Isafjordur is excited to be hosting 38 calls and 41,000 passengers in 2013.

The ships calling are getting bigger with 1.5m gt booked in compared to 1.04m gt this year, when calls numbered 34 and passengers 31,000.

The first ship to call Hafnafjordur this season was Peter Deilmann’s Deutschland on June 15. Also calling have been Astor, Delphin and Le Boreal.

Le Boreal left the port for the last time this year in July after four visits, the first one on July 6. The Compagnie du Ponant vessel turned around three times in Hafnarfjordur to sail to Grundarfjordur, Grimsey, Akureyri and Vestmann Islands.

Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boreal and L’Austral are both calling Hafnarfjordur in Iceland next year.

This summer Le Boreal arrives on July 6 with passengers who, after a day of shore excursions, are flown home. New passengers join the ship on a seven-day Iceland itinerary which is repeated four times before the ship departs for Greeland and then Europe.

As a result of the growing increase in traffic, in 2012 the Bilbao Port Authority will commence the building of a new cruise terminal with a third berthing line. The works are scheduled for completion mid way through 2014 at an estimated cost of E17.6 million. 

The new terminal will have a 27,400m² land surface area, be 76m wide and 355 mlong with a 12m draught. The project includes building a second passenger maritime station and an underground car park. 

Aurland Harbor Authority (AHA) is expanding the cruise terminal in Flam to improve crew facilities at the pier. From May 2012, the terminal building will house an indoor crew lounge with a free and improved Wi-Fi zone as well as toilet facilities. 

The Norwegian port is expecting 151 calls and 205,000 passengers this year. Nine ships will be calling for the first time: MSC Magnifica, Pullmantur’s Empress, Costa Fortuna, Celebrity Eclipse, Caribbean Princess, P&O Cruises’ Adonia, Clipper Odyssey, Caledonian Sky and Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boreal.

Aberdeen has 10 calls this year, compared to six (742 passengers) in 2010, says Brian Andrew, assistant harbour master Aberdeen Harbour Board.

Calls this year include Silversea Cruises’ Silver Explorer (ex Prince Albert II) and Silver Cloud, Hurtigruten’s Fram, Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa and Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Diamant.

Oostende is expecting 14 calls this year compared to six in 2010 while having six booked already into 2012.

In 2011, Guernsey will receive 76 calls, up 49% on last year. Included will be inaugural calls from Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea, Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas and Compagnie du Ponant’s Le Boreal. 

“Bookings for 2011 are very encouraging indeed, which will hopefully reaffirm our place in the cruise liner market place as the leading destination port of call in Great Britain,” says Capt Gill, harbour master St Peter Port, Guernsey.

In 2010 there were 51 calls and 44,382 passengers, the latter a 5.6% increase on 2009.

Hafnarfjordur is dredging the entrance to the inner harbour in order to allow vessels up to 300m long and with a draught of 8m to enter.

St Malo is refurbishing the pontoon at La Bourse as a tender pier in preparation for the 2011 season which begins on April 28 with the arrival of newcomer to the port, Holland America Line’s Ryndam. Total investment is E1.2m.