A total of 13 cruise ports at the top of Europe are members of Cruise Northern Norway & Svalbard (CNNS). These ports have a strong focus on sustainable shore experiences, good port facilities and first-class hosting. Welcome to our cruise ports.
Media: Terje Rakke
Explore Northen Norway and Svalbard as one of the best areas to visit
Cruise manual, Port Information, and Contact Information
See also Cruise Norway Manual
As well as being an exciting destination to visit during the summer season, Northern Norway also has lots to offer during autumn and winter. Most of our members have experience hosting winter cruise calls.
In 2019, a total of 440 cruise ships and 581 000 cruise passengers visited Northern Norway & Svalbard on cruises. View statistics for cruise calls to Northern Norway & Svalbard for the years 2019 and 2022. Prognosis 2023.
CNNS has hosted multiple FAM Trips to give cruise line executives and press professionals the opportunity to experience the region. Ee invite you to contact CNNS Director, Knut-Arne Iversen, for more information about upcoming FAM Trips.
Follow the link below to view the services available for guests at the various CNNS ports.
(Will be launched during 2022)
A regular 11 to 14-day cruise can be reduced to a seven-day cruise by using turnaround ports at the top of Europe. This can be accomplished in combination with many different shore excursions at new and existing cruise ports along one of the most beautiful and extraordinary coastlines on earth. Northern Norway and Svalbard offer excellent possibilities for implementing turnarounds at several ports, depending on the number of passengers and crew to be replaced. Bodø, Harstad/Narvik, Tromsø, Alta and Longyearbyen have all completed turnaround operations.
CNNS has developed terms of reference for sustainable cruise tourism in Northern Norway and Svalbard. You can download this document here (Will be launched during 2022)
Community Guidelines
Some of our members have developed their own guidelines for visiting tourists. Please distribute these to your cruise guests so they can help us protect these destinations for future generations.
Longyearbyen, Lofoten (Henningsvær, Reine)
Please contact us or one of our members if there is anything you require assistance with.
The best times for experiencing the Northern Lights and Midnight Sun in Northern Norway and Svalbard vary somewhat depending on how far north of the Arctic Circle the destination is. The best time to see the Northern Lights is generally from late August to late March. The best time to see the Midnight Sun is around the summer solstice in June. However, the days are bright virtually around the clock from mid-May to early August, even longer further north.
Owing to the effects of the Gulf Stream ocean current, all our ports are ice-free year-round. Compared to other destinations at similar latitudes, it’s not so cold along the coast of Northern Norway during winter. The average temperatures in January and July are:
January July
Lofoten -1.5 °C 13 °C
Tromsø – 3.8 °C 11.8 °C
North Cape – 4.5 10.3 °C
Do you want to visit one of our ports when a local event is taking place? Feel free to contact us or one of our members.
Link to yearly calendar for Norway – Calendar
The population of Northern Norway is approx. 482,000. The oldest towns in Northern Norway are Hammerfest and Vardø, which both received market town rights by royal decree on the same date: 17 July 1789. The largest towns and cities in Northern Norway are Tromsø (77,544), Bodø (52,803), Harstad (24,804), Narvik (21,530) and Alta (21,144).
Longyearbyen at Svalbard is the world’s northernmost settlement with a population of 2 417
The Sami are an indigenous people who have their traditional settlement areas in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The land area traditionally inhabited by the Sami people is called Sápmi. The Sami National Day is 6 February. The Sami Parliament of Norway is the representative body of the Sami people nationally and internationally. The Sami parliament contributes to the rights in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples being implemented in legislation and practical policies that affect the everyday lives of Sami people.
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(Will be launched during 2022)
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