Sikuki Nuuk is the first Greenland port to join Cruise Europe

Sikuki Nuuk is strategically well-placed on the West Coast of Greenland, an ice-free part of the Arctic open for all year operation.

The cruise business in Greenland plays a significant part in the overall foreign tourism impact, accounting for DKK765 million (€102 million) of the total DKK1.9 billion turnover or 40 percent, according to an independent study undertaken for Visit Greenland by Ramboll. The expedition sector accounted for DKK501 million and conventional cruise DKK264 million.

Those numbers are set to rise following the opening of the Nuuk International Airport in November 2024 and Sikuki Nuuk Harbour receiving its first turnaround calls into a newly built turnaround terminal in 2025. John Rasmussen, ceo Sikuki Nuuk Harbour (SNH), says: “The new airport, which is built nearby, has definitely created a new activity of turnarounds as we didn’t have them at all before”.

The airport offers direct year-round service to Copenhagen (Air Greenland) and Reykjavik (Icelandair), plus a seasonal United Airlines service from Newark, USA.

Of the 78 calls (43,670 passengers) handled that year, 27 were turnarounds from companies such as Viking and Hurtigruten. In 2024 calls numbered 62 (37,574 passengers). Although numbers have dropped this year to 48 calls of which 27 are turnarounds, next year shows a rise back up to 70 and 45 respectively.

While the majority of calls are from expedition ships carrying up to 600 passengers, the port has also welcomed conventional cruiseships from brands such as AIDA Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

In 2025 cruise accounted for around 38 per cent of vessel-related income at the port - the largest single category - and some 6 per cent of Sikuki's total turnover, which is dominated by the long-term container terminal lease.

Rasmussen comments: “The economical benefit has increased immensely over the years. Cruise is becoming more than icing on the cake for us. It is comparable with the fishing industry for port revenue but fishing brings a lot of work into the community. Cruise is increasingly doing the same - several analyses point to it generating real growth in the town - and that is something we want to build on further.”

The quays primarily used for cruise are Atlantkaj. With a length of 100m and depth of 10m, it can handle ships up to 300m length overall. The nearby Feederkaj has a length of 40 m length and depth of 6.5m, being well suited to the smaller/expedition ships. Both are about 1km from the city centre and shuttle buses can be laid on if required.

Also in this location is the new turnaround terminal facility which is capable of handling passport control, entry/immigration and baggage handling, with direct coordination with the airport. In addition there is an information centre with small local shops (souvenirs), as well as toilet facilities.

A harbour extension totalling 350m of new quay is underway which, when opened in 2028, will remove all commercial ships away from the above quays, making them cruise dedicated.

Anchorage is also available just outside the harbour, in Malene Bay, about five minutes by tender to a dedicated quay next to the Feederkaj.

Bunkering and potable water are available but, when it comes to waste disposal, Rasmussen says “We would actually prefer it if the vessels would take their waste out of the Arctic. I know we have obligations but we don’t have incinerator facilities large enough to take large amounts of waste.”

In terms of on shore power which is all hydro-generated, it will be considered for the future but he says: “It’s not a priority for the coming years for the cruise industry, although we do provide it for some of the commercial vessels already. It will eventually come.”

When it comes to port agents, Rasmussen explains that there are currently two agents, Eimskip and Blue Water Shipping, representing the vessels. On the tour operator side, the main players are DMC Nordic, Tupilak Travel and Greenland Excursions.

The most popular shore excursions from Nuuk are: boat trips in the Nuuk fjord, including sailing towards the ice fjord and the Sermitsiaq massif; whale watching in Nuup Kangerlua (typically humpback, fin and minke whales in season); and Nuuk city and culture tours, centred on the Greenland National Museum (home of the Qilakitsoq mummies), the colonial harbour district, Nuuk Art Museum and Katuaq Culture House.

Hiking on Store Malene and Ukkusissat is growing with the expedition segment. Excursions are coordinated locally, largely through Visit Nuuk and the local operators.

In addition, compliance manager Mikkel Nonboe Sorensen, explains: “Nuuk is very easy to explore on your own. The quays are roughly one kilometre from the city centre, an easy walk, and the town has a local bus network. Museums, cafes, restaurants and shops are all within the centre. Going further afield is a different matter as there are no roads between Greenlandic towns, so anything beyond Nuuk and its fjord means either a boat charter or a flight.”

Joining Cruise Europe is part of the harbour’s desire to further develop the cruise industry in Greenland. Rasmussen says: “We feel that cruise is a growing industry and growing in importance for Greenland. Being alone, you have to invent everything over and over again, but being part of a network you can both learn and teach.”

SNH has attended Seatrade Global in Miami in the past and there are plans to go again next year as well as to attend the Cruise Europe Conference in Bergen in May. It is also part of the Cruise Islands of North Atlantic (CINA) which holds a well-attended annual breakfast during Seatrade.