Bergen (Norway)

Bergen Havn is Norway's second-biggest port city (after the country's capital Oslo). However, by shipping traffic, Bergen is ranked Norway's largest cruise port and the gateway to the Norwegian Fjords. Located along Byfjord, this is a charming old town surrounded by forested peaks and centered around its large harbor with thriving fishing and cruising industries. The city's population is around 280,000.

IMPORTANT: Since June 24, 2022, Bergen Havn has a cruise ship limit of 4 vessels and max 8000 passengers (regardless of the vessels' number) per day. For the 4th vessel is mandatory to use shore power. By the year 2026, all cruise ships visiting Bergen must be able to use shoreside power.

Port Bergen (locode NOBGO) is the port of registry of all Viking OCEAN ships (fleet).

The Norwegian passenger shipping company FJORD LINE offers direct crossings between Bergen and Denmark (Hirtshals). The route Hirtshals-Stavanger-Bergen is operated year-round. FJORD LINE's schedule includes 1 daily crossing Bergen-Hirtshals (travel time 18 hours), 1 daily crossing Bergen-Stavanger (5,5 hours) and 1 daily crossing Bergen-Langesund (24 hours).

On March 1, 2018, MS Spitsbergen became Hurtigruten's first vessel using Port Bergen's shore power. The technology allows the ship's diesel engines to be shut down during port stay/berthing, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions.

Bergen's old waterfront is lined with colored buildings and warehouses, housing boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries. Here travelers will also see the Fish Market at Torget displaying the catch of today.

The history of Bergen dates back to the early 11th century when Olav Kyrre founded a settlement and royal residence here. Bergen replaced Trondheim as the capital of Norway in 1240, and the city prospered under the guidance of the Hanseatic League. Very soon, these German merchants controlled all trade in Norway and remained in Bergen for centuries until 1764.

Today, much of the city's architecture reflects the lifestyle of Hanseatic merchants, who resided in tiny row houses close to the harbour. Bryggen is a collection of timbered Hanseatic houses from the 14th-16th century, restored and designated by UNESCO as a Heritage Site. Hanseatic Museum re-creates the living quarters of a merchant and his staff. King Haakon's Hall was built in the 13th Century, Rosenkranz Tower and Mariakirken in the 12th century. Theta Museum honours local Nazi resistance group from WW2.

Tourists can enjoy shopping or travel up Floibanen funicular railway for views over Bergen city and the surrounding area. Outside the town, a must-see is the Fantoft Stave Church (1050) and Troldhaugen beside Norgas Lake - home of Edvard Grieg and now a park and a museum. On the Nordnes Peninsula is Old Bergen Museum, an open-air collection of 18th-19th century houses.

In October 2017, Port Bergen announced a new policy to limit the cruise ship calls per day to 4 vessels (max 9000 passengers) in order to avoid occasional congestion during summer months. All the Port's existing ship bookings were honored. For the season 2017, the cruise port handled 325 ship calls and 0,51+ million tourists (490,546 in 2016).

In 2018 were handled 342 cruise ship calls (including 28x turnarounds and 15x inaugurals) and 653,110 tourists. On December 4, 2018, the state-owned Enova SF granted NOK 50 million (USD 5,9M / 5,17M) funding as investment support to Port bergen to build a shoreside-power facility dedicated to cruise ships. The project's total cost was estimated to ~NOK 120 million (USD 14,16M / EUR 12,4M).

Enova SF is a Norwegian government enterprise promoting environmentally friendly productions and energy consumption. Shore-power technologies allow berthed ships to shut down their main engines and plug into the city's electrical grid, using hydroelectricity for all onboard services, thus reducing in-port noise and air pollution (exhaust emissions).

In September 2019, BKK Norway (Bergenshalvoens Kommunale Kraftselskapand) and Port Bergen announced their plan to establish a joint company for building Europe's largest onshore power supply facility, as well as the Port's shore-power supply facility for cruise vessels. The Bergen-based BKK is a power company owned by Statkraft AS (49,9%, state-owned hydropower company), Bergen municipality (37,8%) plus 16 other municipalities. BKK specializes in electricity production and distribution, with end-user sales by Fjordkraft (co-owned by BKK and Skagerak Energi). BKK's annual production is around 6,6 TWh. The electricity is produced at 29 hydropower plants in Norway.

Currently, shore power in Bergen Havn is available at 4 piers/quays (Bontelabo, Jekteviken, Skolten North, Skolten South) where 3 ships can be connected simultaneously. On 3-ship days, the 4th vessel is moored at Jekteviken. In 2022, at Bontelabo and Skolten were installed wastewater management facilities collecting blackwater (containing feces and urine) and greywater (from galleys/kitchens, baths, showers, lavatory sinks, laundry).

On March 27, 2021, Port Bergen and Plug Bergen (50/50 joint venture with Plug Holding /BKK-owned) completed 5 shoreside power connections (2 at Skolten Pier, 1 at Bontelabo Pier, 2 at Jekteviken Pier), with total capacity 48 MVA (Mega-Volt-Amp). In 2021, Plug Holding started building shoreside-power connections for cruise ships in the Norwegian ports Alesund (3 points) and Nordfjordeid (1 point).

During the post-COVID 2022 season, Port Bergen handled a total of 308 cruise ship calls and 364334 passengers (out of total ~4,3 million cruisers who visited Norway).

Fred Olsen fleet meet (port Bergen 2015)

For the first time ever, on July 28, 2015, all four Fred Olsen ships (the whole fleet) came together in Bergen. At the following YouTube video, you can also see an aerial view of the cruise port and the terminals.

The four vessels arrived at 8 am and left the port at 6 pm.

• MS Balmoral was on an 8-night "Norwegian Fjords" cruise from Southampton UK (July 25). Arriving from Stavanger, it docked at Bontelabo Terminal.
• MS Black Watch was on a 9-night "Cruising the Fjordland" cruise from Liverpool UK (July 23). Arriving from Flam, it docked at Skolten South Terminal.
• MS Boudicca was on a 7-night "Glaciers, Fjords and Waterfalls of Norway" cruise from Newcastle UK (July 26). Arriving from Newcastle, it docked at Skolten North Terminal.
• MS Braemar was on a 14-night "Falls, Fjords and Faroe Islands" cruise from Dover UK (July 18). Arriving from Akureyri Iceland, it docked at Festningskaien Terminal.

The day-long festivities in Bergen included quayside live music performances (marching drummers, singers, music bands), onboard entertainment (afternoon show, open deck party, live band music), onboard treasure hunt, "water cannon" send-off show as all Fred Olsen ships were leaving the port.

All four Fred Olsen ships visit Bergen every year since 1997. Following the "fleet meet" day, Balmoral continued to Flam, both Black Watch and Braemar to Eidfjord, Boudicca - to Alesund.

Bergen cruise terminal

Bergen tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

Hjeltefjorden

Ulriken Cable Car

Edvard Grieg Museum

Bergen Aquarium

Bryggen Wharf

Mt Floyen