amsterdam mini cruise timetable

• +31 20 509 1000
• River cruise

Sea cruise calendar

The sea cruise calendar lists all the information about the arrival and departure of the cruise ships at Cruise Port Amsterdam

The terminal of Cruise Port Amsterdam is an all year round destination. In this calendar you’ll find all the information regarding the arrival and departure dates.

The times of arrival and departure are specified by the agent as a guideline, this is not fixed and could be changed at any time. Cruise Port Amsterdam attempts to keep the calendar up to date. However you should always check, the most up to date information with your booking agency, before departure.

No data available

16:30 - 23:59 uur Departure: 09 Feb

08:00 - 07:30 uur Departure: 24 Feb

08:30 - 20:00 uur

Viking Saturn

08:00 - 18:00 uur

16:30 - 23:59 uur Departure: 02 May

Celebrity Silhouette

06:00 - 17:00 uur

08:30 - 07:30 uur Departure: 06 May

Norwegian Prima

10:00 - 19:00 uur

Norwegian Getaway

11:00 - 18:30 uur

07:00 - 17:45 uur

Jewel of the Seas

07:00 - 16:00 uur

08:00 - 19:00 uur

Viking Mars

06:00 - 15:30 uur

Viking Star

Celebrity Apex

Norwegian Dawn

11:00 - 21:00 uur

07:00 - 17:00 uur

Seabourn Ovation

07:00 - 18:00 uur

16:30 - 23:59 uur Departure: 13 Jun

Seven Seas Navigator

13:00 - 02:00 uur Departure: 16 Jun

Seabourn Quest

MSC Virtuosa

07:00 - 19:00 uur

Vasco da Gama

06:00 - 18:00 uur

04:00 - 17:00 uur

06:00 - 16:00 uur

16:30 - 23:59 uur Departure: 11 Jul

Seven Seas Voyager

10:00 - 16:00 uur Departure: 14 Jul

Nieuw Statendam

07:00 - 21:00 uur

04:30 - 18:00 uur

08:00 - 17:00 uur

07:00 - 17:15 uur

10:00 - 22:00 uur Departure: 03 Aug

Carnival Legend

05:00 - 18:30 uur

Seven Seas Splendor

Seven Seas Mariner

19:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 12 Aug

08:00 - 16:00 uur

08:00 - 13:00 uur

Serenade of the Seas

Seabourn Sojourn

07:00 - 15:00 uur

Resilient Lady

19:00 - 18:30 uur Departure: 25 Aug

18:00 - 19:00 uur Departure: 27 Aug

Azamara Onward

08:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 31 Aug

18:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 01 Sep

12:00 - 22:00 uur

18:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 05 Sep

Disney Dream

06:45 - 19:15 uur

16:30 - 23:59 uur Departure: 12 Sep

09:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 17 Sep

Viking Venus

14:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 20 Sep

18:15 - 17:00 uur Departure: 21 Sep

Hanseatic Spirit

10:00 - 14:00 uur Departure: 18 Oct

Silver Dawn

13:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 22 Oct

13:00 - 13:00 uur Departure: 26 Oct

Norwegian Encore

Queen Victoria

21:00 - 06:00 uur Departure: 18 Nov

07:00 - 17:30 uur Departure: 21 Nov

18:00 - 21:59 uur

Mein Schiff 3

07:00 - 22:00 uur

13:00 - 22:00 uur

12:00 - 23:00 uur

07:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 17 Dec

07:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 27 Dec

07:00 - 06:00 uur Departure: 01 Jan

08:00 - 18:00 uur Departure: 01 Jan

P&O Ferries Amsterdam mini cruise from £99pp

Enjoy a short break to Amsterdam sailing with P&O Ferries from Hull.

Let your hair down on a two-night mini cruise break to Amsterdam with P&O Ferries. You'll get to spend the day exploring the wonderful city of Amsterdam in The Netherlands at your own leisure.

👍 Hear about the deals first - click here and follow my Mini Cruise Addict page on Facebook (opens in new window).

At 8.30pm your modern ferry will leave the Port of Hull and sail overnight to Europoort on the outskirts of Rotterdam. Enjoy the entertainment on-board, tuck into a delicious dinner, or enjoy a bit of shopping before heading to bed in your own en-suite cabin. At 8.15am (or 9am on weekends) you'll arrive in Rotterdam where a coach will be waiting to whisk you to Amsterdam. Depending on traffic you'll normally be there by around 11am to 11.30am.

Enjoy touring Amsterdam at your own leisure. Browse museums and galleries, get a taste of the local culture, or hit the shopping streets. Plan your trip carefully before you sail from Hull and you'll be able to cram an awful lot into your mini break. Alternatively relax and unwind in one of the many bars and cafés dotted around the city. At 5pm the last coach departs Amsterdam taking the last load of passengers back to the ferry terminal. At 8.30pm the ship sets sail bound for Hull the following morning.

The dull-but-necessary small print

All deals are subject to availability and can be withdrawn by the operator without prior notice. The lead-in prices (otherwise known as the 'from' prices) are, unless otherwise stated above, based on two adults sharing the cheapest available cabin on the cheapest available date. Typically the best prices are available at the start of any promotion period so the earlier you book the better choice of sailing dates and cabin availability you should have. Mid-week sail dates are likely to be cheaper than weekend sail dates.

6 comments on “ P&O Ferries Amsterdam mini cruise from £99pp ”

How do i book for just one person to go on the Amsterdam mini trip from Hull

Simply book one adult in the booking process. You'll be shown available cabins - generally 2 berth (bed) and 4 bed. You'll be in a room designed for two or four, but as a solo passenger.

Is there any buy one get one free available

Not at the moment, and it may be a while off before it comes back due to the pandemic. If borders open and restrictions ease later this year, the cheaper rates may resurface.

I am interested in this offer but would like info regarding meals i.e. cost and how to pre-book Thank you

Here's my Amsterdam mini cruise review from when I last sailed with P&O.

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🔒 Privacy Once approved, your name and comment will be displayed publicly on this website. Your email address is used to contact you regarding your comment. Full details of how your data is processed can be found in my privacy policy .

Hi, I'm David and I'm a mini cruise addict. I love the ease and simplicity of exploring Europe from the comfort of a cruise ferry or cruise ship almost as much as I love finding great value deals, including the mother of all deals, the famous '2 for 1' deals.

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How To Cruise | Tips For First-Time Cruisers

Tips For First-Time Cruisers

P&O Mini Cruise – Hull to Amsterdam – An Independent Customer Review

9th April 2019 By David at HowToCruise 1 Comment

In March 2019, we drove across the M62 to Hull to join the P&O mini cruise to Amsterdam.

It was a break my wife and I were looking forward to.

• See Amsterdam
• Get away from it all for a couple of days
• Enjoy the experience

So how did it go? Did the mini-cruise meet expectations? Was it cheap or expensive?

Here’s my independent cruise review of our experience…

Parking at the Hull P&O Terminal

So let’s be practical. What about parking? 

It’s a pay and display car park, right by the P&O terminal – which is very handy. The staff advised us to leave our car in the multi-storey car park. They told us that this particular car park is locked overnight, whereas the outside tarmac car park isn’t.

Time to pay for the parking. It’s £8 per day – so we came prepared with 16 pound-coins. But no worries if you turn up with no change – the machine will take cards too.

Check-in was pretty straight-forward, and soon we were heading up the ramp with the other passengers to embark the “Pride of Hull”.

An Inside Cabin on The Pride of Hull

So what’s the cabin like?

At check-in, they’d given us a paper/card type of e-key, so we went to take a look and drop off our luggage.

Our package included a basic inside cabin with 2 bunk beds. The top bunk swings down.

There’s no need to upgrade. This cabin had all the comforts. And a nice, clean bathroom with a shower.

Time to explore the rest of the ship…

Exploring The Pride of Hull Ship

The Pride of Hull contains all the usual things you’d expect on a cruise ship, such as a shop, restaurants, a wine bar and pub with entertainment.

Even a Starbucks coffee shop.

When we boarded, it was still very early, so we hadn’t set sail and most things were still closed.

On the top deck, the Skylounge Bar has the benefit of a nice view – and smart tables and chairs. This bar could almost be mistaken for a cruise ship.

In the evening, this Skylounge Bar hosts the more laid-back sort of entertainment. We discovered the price of a bottle of wine was rather more expensive than in the wine bar downstairs.

But for now… it was time to buy a cuppa before heading off to book a table in the restaurant.

The Restaurants on the Pride of Hull

For our evening meal, we chose the Brasserie.

The food was delicious and the service great.

But we could have chosen what they call “The Kitchen”, where, for a set price, you can eat as much as you want.

The Wine Bar

In the wine bar, it cost us £14 for a bottle of house wine.

As wine wine-bar prices go, that’s not bad – especially for a captive audience. Upstairs in the Skylounge bar, that would have cost us about £18.

Off to Amsterdam

The next day, at 0900 we disembarked, went through the customs checks and hopped onto one of the coaches waiting outside the terminal.

Our coach was clearly labelled “Amsterdam”.

With the heavy traffic, the ride into Amsterdam took around 90 minutes. And as we left the bus, the driver told us the times of the various buses going back.

It was easy to spot the buses with the “P&O” label on the front.

So what’s Amsterdam like?

What to do in Amsterdam

The rain put a bit of a dampener on it for us. But we couldn’t let that spoil our day.

So first things first, we sought out the herring seller and bought a rollmop. That was the first thing ticked off the to-do list.

Bikes and boats are everywhere. Not surprising as it’s flat and full of canals.

Want a museum?

Well, the cheese museum is great. Lots of samples of delicious Dutch cheeses to savour, too.

And then there’s the tulip museum.

And… a cow museum.

And a museum celebrating the cause of the strange smell you’ll discover as you walk Amsterdam’s streets. Yes, a cannabis museum.

If you want to visit Anne Frank’s house, you’d better book your ticket online, months in advance. We didn’t, so all we got was a picture at the front door – as did lots of other people.

There are many other things to see, such as the Westerkirk.

And quaint places to shop.

You can see all these on the video we made .

And finally, we took a last look at the canals, bikes and boats, before heading back to the coach for the journey back to the ship.

Going Back from Amsterdam

Back at the port, we got off the coach, through customs again, up the escalators, along the ramp, and got ready for another evening’s entertainment.

The wine bar was popular.

Near to the source of the entertainment, the volume of the music was quite loud. But there are a few corners where you can hold a conversation yet still hear the music.

There’s also a “quiet room” on board if music isn’t your thing.

Upstairs in the Skylounge Bar, there was more laid-back entertainment with a singer with an acoustic guitar. However, that was amplified loud, too, and there were no corners to sit and chat.

Eventually, we hit the sack and awoke in time for breakfast, before docking, disembarking, queuing through customs, and being reunited with our car.

Now, all we had to do was try to remember which storey we’d parked on.

Our Video Review of the P&O Mini Cruise to Amsterdam

We made a video of the whole of the mini-cruise – from beginning to end. 

A movie-star at last!

How Much is the Amsterdam Mini-Cruise?

Our P&O Hull to Amsterdam Mini-Cruise was great value for money.

It cost £80 for the two of us. Yes, you read that right – £40 each.

But in peak season, you can expect to pay much more.

Unlike a normal cruise, this is actually a ferry – albeit a very smart-looking ferry.

And, unlike a normal cruise, food isn’t included. So you need to budget for your food and drink.

Accommodation and entertainment were included in our £80 price tag.

So we thought it was excellent value.

If you want a day in Amsterdam and two nights of entertainment at sea, this could be the perfect bargain break.

How to Get The Bargain Price

• I’d recommend you aim to go early in the season (you know, the unpopular times when no one else wants to go and it’s cheaper). 
• Play around with various days – because prices can differ.  And then book it before the price changes. 
• Make sure to go through a Cashback website to get some cash back. Here’s how to do that .
• Remember to get yourselves some travel insurance.
• And then look forward to enjoying your mini-cruise.

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Reader Interactions

14th January 2023 at 1:28 pm

Sounds great. I must enquire further.

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Wonderful Amsterdam Mini Cruise

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• Coach travel throughout
• Overnight sailings on board P&O North Sea Ferries on a twin bunk en-suite cabin only basis
• Restaurant, bar, cinema & entertainment available on board
• Time to enjoy the delights of lovely Amsterdam.

What's this trip about?

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Dates & Availability

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Caledonian Travel (Operations Suspended) .

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Mini Cruises Hull Rotterdam

A mini cruise provides an excellent opportunity to explore a new environment and enjoy a relaxing boat journey. Rotterdam is a beloved destination for such a mini cruise, especially the popular route from Hull to Rotterdam, departing from Kingston Upon Hull.

You begin your journey by checking in on the boat in the evening at the Port of Hull. During the evening, you can experience the cozy atmosphere on board, including entertainment. The following morning, you wake up to a beautiful sea view, and then you are transported by bus to Rotterdam to explore this city.

•  Also very popular: Hull mini cruise to Amsterdam .

Mini cruise from Hull to Rotterdam

A mini cruise is ideal for traveling in an affordable and efficient manner. You wake up well-rested in the port of Rotterdam, without the sensation of being on a journey.

• 12 hours of sailing time
• From £59,- pp

Schedule: How long does a mini cruise typically last?

The mini cruise from Hull to Rotterdam is a three-day journey. On the first day, you check in on board, where you can enjoy live entertainment and various dining options in the evening. You spend the night in your own cabin. On the second day, you arrive at the port of Rotterdam (Europoort) and are transported by bus to the city center to spend the day at your leisure. The boat departs back to Kingston Upon Hull at 9:00 PM.

Timetable - Mini cruise Hull to Rotterdam

• 3:00 PM – Check-in at Passenger Terminal 1 (Port of Hull)
• 4:00 PM – Passengers board on foot
• 7:00 PM – Check-in closes
• 8:30 PM – Ship departs for overnight cruises to Europoort
• 8:30 AM – Arrival at Europoort (9:00 AM on Saturdays/Sundays). You are then transported by bus to the center of Rotterdam.
• 5:00 PM – Last bus departs from Rotterdam back to Europoort.
• 7:30 PM – Check-in closes (7:00 PM on Saturdays/Sundays)
• 9:00 PM – The ship departs back to Hull (8:30 PM on Saturdays/Sundays)
• 8:00 AM – Arrival in Hull (7:39 AM on Sunday and Monday)

What can you do on board?

The mini cruise from Hull to Rotterdam is operated by P&O Ferries, where you’ll stay on one of the ships, namely the Pride of Rotterdam and the Pride of Hull. These ships provide various amenities to make your time on board enjoyable, including live entertainment and dining options.

Entertainment

Once on board the Pride of Rotterdam or Pride of Hull, you can enjoy duty-free shopping at the World Duty Free Shop.

Cabins - What types are available and what are the costs?

When booking a mini cruise, you have the option to choose from various cabins for your stay. The standard option is a standard cabin with two bunk beds. During the reservation process, you also have the opportunity to upgrade to a different cabin for an additional cost. Below, you’ll find the available cabins and their rates (starting prices):

* Please note that these are the starting prices, and there are additional options available, such as an upgrade to a double bed or a room with a sea view..

The differences between the cabins mainly revolve around the level of luxury. For example, a Premier cabin offers more comfort than a Standard cabin and is equipped with amenities like tea and coffee facilities. A Club cabin is even more luxurious, providing extra space, as well as a television, hot beverage facilities, a minibar, and premium toiletries.

Additionally, there are also special pet-friendly cabins available, allowing you to bring your pet along. Furthermore, there are cabins with an adjoining door, enabling you to combine two cabins and stay close to your family members. It’s important to note that each cabin has its private bathroom, including a shower, toilet, towels, and bed linens.

Our money-saving tip!

Save 10% on your meals: You can reserve your meals in advance and check which restaurants are available."

Other P&O Mini cruises

Hull (Port of Hull) serves as a popular departure point for mini cruises to the Netherlands. In addition to Rotterdam, there are other exciting destinations, with Amsterdam being a popular city to explore. If you wish to visit Amsterdam, you should take the same route to Europoort (also offered by P&O Ferries). From Europoort, you’ll then be transported by coach to the center of Amsterdam.

If Hull is not the most convenient departure point for you, Newcastle is also a good choice. From Newcastle, there’s a ferry route to Ijmuiden (offered by DFDS), which is close to Amsterdam. Below, you can explore other interesting mini cruise options.

Hull ⇆ Amsterdam

From £59 per person

A visit to Amsterdam is worthwhile for its charming canals, cultural heritage, and lively ambiance.

Rotterdam ⇆ Hull

A visit to Rotterdam is worthwhile for its modern architecture, vibrant culture, and active port city vibe.

Newcastle ⇆ Amsterdam

From £79 per person

A trip to Amsterdam is a great choice for its picturesque canals, and cultural richness.

What can you do in Rotterdam?

After arriving at the Port of Hull, a bus is readily available to transport you to the city center. In approximately 15 minutes, you’ll go from the port to the heart of Hull. Once in the city, you have complete freedom to spend your time as you wish. You can shop, explore the city, and enjoy all the wonderful activities and attractions that Hull has to offer.

Popular destinations in Rotterdam

• Markthal Rotterdam: The Markthal is a striking architectural marvel with an abundance of stalls and eateries. Taste local and international cuisines and admire the colorful ceiling mural.
• Erasmus Bridge: The Erasmus Bridge is an iconic bridge in Rotterdam that offers a stunning view of the city’s skyline. Take a walk across the bridge and enjoy the modern architecture and the surrounding water.
• Euromast: The Euromast is an observation tower that provides a panoramic view of Rotterdam. Head to the top and marvel at the city from great heights. If you’re adventurous, you can even go abseiling from the Euromast!
• Cube Houses: These unique cube-shaped houses were designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom. You can visit one of the cube houses to explore the interior and learn more about the history of this remarkable architectural project.
• Stroll along the Maas: Take a leisurely walk along the Maas River and enjoy the view of the city and the various activities along its banks. You may also consider taking a river cruise to admire Rotterdam from the water. 

Parking at Hull Port

A mini cruise to Rotterdam is intended for foot passengers only; you cannot take this trip with your car. For that, you would need to book a regular ticket with a car reservation. However, you can park your car at the Port of Hull. You can navigate to the King George Dock & Ferries and Terminal 1 for parking. Please be aware that there is a charge of £10 per 24 hours.

Directions to the Port of Hull by car

For those traveling from the North and West, you can take either the M62 or A1079 to reach the A63 , leading to Hull City Centre. Follow the signage towards King George Dock and Ferries . If you’re approaching from the South, you can cross the Humber Bridge via the A15 and then head east along the A63 towards Hull City Centre. Follow the signs directing you to King George Dock and Ferries .

Do you come by public transport (bus or rail)?

If you’re coming to the Port of Hull by public transport, you have the option of using the bus or train:

• Train: The nearest train station to the Port of Hull is Hull Paragon railway station . From this station, you can catch a bus to the terminal at King George Dock.
• Bus: There is also the option of traveling by bus only. At The Interchange, next to St Stephen’s Shopping Centre , you can catch a bus heading towards King George Dock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can certainly travel as a foot passenger from Hull to Rotterdam. A mini cruise is a great option for this purpose, as it is not only more cost-effective than a regular ticket but also doesn’t incur additional charges for a vehicle. Additionally, with a mini cruise, you’ll be transported from the Rotterdam (Europoort) port to the city centre and back, providing added convenience.

The check-in opens at 15:00 and closes 90 minutes before departure. Foot passengers can board from 16:00, and check-in closes at 19:00, with the boat departing at 20:30.

The ferry journey from Hull to Rotterdam is generally smooth, but it can become rough in unfavorable weather conditions. If you are prone to seasickness or have concerns, it’s advisable to check the current sea conditions with the ferry operator before your trip.

Indeed, P&O Ferries still operates the route from Hull to Rotterdam. Unfortunately, the route to Zeebrugge has been discontinued. If you are considering alternative ferry operators, DFDS offers a route from Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam).

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Svalbard Islands (Arctic Norway)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Arctic - Antarctica

Local Time 2024-05-14 08:34

Port Svalbard Islands cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Svalbard Islands, Arctic Norway. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Svalbard (formerly Spitsbergen) is a Norwegian archipelago (island group) in the Arctic Ocean. Svalbard is located north of mainland Europe, about midway between North Pole and mainland Norway. Svalbard has land area approx 61000 km2 (23560 mi2) and is dominated by Spitsbergen Island (over half of the Archipelago's land), followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeoya .

All settlements are on Spitsbergen, except the two meteo outposts on Bjornoya and Hopen. The Archipelago's total population is ~3000 (including 439 Russians and Ukrainian, 10 Polish, 322 other/non-Norwegians). Longyearbyen is Svalbard's administrative center and largest settlement.

Administratively, Svalbard is not a part of any Norwegian county. However, it forms an unincorporated region administered by a Governor appointed by Norway's Government. Since 2002, Svalbard's main settlement (Longyearbyen) has a local government, similarly to mainland Norwegian municipalities. Svalbard is the world's northernmost settlement with a permanent civilian population. Other settlements located farther north are populated only by groups of rotating scientists/researchers.

Next map of the Svalbard Islands shows all cruise ports/destinations in the Archipelago.

The Archipelago has an Arctic climate, though with higher temperatures than other regions at the same latitude. Its flora takes advantage of the midnight sun to compensate for polar nights. Svalbard is the breeding ground for plenty of seabirds, and also features reindeer, Arctic fox, polar bears, and certain marine mammals. 23 nature reserves and 7 national parks cover 2/3 of the Archipelago, protecting the untouched, natural environment. Nearly 60% of the Svalbard Archipelago is covered with glaciers. The islands feature many fjords and mountains. No roads connect Svalbard's settlements. Snowmobiles, boats and aircraft serve inter-community transport. Longyear, Svalbard Airport, serves as Archipelago's main gateway.

Jan Mayen Island and Svalbard are assigned ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code SJ. These areas are administered by Norway, even though they are separated by over 500 nautical miles distance (950 km / 600 mi) and have different administrative structures.

The cruising season runs from late-April through late-September. For season 2019, Svalbard was visited by cruise ships ~300 times, with nearly 20,000 tourists. Most vessels are smaller-sized expedition ships, among which MS Expedition (G-Adventures), MS Fram , MS Spitsbergen and MS Fridtjof Nansen ( Hurtigruten ), L'Austral and Le Boreal ( Ponant ), Scenic Eclipse ( Scenic ), Hanseatic Nature ( Hapag-Lloyd ), Silver Cloud and Silver Explorer ( Silversea ). Season's largest liner was MSC Preziosa (at Longyearbyen on June 23, port stay 8 am-10 pm). For Longyearbyen is planned the construction of a new floating pier.

Effective January 1, 2020, NMA (Norwegian Maritime Authority) has new rules for passenger shipping in Svalbard. The regulations require all vessels to comply with IMO's Polar Code (January 2017-enforced, for polar water shipping) which is mandatory under both SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) maritime conventions. NMA's new rules apply to both Norway- and foreign- flagged vessels navigating in Svalbard's waters. Ships without SOLAS-issued "Passenger Ship Safety Certificate" were granted a 5-year period for the shipowner companies to schedule drydock refits for necessary vessel conversions and machinery modifications.

• In 2020, due to the global Coronavirus crisis, Norway implemented border closure (March 15 through August 20). The policy effectively canceled most Arctic cruise expeditions, also banning international tourists from entering the Svalbard Archipelago which season runs in June-July-August. For domestic tourism, Svalbard was reopened on June 1 (for domestic tourists) and June 15 (Baltic countries residents). Following Svalbard's reopening for cruising, Norway's Government announced new regulations for expedition cruise ship operations. The new rules include ships carrying 50% of their max passenger capacity , employing additional med staff and requiring health certificates from all travelers. Each cruise shipping company was required to develop and apply infection control plans approved by Svalbard's Governor.
• In 2021, Norway banned cruise ships from offering helicopter tours and mini-submarine tours in Svalbard, due to concern about how tourism affects the fragile arctic environment. The Norwegian government also proposed to limit the visiting ships' max passenger capacity to 200, as well as to limit the number of disembarking people to 42 per landing. According to the new rules, the required minimum distance from polar bears is 500 m (1640 ft). The use of camera drones is prohibited in some areas. Out of consideration for polar bears and seals, in spring and summer, motorized shipping on sea ice is forbidden. During the Arctic breeding season, a 5-KN speed limit (9 kph / 6 mph) is set for navigation close to bird colonies.

Statistics show that the Svalbard Islands are visited by more and more cruisers. In 2008, 28x boats brought ~29,000 tourists. In 2018, 15x boats brought ~46,000 tourists. Smaller-sized expedition ships in 2008 were 24x (with ~10,000 tourists) and in 2018 - 59x (with 21,000 tourists).

According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, the number of Svalbard visiting tourists had surged from 29,600 (1996) to 124,000 (2019).

Norskoya Island

Ytre Norskoya Island (Outer Norway Island) is located off Spitsbergen's northwestern coast. On Norskoya's southern coast are the remains of a whaling station, rivaling in size Smeerenburg (on Amsterdam Island) . Ytre Norskoya was Europe's northernmost outpost (until early-19th-century) and the world's northernmost permanent settlement (until the 1950s).

The buildings on Norskoya Island were used by workers. Further west there is a cemetery with 165 graves. The station belonged to Noordsche Compagnie (Dutch whaling trade company). It was built in early-17th-century as the Amsterdam -owned Smeerenburg didn't allow Dutch whaling ships at Smeerenburg. Zeeusche Uytkyk (high look-out point on Norskoya) was used by the Dutch to monitor the surrounding waters for Bowhead whales. This station was abandoned in 1670.

Kvitoya Island

Kvitoya Island is located approx 98 km (61 mi) from Victoria Island (Russian Arctic territory, part of Franz Josef Land ). The Russian island is closer than Svalbard (Nordaustlandet, to the west of Kvitoya). The Norwegian island has total area approx 682 km2 (263 mi2). It is uninhabited and part of Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.

Kvitoya is Norway's easternmost part. On the east coast is the rarely visited Kraemerpynten. Due to the many polar bears on Kvitoya, land tours are not offered/forbidden. Instead, cruise tourists enjoy wildlife viewing via zodiacs (large motorized RIB boats used for landings). Herds of walrus can also be seen.

Kvitoya is almost completely covered by the ice cap Kvitoyjokulen - with land area 705 km2 (272 mi2) and an hourglass-shaped dome. The ice-free land areas are barren and rocky, only a few km2 large. The largest one (Andreeneset) is on the southwestern corner. Andreeneset is one of these spits where Salomon August Andree's balloon expedition to the North Pole in 1897 came to a tragic end. The Andree's (1854-1897) balloon was launched in 1897 and was airborne for 60 hours before it crashed.

Kvitoya was discovered in 1707 by Cornelis Giles (1675-1722, Dutch navigator and cartographer) and showed on maps (under the name "Giles Land") in different sizes, shapes and positions throughout the following centuries. The island received its current name in 1876, by Johan Kjeldsen (a whaler from Tromso ).

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