Ships in Bergen

After a fantastic summer season in Bergen it was business as usual today, as two of the final cruise ships to call this year were greeted with grey skies and an afternoon of heavy rain. NORWEGIAN STAR Alongside at Bontelabo was Norwegian Star. Not a frequent visitor to the city, her arrival brought over 2,300 extra visitors. Norwegian Star alongside at Bontelabo, Bergen Originally laid down as Superstar Libra in 2000, the acquisition of Norwegian Cruise Line by Star Cruises lead to her being transferred during construction and renamed Norwegian Star. Norwegian Star's central section Norwegian Star alongside in Bergen under cloudy skies Since entering service in 2001, Norwegian Star's career has not been without incident. Issues with her azipod propulsion system have previously caused delays and cancellations. Norwegian Star in Bergen Additionally, twice during her career Norwegian Star has suffered minor collisions; once whilst d...

Second in our current series of photo tours aboard the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet is MS Nordlys. Along with her fleetmates she sails the 11-day round trip from Bergen, calling at 34 ports along the coast of Norway. The route is popular with cruise tourists keen to experience 'the most beautiful voyage in the world', and also serves as a lifeline for many smaller communities in Norway's more isolated north. Scroll down to see our full photo tour of her passenger decks. MS Nordlys alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen Built in Germany, Nordlys entered service with Hurtigruten in 1994. She has two sister ships; Kong Harald and Richard With. With a tonnage of 11,200 she can carry up to 60 passengers (482 in berths) served by a crew of 55. Hurtigruten's MS Nordlys docked in Bergen EXTERIOR Along with several of her fleetmates built at around the same time, MS Nordlys is affectionately referred to as one of Hurtigruten's '90s' ships, all ...

MS Midnatsol is a combined cruise and freight vessel operated by Hurtigruten. Along with her fleetmates she sails the 11-day round trip from Bergen, calling at 34 ports along the coast of Norway. The route is popular with cruise tourists keen to experience 'the most beautiful voyage in the world', and also serves as a lifeline for many smaller communities in Norway's more isolated north. Ships in Bergen went on board to tour the interiors of MS Midnatsol. Scroll down to see our full photo tour of this ship. Midnatsol alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen MS Midnatsol entered service in 2003 following her construction in Rissa, Norway. With a tonnage of 16,140 she is one of the larger ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. She can carry up to 1000 passengers (644 in berths) over her 10 decks. EXTERIOR A few photos of Midnatsol's exteriors taken before boarding show her smart profile and clean, modern appearance. Large expanses of glass give Midnatsol...

This evening Ruby Princess departed Bergen for the final time this season. She passed under the Askøy bridge as she made her way through Byfjorden, giving a fantastic view of her top decks. Ruby Princess passes two offshore supply ships as she departs Bergen Built by Fincantieri in Trieste, Italy in 2008 for Princess Cruises, she is a Grand-Class cruise ship with a number of small modifications. Ruby Princess approaches the Askøy bridge Their wide navigation bridges and rounded bows make the Grand-Class ships instantly recognisable. The enclosed promenade deck wraps completely around the forward edge of the bow, giving passengers an unusual viewpoint at the front of the ship.

A follower of the blog has kindly sent these pictures of the cruise ship Azores, taken of her departure from Bergen last month. Reader Submission: Azores underway on her departure from Bergen Azores has had a long and varied career. Just 8 years into her career in July 1956, under her original name of Stockholm, she famously rammed and sank the Italian liner Andrea Doria in heavy north atlantic fog. The collision killed 52 people, and caused significant damage to her own bows in the process. Stockholm was able to continue to New York under her own power, carrying many of the survivors from Andrea Doria. The incident made headlines worldwide, and remains one of the most discussed maritime disasters of all time. Reader Submission: Azores departing Bergen in the evening sunshine  These photos show her as she is now, following considerable rebuilding over the years. This was her final visit to Bergen this summer. I hope to be able to add a more in-depth photo report...

Last week Cunard's Queen Victoria called into Bergen for the day. The following photos were taken as she made her departure from the city and passed under the Askøy bridge. Queen Victoria approaches the Askøy bridge on her departure from Bergen Before her eventual contruction and entry into service in 2007, Queen Victoria had a complicated conception. In 2000, Carnival Corp placed an order with Fincantieri yards in Italy for a vista class cruise ship to be added to the Holland America Line fleet. However, the decision was made that the ship would instead be moved to the Cunard fleet, to be named Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria approaches the Askøy bridge During construction, it was felt that the new Cunarder should incorporate more of the successful design features from the recently built Queen Mary 2. As such, the hull at Fincantieri was transferred again shortly before completion to the P&O fleet and renamed Arcadia . A new order was placed for the ship which would...