15. December 2020
On April 20 and 24, Viking Sun and Viking Jupiter will arrive in Kristiansand to be laid up as a result of postponing their season due to the Corona pandemic. The ships are without passengers and only a small crew will remain on board.
Viking Cruises was the first cruise line to suspend ordinary operations and terminate all ongoing cruises as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The two ships that are coming to Kristiansand will be docked until approximately July 1. Neither of the two ships has had a confirmed infection on board, and there are no signs of illness on board today.
Modern and energy-efficient ships
There are two small and modern cruise ships coming to the city, both with a length of 228 meters and a capacity of 930 passengers and 465 crew. The ships sail under the Norwegian flag and have Bergen as their home port. Both ships are new, Viking Jupiter delivered in 2019 and Viking Sun in 2017. They are among the most modern and energy-efficient cruise ships in the world. In Kristiansand, one of the ships will be moored at the cruise quay and thus use the shore power facility for cruise ships throughout the period.
Without passengers
Passengers on both ships left the ships quite some time ago. Viking Jupiter's guests left the ship in Buenos Aires on March 15, while Viking Sun's passengers left the ship in Dubai on March 25, with the exception of eight guests who left the ship in Gibraltar on April 10. In other words, two ships that have been traveling without passengers for some time are coming to our city.
The ships will be in warm lay-up, which means that they will have some crew present to keep the ship running and be ready for a quick start-up when conditions are right. About 30 to 40 crew will be present in the host ship, while the rest of the crew of about 300 from each ship will be sent home to their home countries as soon as possible, in consultation with Norwegian health authorities. We have good routines for conducting a safe and infection-free disembarkation in cooperation with the municipality and health authorities.
Good infection control routines
Strict infection control measures are in place both on board the ships and in the port of Kristiansand. Both ships each have their own medical team, and the crew is followed up in line with the guidelines for risk management of corona. It will not be possible for the crew to go ashore, or for anyone from shore to go on board, unless it is strictly necessary.
Port of Kristiansand - a safe port in times of crisis
During the period we are in, traffic has been different in the Port of Kristiansand, with little passenger traffic, but normal freight traffic, and ferries carrying goods. We have seen that the port is part of the necessary infrastructure that helps to keep society running even in extraordinary situations. The normal supply of goods is important to ensure that the region has access to both household and industrial goods.
Another important task for the port is to accommodate ships that need to remain at berth during a period of uncertainty. Several shipping companies are now finding that their assignments are being postponed, and they need to lay up their ships until the situation has changed. "Since many of our ordinary cruise calls have been canceled, we have capacity at the docks to accommodate ships that have to dock due to the corona pandemic. We have ample capacity for shore power and other infrastructure, and will have both cruise ships and offshore vessels docked for various periods in the future. Infection control is well taken care of with good routines and regular communication with local and central authorities.
