Stavanger cruise port, Norway
A herring and sardine-canning town that struck North Sea oil in 1969 and became Norway's richest city. Gamle Stavanger, up the hill from the quay, is a lane of white wooden houses the canning families lived in, and the cathedral has been in use since about 1125.
Worth knowing. Twenty-three life-size iron men stand around the town, all cast from the same body, some at eye level and some far above your head. Once you have spotted two you will hunt the rest.
What to do in Stavanger for free
Gamle Stavanger is a few minutes from the berth and you walk straight into it: about 170 white wooden houses on cobbled lanes, all still lived in. The cathedral and the market square are at the head of the harbour, a few minutes from either quay. The iron men are standing around the same streets, so hunting those costs nothing either.
What costs money
The ship's own excursions usually cost more than booking the same trip yourself. Two things come with the price. The ship waits for its own excursions and does not wait for you. And if the port is missed, P&O refunds its own without you asking. A trip you booked yourself is a claim on your travel insurance, so check what your policy covers. The ship sells its own trips to all of these, and the desk is open on board if you would rather do it that way.
Lysefjord by boat. Out and back from the town quay in about three hours, past waterfalls and under Pulpit Rock. From the water you see the rock the way it actually sits, which is 600 metres of straight cliff with people the size of ants standing on the top of it.
Pulpit Rock on foot. A bus from town through the subsea tunnel, then four to five hours of walking there and back. Check your own times before you commit to it. People do miss the ship over this one, and the walk is rock and bog rather than a path.
Which ship calls at Stavanger, and when
Every call here between 15 August and 28 November 2026, with the hours ashore P&O published. These times are a guide, not a promise: the captain gives the real ones the day before.
| Ship | Sails | Day | Ashore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iona | 15 August 2026, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 22 August 2026, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 5 September 2026, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 12 September 2026, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 26 September 2026, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 28 March 2027, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 3 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 4 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 10 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 11 April 2027, 14 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 11 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 17 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 24 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 25 April 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 1 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 8 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 15 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 22 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 29 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 5 June 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 12 June 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 19 June 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 26 June 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 3 July 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 10 July 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 17 July 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 24 July 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 31 July 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 7 August 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 14 August 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 21 August 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 28 August 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 4 September 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 5 September 2027, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 11 September 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 18 September 2027, 7 nights | Day 4 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 25 September 2027, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 26 March 2028, 14 nights | Day 10 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 1 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 2 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 2 April 2028, 14 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 8 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 9 April 2028, 14 nights | Day 10 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 15 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 16 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 16 April 2028, 14 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 22 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 23 April 2028, 14 nights | Day 10 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 29 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 30 April 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 30 April 2028, 14 nights | Day 3 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 6 May 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 13 May 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 20 May 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 21 May 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 27 May 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 28 May 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 28 May 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 3 June 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 10 June 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 17 June 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 18 June 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 24 June 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 25 June 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 25 June 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 1 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 2 July 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 8 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 9 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 9 July 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 15 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 16 July 2028, 14 nights | Day 10 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 22 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 23 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 23 July 2028, 14 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 29 July 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 30 July 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 09:30 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 5 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 6 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 6 August 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 09:30 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 12 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 13 August 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 19 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 20 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Arvia | 20 August 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 26 August 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 2 September 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 9 September 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 10 September 2028, 14 nights | Day 13 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 17 September 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 17 September 2028, 14 nights | Day 6 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 23 September 2028, 7 nights | Day 3 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
How long you get ashore in Stavanger
The published times give you between about 7.5 and 9 hours alongside, depending on the sailing. Take off the time it takes a few thousand people to get off, and the time you need to be back on board before the ship leaves, and that is your day. P&O give the real hours the day before, and the all-aboard time is earlier than the departure time.
The other stops on these cruises
Every one of these is on at least one of the sailings that calls at Stavanger.
- AlesundThe whole town burned down in one night in January 1904 and was rebuilt at speed in Art Nouveau, with materials Kaiser Wilhelm II sent by ship.
- CherbourgTitanic's last call on mainland Europe, on the evening of 10 April 1912, and she never came alongside: tenders carried the passengers out to her.
- Cobh (tours to Cork)Titanic's last port of call, on 11 April 1912, when the town was called Queenstown.
- FlamA hamlet at the end of Aurlandsfjord with a railway out of all proportion to it.
- Getxo (tours to Bilbao)Basque country, at the mouth of the river up to Bilbao.
- HaugesundNorway calls this its birthplace: Harald Fairhair, who pulled the country into one kingdom in the 870s, had his seat at Avaldsnes, just down the coast.
- HellesyltA waterfall runs straight through the middle of the village and into the fjord.
- KristiansandLaid out as a grid in 1641 by Christian IV of Denmark-Norway, who wanted a fortress town guarding the entrance to the Skagerrak and had one built on the sand at the river mouth.
- La CorunaThe Spanish Armada sailed from this harbour in 1588, and it is still guarded by the Tower of Hercules, a Roman lighthouse from about the year 100 which has never stopped working: the oldest one on earth still doing its job.
- La RochelleThree medieval towers stand at the mouth of the old harbour, and a chain was slung between two of them to shut the port at night.
- Le HavreFour fifths of the town was destroyed in September 1944 and Auguste Perret rebuilt the centre in reinforced concrete on a grid, which is now a World Heritage site, listed for the planning rather than for anything old.
- Le Verdon (for Bordeaux)The mouth of the Gironde, where the estuary meets the Atlantic, and a deep water quay built for cargo rather than for a town.
- OldenA village of a few hundred people at the head of Nordfjord, 100 km in from the open sea.
- SkjoldenThe innermost point of the Sognefjord, about 200 kilometres from open water.
- VigoEurope's biggest fishing port by weight landed, and it smells honestly of it near the market.
Money and language in Norway
Norwegian krone (NOK, kr). Norway is close to cashless. A card works everywhere, including small kiosks and buses, and you can sail without touching a krone. Onboard is always charged in sterling, so this only matters ashore.
Almost everyone speaks excellent English, so these are a courtesy rather than a need.
| English | Norwegian | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hei | hey |
| Goodbye | Ha det | hah deh |
| How much? | Hvor mye koster det? | voor MEE-uh KOSS-ter deh |
| Thank you | Takk | tahk |
| Please | Vær så snill | vair soh snil |
Free, and it works with no internet. Give it the dates you sail and it works out your own stops and saves the street map for each one. It shows you round the ship too.
All the ports written up so far, the things to do before you sail, or the ship pages for Iona and Arvia.