The ferries that  enter the fjords are mostly electric. I think P&O and Royal Caribbean (Icon of the Seas?) may have ships that meet the requirements. Not sure Royal Caribbean would use that ship in Norway, though. 
 

Can you post your itinerary?   

 

Here is the link to the port of call boards 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-baltic-sea/

[Kim Viktor]

The regulations only affect the UNESCO fjords, so for Geiranger and Flåm the ships need to operate on battery or biogas (during a shorter period) from 2026. The rest of the fjords are not affected by this so Olden, Skjolden etc. can still be used by Sky Princess. 

[joejoe 59]

We have the land of the midnight sun cruise booked for mid 2026 & neither Geiranger or Flam are part of the itinerary. So I would say Princess won't need to change the itinerary. 

The port are Sravanger, Haugesund  Skjolden, Olden, Trondheim, Honningsvag for (north cape) Tromso,  & Edinburgh.  Back to Southampton. 

Edited August 1 by joejoe 59

[roomba920]

On 7/30/2024 at 3:02 AM, Lolou127 said:

I thought the P and O Iona was designed with this in mind? this is my other thought if Sky is unable to go there.

If Princess change the itinerary there is no option to cancel and get your deposit returned is there?

You may be right, but that wasn't why we choose Iona. Norway is allowing all cruise ships until 2026. At the time that we booked, Norway was going to restrict ships without clean energy in 2024. They have since decided to extend that till 2026, so book now.

Edited August 1 by roomba920

[Ken the cruiser]

Just saw this article that was posted in a thread on the Celebrity forum.

 

Norway Allows Cruise Ships In World Heritage Fjords Until 2032 (forbes.com)

 

Since 2018, the clock has been ticking for cruise ships sailing in the world-famous Norwegian fjords. Back then, a government decision was made that would prevent all except zero-emission vessels from sailing in the World Heritage fjords by 2026.

 

Given that even small cruise ships have a gross tonnage of at least double that figure, the ruling essentially only applies to passenger ferries and sightseeing vessels. Such vessels must be zero-emission from January 1, 2026, although many operating in the fjords already are.

 

For larger ships, including some of the world’s biggest cruise ships that regularly visit the Norwegian fjords, the requirement will come into effect on January 1, 2032.

 

Edited August 28 by Ken the cruiser