Geiranger replaced with Andalsnes on next QM2 trip to the Fjords

Just noticed a change in itinerary for our forthcoming QM2 trip to the Fjords.

Geiranger has been replaced with Andalsnes. It looks like there was some difficulty in getting into Geiranger fjord on the latest QM2 trip? Does anyone know why, just out of interest?

We are quite happy to go to Andalsnes as by all accounts it looks a beautiful spot!

However, I am sure that a few people will be complaining on board - but I have only ever had one or two trips at sea where the itinerary hasn't been changed for various reasons, weather, strikes, port operations etc. It can't be helped it is the nature of crusing and in my opinion adds to the fun!

This is what Commodore Rynd wrote to all the passengers:

Due to concerns over our ability to secure a safe anchoring position at Geiranger we have taken the decision to substitute our call at Geiranger with a call to Alesund.

...

I would like to sincerely apologize for this last minute change, but the safety and security of the ship both at sea and whilst in port is of upmost importance to us and for this reason this change is essential.

We also had the same port change on our recent cruise - P&O though. The countryside around Andalsnes is beautiful - it was our favourite port. If you have the opportunity take the train trip, it's well worth it.

We were told (not by the cruise company) that the inhabitants of Gerainger are fed up of so many cruise ships, so they are limiting the number allowed in. I have no way of verifying that.

We were told (not by the cruise company) that the inhabitants of Gerainger are fed up of so many cruise ships, so they are limiting the number allowed in. I have no way of verifying that.

There is quite a bit about the same change made last week at: http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1883148

Presumably the locals are limiting the numbers by increasing the port charges possibly in line with ship size and with the bottom line being close to the top one at both Cunard and P&O because of the pricing foul-ups this year looks like we will need to go with a more viable cruise line if we want to go to the No 1 fjord in Norway. The company would get a lot more support if they told the truth about what is happening rather than the meaningless waffle they have used up to now. I would have thought they would be a lot better leaving that area to those want to do the job properly and concentrate their efforts on core business cruises in line with the company image.

The same change was made for our cruise on Q.E. in May/June. We didn't mind as we had already been to Geiranger in perfect summer weather previously. I got the impression it was because of the sheer number of passengers that would have been in Geiranger at one time. If Q.E. had called, I think there would have been 4 cruise ships with over 6,000 pax.

Aldasnes was beautiful and we were the only ship there.

Must any port change be a conspiracy on the part of Cunard to bait and switch passengers? Perhaps the anchoring position would indeed have meant that QM2 would have drifted into a shallow area. Or, if there were already 6,000 passengers in town, the local infrastructure would have been overloaded and getting around like NYC at rush hour.

The latter is no fun. In 2010 storm damage forced a port change from Grand Turk Island to St. Maarten. We were the 5th or 6th ship in and those who went on shore excursions complained of a horrible traffic mess. Those returning told me that they had wished they had just stayed on board rather than spend most of their shore time in transit from and back to the ship.

On the May/June QE cruise the itinerary changed on the web site months before the cruise. The cruise after us did stop at Geiranger.

On the May/June QE cruise the itinerary changed on the web site months before the cruise. The cruise after us did stop at Geiranger.

Yes, I remember being disappointed for my Sister-in-law who hadn't been to Geiranger. We were notified of the change on 20th February and I immediately checked the Geiranger Port website. There was another ship due to call on that day as well, but it must have also cancelled. The possibility of being there with over 7,000 pax wouldn't have been pleasant.

Cunard's message was "We have recently been made aware that there will be a greater number of vessels than anticipated calling into Geiranger on Wed 5th June. To ensure that you are able to fully enjoy your time ashore, we have replaced the call to Geiranger with one to Aldasnes on the same day...."

Many thanks for the interesting feedback and the ideas for Aldasnes - we are looking forward to it.

We also had the same port change on our recent cruise - P&O though. The countryside around Andalsnes is beautiful - it was our favourite port. If you have the opportunity take the train trip, it's well worth it.

We were told (not by the cruise company) that the inhabitants of Gerainger are fed up of so many cruise ships, so they are limiting the number allowed in. I have no way of verifying that.

As tourism is the main source of income for the 250 people who live in Geiranger permanently, it is extremely difficult to understand why they should wish to limit the number of tourists, as this would simply limit their income.

According to the local Port Authority: "The number of cruise passengers in the fjord is expected to double in the next 10 years", and that is why we have decided to build a SeaWalk, a floating pier system – which will enable cruise passengers to walk directly ashore into Geiranger town centre. Rita Berstad Maraak, Port Director, Stranda Port Authority is quoted as saying “Clearly, this will strengthen Geirangerfjord as a leading cruise destination”.

So if they are "limiting the numbers allowed in", why are they investing a considerable sum of money to insure that they have increasing numbers of visitors in the years to come?

Regards,

Dorchester

As tourism is the main source of income for the 250 people who live in Geiranger permanently, it is extremely difficult to understand why they should wish to limit the number of tourists, as this would simply limit their income.

 

According to the local Port Authority: "The number of cruise passengers in the fjord is expected to double in the next 10 years", and that is why we have decided to build a SeaWalk, a floating pier system – which will enable cruise passengers to walk directly ashore into Geiranger town centre. Rita Berstad Maraak, Port Director, Stranda Port Authority is quoted as saying “Clearly, this will strengthen Geirangerfjord as a leading cruise destination”.

 

So if they are "limiting the numbers allowed in", why are they investing a considerable sum of money to insure that they have increasing numbers of visitors in the years to come?

 

Regards,

Dorchester

Hi Dorchester...good to "see" you again. In line with what you have said above, I find this bit of information interesting. It does not appear the good people of Geiranger do not want more cruise passengers as was stated previously....in fact they are doing everything they can to encourage growth as a cruise destination. At least according to this article....http://www.stranda-hamnevesen.no/PressreleaseSeawalk I find it hard to believe that Cunard was unaware of any of this prior to promoting Geiranger as a port stop this summer and then suddenly changing gears and substituting Andalsnes. Schedules are made up well in advance so there should be no suprises.

There is a reason Geirangerfjord has been designated a World Heritage Site...it's simply the most mesmerizing, mysterious and magnificent fjord in Norway. To skip it boggles the mind quite frankly. Granted the mountains around Andalsnes are stunningly beautiful but I've never made the sail into it to believe it could be a substitute for that incredible, twisting, turning experience that Geirangerfjord is.

I've watched this thread with some interest as I've friends sailing later this month on QM2's fjord cruise. They are a family group of 14 adults plus children and the trip was planned specifically to go to Geirangerfjord. The parents have been there 3 times and wanted the rest of the family to experience Norway's pre-eminant fjord. They were NOT notified despite Cunard saying they were. The only way they found out about this huge change ( for them) was when they went to book excursions thru Cunard and found they were no longer going to Geiranger. And they are not the first to find out so close to sailing that I am aware of thru the summer.

And I wonder what the Commodore meant by this remark..."Due to concerns over our ability to secure a safe anchoring position at Geiranger we have taken the decision to substitute our call at Geiranger with a call to Alesund...I would like to sincerely apologize for this last minute change, but the safety and security of the ship both at sea and whilst in port is of upmost importance to us and for this reason this change is essential."....QM2 has been calling at Geiranger for years. I was there with 2 other ships in port and there seemed to be no safety issues in mooring at all for any of us.

For those who have never made that Geirangerfjord cruise into Geiranger, a substitution is probably fine. For those who have experienced Geirangerfjord and find this change in their itinerary, it is far from acceptable.Personally I'd sail in on a barge to not miss this spectacular journey.

So I find myself wondering what the REAL reason is.....

Cheers, Penny

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water” Rabindranath Tagore

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec. 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 16,2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 9, 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 30, 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 7, 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 7, 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 14, 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 22, 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2,2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1544173

2012...Assorted land trips in my own stunning country

Oct 2012....OBX

2012...Booked on the lovely Noordam again

2013...5 months at our summer home on Cape Cod....priceless!

Several North Atlantic crossings from childhood thru college on ships of the old Norwegian America line and Swedish America Line...RIP to those marvelous old ships

... Granted the mountains around Andalsnes are stunningly beautiful but I've never made the sail into it to believe it could be a substitute for that incredible, twisting, turning experience that Geirangerfjord is.

...

 

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We have just recently taken a cruise on the QE that included Geiranger. Cruises into the Geirangerfjord are not new, but does anyone know when cruise ships began calling (tendering, of course) at the town of Geiranger? Our previous cruise through this stunning fjord was in 1991 aboard P&O's Canberra. We made it to a point within sight of the town, then spun around and went back. We were told by the captain that ships' passengers do not go ashore in Geiranger. I wonder if smaller ships sent their passengers ashore. In 1991 the Canberra was one of the largest ships afloat at 45,000 GRT and about 1600 passengers!

As a point of interest, on that Canberra cruise we stopped briefly off Sptizbergen and were again told that passengers do not go ashore at that port. A lifeboat was lowered and an officer and a few crew went ashore to post our mail at the world's most northerly post office. Now, at least some ships' passengers do go ashore there.

We have just recently taken a cruise on the QE that included Geiranger. Cruises into the Geirangerfjord are not new, but does anyone know when cruise ships began calling (tendering, of course) at the town of Geiranger?

I am not sure when they actually started David, but I do know that we were tendered ashore from QE2 when we visited Geiranger in 1995. So I guess that the commencement date must be somewhere between 1991 and 1995.

It does rather look as if Cunard has decided not to include Geiranger on its future cruises to the Norwegian Fjords, as Geiranger is not listed on any of their 2014 itineraries. Further, they have so far diverted two 2013 cruises away from Geiranger to alternative ports, QE in May/June and QM2 in August. The 'official' reason from Cunard is "Due to concerns over our ability to secure a safe anchoring position at Geiranger". Passengers booked on the August voyage who have telephoned Cunard requesting clarification of their "concerns over their ability", have merely received the reply that Cunard can not (for this read 'will not') expand further on their previously released statement.

Maybe I am being over-suspicious, but is it purely coincidental that the start of Cunard’s current cancellations to visit Geiranger coincided with the opening (in June 2013) of the “SeaWalk” in Geiranger? My purely hypothetical scenario is that having invested a considerable sum in planning and constructing the “SeaWalk”, they (SeaWalk Geiranger AS), will also be financially responsible for operations and therefore naturally will wish to obtain a return on their investment. As cruise ships will have to pay for the use of the “SeaWalk” (Fees listed here), could it be that the bean-counters at Cunard are avoiding paying additional charges at Geiranger and visiting alternatives instead?

If this actually the case, would it not be better for Cunard to be transparently honest regarding the situation, as opposed to issuing a general blanket statement which they refuse to clarify?

Regards,

Dorchester

I am not sure when they actually started David, but I do know that we were tendered ashore from QE2 when we visited Geiranger in 1995. So I guess that the commencement date must be somewhere between 1991 and 1995. Dorchester

When do you plan to sail with Cunard again?

I ask because I do miss the feedback from your voyages, with some great observations, and its been a long time now.

Thank you, best wishes and kind regards :) ,

For those of us on this voyage who booked via a flash fare weeks ago and then have since discovered that Geiranger has subsequently been removed from the itinerary, this has the appearance of a bait and switch. Was this really a sudden safety-driven decision? Seems that if this were the case it would be easy to articulate this to the paying passengers. That assumes any effort was being made to articulate anything to the paying passengers.

Fascinating that no one at Cunard has felt a need to inform me of this change. The other day I simply found that my payment for shore excursions in Geiranger had been returned. No comment or explanation as to why. Cunard has still otherwise told me nothing about the change or the rationale for it.

After sailing with only Cunard since 1977, I get the message: they apparently insist I look elsewhere. Message received. I need at least to have clear and honest information when you have accepted my payment for a journey and have subsequently decided to change that destination. Assuming I won't notice is just insulting, frankly. Insult received.

Maybe I am being over-suspicious, but is it purely coincidental that the start of Cunard’s current cancellations to visit Geiranger coincided with the opening (in June 2013) of the “SeaWalk” in Geiranger? My purely hypothetical scenario is that having invested a considerable sum in planning and constructing the “SeaWalk”, they (SeaWalk Geiranger AS), will also be financially responsible for operations and therefore naturally will wish to obtain a return on their investment. As cruise ships will have to pay for the use of the “SeaWalk” (Fees listed here), could it be that the bean-counters at Cunard are avoiding paying additional charges at Geiranger and visiting alternatives instead?

There was a SeaWalk in use at Skjolden last year when the QE visited:

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-greybeard/2013/03/seawalk-pier-for-geiranger.html

The port of Skjolden, at the head of Sognefjord, which built the first SeaWalk last year (below, with Queen Elizabeth), has more than doubled the number of visiting cruise ships.

Hi Dorchester,

 

When do you plan to sail with Cunard again?

 

I ask because I do miss the feedback from your voyages, with some great observations, and its been a long time now.

 

Thank you, best wishes and kind regards :) ,

Many thanks indeed Pepper for your kind words.

My next voyage in on QM2 to the Norwegian Fjords later this month. The reason why I have not undertaken any cruises since 2011 is that my dear Wife suddenly passed away then, and, to be honest, this really left a tremendous void in my life after over 45 years of marriage. However, some truly wonderful friends that we have in Hamburg have persuaded me, together with my daughter, to join their family group on this visit to the fjords.

Although my late Wife and I had visited Geiranger on four previous occasions, my Daughter has not, and was very much looking forward to seeing the wonderful sights that Geiranger Fjord displays to those who are fortunate enough to travel along it. You can therefore imagine her great disappointment when we discovered that the visit to Geiranger had been cancelled, and Andalsnes substituted in its place.

I only learnt of this substitution a few days ago whilst checking the on-line 'Voyage Personaliser', when I noticed that the itinerary was different to that originally listed in the brochure and in the Pre-Voyage documentation that I had received in the mail from Cunard the previous week. Upon calling Southampton to ascertain which documentation was correct, I was informed that the substitution had been made for reasons of safety. I was further informed that that “an e-mail was sent out on 25th July to all passengers (if they had booked direct), or to their TA (if the reservation had been made via a TA)”. I can assure you that neither I nor my TA received any such communication. Even when pressed hard for clarification of their reasons, Cunard would not comment further on the matter

Frankly, this is not the "White Star" service that one has always experienced from Cunard in the past, and if this is an indication of what is to be expected in the future, then it is possible that Cunard will not always be held in such high esteem as they have previously.

Best regards,

Dorchester

Dorchester, I am very sorry to hear of your wife's passing. Our trip up the fjord to Geiranger in June 2007 was absolutely glorious and thankfully I went back in June 2011 since the QM2 might not return there again or for a very long time.

I would be really, really disappointed to find the port had been changed since Geiranger is truly the highlight for me.

The attached picture was taken June 21/2007

Linda

Dorchester, Let me extend my condolences on the passing of your wife.

I am sorry to read that you, like my wife and I, had been looking forward to Geiranger on the August QM2 voyage. Interesting to read that you also have received no official notification for this dropping of a port by Cunard.

Strange that other ships are not facing the same "safety" issue in that port.

Many thanks indeed Pepper for your kind words. The reason why I have not undertaken any cruises since 2011 is that my dear Wife suddenly passed away then, and, to be honest, this really left a tremendous void in my life after over 45 years of marriage.

Please accept my most sincere condolences, I had no idea that your wife, of so many years, had passed away. I am so sorry to read of this.

I apologise if my post in any way dragged up very unhappy memories, I am so very sorry.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your daughter a very happy cruise. Please accept my sincere good wishes to you both.

Yours,

Thank you friends for the condolences that you have expressed; they really are very much appreciated indeed.

Pepper: Many thanks for your extremely kind remarks. You have nothing to apologise for, as there was no way that you could have known of the devastatingly sad events of two years ago.

Linda: You are right in saying that Geiranger is the highlight of any Norwegian fjord cruise, for it truly is the "Jewel in the Crown" as far as I am concerned. I just hope that Cunard will be able to resolve their 'safety' issues that are mysteriously currently surrounding Geiranger, and trust that it may return to future itineraries.

Regards,

Dorchester

I look forward to hearing how this change in itinerary is presented when we are on board. Seems like that is an obvious opportunity to offer clarity.

A recent blog dated 17th July, by 'Captain Greybeard' of The Mirror, states that the scheduled July visit of QM2 to Geiranger was cancelled at the last minute by Cunard using exactly the same statement that was more recently used to cancel the visit planned for 27th August. It was not until the passengers had boarded the vessel at Southampton that they received a letter from the captain, Commodore Christopher Rynd, explaining: "Due to concerns over our ability to secure a safe anchoring position in Geiranger we have taken the decision to substitute our call at Geiranger with a call to Ålesund."

Whether this statement is factually correct remains open to opinion, for according to Capt. Greybeard "A spokeswoman for Cunard said this week: "Despite our best intentions when this sailing was planned two years ago, congestion at Geiranger in this peak period has created some operational challenges which meant that we can give passengers a better experience by calling at Alesund instead."

Quoting further from Capt. Greybeard's blog; "a section of cliff on Mount Åkerneset, further down the fjord is likely to collapse into the water with devastating effects and the local authorities have yet to find any way to prevent it happening." Whilst not doubting the accuracy of the good Captain's blog, he does not mention at what point in the future this catastrophic collapse could possibly occur; is he referring to a time-scale of a few years, or hundreds of thousands of years. I personally feel that if it were the former, then neither Cunard vessels or those of any other Cruise Line would venture into Geiranger Fjord.

Regards,

Dorchester

The Queen Elizabeth is in Geiranger today. So it seems it's just the QM2 that is affected.

It appears I am missing something here. How can the QE ensure a safe anchorage and the QM2 not? Seems like this would be easy for Cunard to explain this. They still have yet to tell me that I will not be going to Geiranger on the voyage I will embark on on the QM2 this Saturday although it was advertised as going there when I booked passage last month.

Are they just waiting for me to get on board before they tell me? Perhaps a notice saying "Welcome to your final voyage on Cunard! We have a surprise for you!"