Cruise Ship Ban in the Fjords deferred until 2032

Sigh… this is sad news. Thanks for the update.

I agree, this is sad news. I wish this were immediate.

We were waiting for the ban on tourists visiting unless they have zero emissions cars…………

I have actually managed to find the full news article now (having first heard the news in a weekly cruise podcast)-
https://cruise.blog/2024/09/norway-delays-fjord-cruise-ship-ban

The 2026 date WILL still apply to tourist ships and ferries under 10,000 gross tonnes, but not to larger cruise ships. These smaller vessels will be allowed to use biogas.

Part of the reason is that even Hurtigruten do not yet have the required technology (unlike Havila they have not opted for rechargeable battery packs, like in electric cars, which carry their own issues) but are trying to develop real green technology. That does not exist on any large ship anywhere.

Also there are real concerns on the economic effect that decimating the tourist market will have on cruise ports such as Geiranger and Flam.

My comment was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek in response to all the previous comments. It seems to be human nature to easily see how others are creating issues and never acknowledge that all of us impact when we travel.

We complain about pollution from cruise ships while ignoring the pollution from flying and driving. We complain about overcrowding and places that struggle with over tourism while cheerfully planning our next trip to those same locations.

I realize this is a huge generalization. It isn’t true of everyone. I just think we all benefit when we stop thinking of such issues as having one villain. Can the cruise industry do better? Absolutely!