North Cape’s Lakselv looks forward to its first turnaround – Cruise Europe
In October Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot will turnaround at anchor in Lakselv. This will be the port’s first turnaround operation and follows two calls in May from Le Lyrial, both overnight.
“This is very exciting for us in the Port of North Cape [PoNC] and we hope to have more of turnaround operations in the future from the North. Ponant is a new and regular visitor for us, having their first visit with Le Bellot in March this year,” says Emmi Inch, sustainability and marketing coordinator PoNC.
PoNC has three cruise ports in northern Norway: Honningsvag/North Cape; Kjollefjord; and Lakselv, which is located at the bottom of the Porsanger fjord, the 4th longest fjord in Norway. The destination is a gateway to Sami culture and their way of life.
“The focus in Lakselv, which is up and coming, is on expedition-size ships, small group activities and for those looking for something completely, new, authentic and untouched,” adds Inch. There is also the possibility to use SeaWalk in Lakselv for ships up to 300m in length.
There are 171 cruise calls expected this year to North Cape, with 74 having already been handled, mainly alongside but also on anchorage. To date MSC Preziosa is the largest ship to have called.
Kjollefjord gets daily calls from Hurtigruten and Havila on the Norwegian coastal route.
The port is planning to sustainably certify this year and has set a focus on long-term sustainable development, according to Inch, who adds: “We at North Cape now have a big focus on sustainable development as the whole travel destination has qualified with a Norwegian quality label as a sustainable travel destination in April 2024 (Merket for Baerekraftig reisemal).”
PoNC has begun a project to install onshore power at berth North and coastal voyage berth South, both in North Cape. To date, it has received NKr20 million (€1.76 million) in funding for the Nkr120 million total project cost.
(North Cape’s Lakselv looks forward to its first turnaround – Cruise Europe)
