Tuesday, April 29, 2025 - 09:07 by ce-press
Captain Torbjorn Jacobsen is not only the Mayor of Runavik but still pilots the ships coming in. He is in the unique position of coming from both sides of the industry and, since 2016, has ensured that the money coming into the port is being used in the port for projects, such as quayside development.
“The strategy for cruise in Runavik is not just as a money machine. My thought is to have a nice feeling for passengers and for the locals to be able to meet people from other countries. We use money from the cruiseships to also put into educating our young people on becoming more internationalised. It is important to include the locals when we have a call, working closely with tour operators, shops etc.”
In 2010 there was only one call to Runavik but then came 11 in 2018, 25 this year and 30 in 2026. The larger ships tend to call Runavik, with smaller vessels calling (on anchor) the nearby villages, which are limited to three calls a year.
Each village has a particular theme with the most recent being a grouping of three: Elduvik for storytelling and myths; Funningur for history and legends (having its first two calls next year - from Silver Wind); Oyndarfjordur for trade and industry.
Rannva Troest, head of cruise at the Port of Runavik, is keen to point out that the money from cruise stays in the villages and that for every call there is a tailor-made plan. “There is always a welcome event and ‘Ask Me’ locals around the town to assist passengers. This year we will have a mobile information desk on the pier in Runavik. Now that we have experience of last year’s 25 calls, we know we can handle the ships.”
This year the season starts on May 3 and ends on October 18.
