New member: Leknes



Wednesday, October 18, 2017 - 09:05 by ce-press

Lofoten is an Arctic island group that has been a cruise destination since 1889. The annual average for calls to these Norwegian islands is about 100 with expansion now beginning into the winter season. The five main islands are linked by road and can be visited in a day. Passengers are also able to disembark at one port and join at another.

Leknes calls itself ‘the gateway to the most beautiful islands in the world’. It is able to accommodate ships up to a maximum of 230m in length at the berth which has a length of 190m and depth of 7.5m to 14m. The distance from the berth to the shuttle buses is about 60m. When it comes to anchorage, there is no limitation on size, by agreement with the pilot. The diameter and draught of the turning circle are about 500m and 6m respectively. The pontoon dock for ships’ tenders is 45m in length and 0.75nm from the anchorage. Tidal movement is 2m to 2.2m. There is a tug available.

The port is working on providing a faster and free WiFi network to passengers at the port which is planned to be available for the 2018 season. It is also improving signage, marking and maps for next year as well as taking on additional personnel at the dock on call days.

The port is offering a reduced quay fee for ships overnighting and offers a number of night-time excursions including horseback riding, golf at midnight and a midnight sun RIB trip not to mention the chance to see the northern lights/aurora borealis. Due to the warm Gulf Stream, Lofoten has a milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude. During the summer there is light 24 hours a day.

This year there were 43 calls, 60,441 passengers and 21,150 crew to Leknes. In total 93 different nationalities visited. A number of ships called for the first time: Viking Star, Sea and Sky, Costa Magica, AIDAsol and Pacific Princess. Next year Sapphire Princess and TUI Discovery (which is due for a name change to Marella Discovery in respect of Thomson Cruises rebranding as Marella Cruises this month) call for the first time when there are 45 calls booked.

There is a wide range of shore excursions ranging from the historical to the active. For example, the Lofotr Vikingmuseum is home to the largest longhouse in the world. In the summer passengers can sail and row in Viking ships or try their hand at axe throwing or the bow and arrow. Year-round they can join Viking Guild, a Viking party!

Guided mountain tours are on offer as well as water activities, such as RIB safaris, scuba diving, kayaking and fishing tours. The cliffs in Lofoten are abundant with nesting seabirds and marine life includes migrating orcas.



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