Haugesund Cruise Port

The town of Haugesund is a popular cruise port of call for ships on itineraries visiting the Norwegian fjords thanks to its location just to the south of the main fjordland region.
That makes it one of the first towns that cruise ships will get to in Norway when setting sail from the UK and an ideal stopping port for ships heading to other Northern European ports.
With the port usually been the first or last port of call on a cruise holiday, it can be a bit of a disappointment for some visitors as it doesn’t offer the incredible scenery that you expect from a Norwegian cruise port, but there are some aspects of the port that makes it a great place to visit.
Haugesund isn’t a tourist town as such, so when you walk around its centre you are walking with locals, shopping where locals shop and eat or drink where the locals eat and drink.
Cruises To Haugesund
Our Visit
We visited Haugesund in June 2019 onboard the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship, on an itinerary that took us to the Norwegian Fjords and the Norwegian Arctic.
It was the final port of call on our two-week getaway and whilst it should be said that it was the worst port on our journey, it doesn’t make it a bad one.
I would injure myself just before setting sail and would be on crutches for my visit to the town but with only a limited amount of things to see and do, we would get to take most of it in.
You need to either take a shuttle from the small island the cruise dock is on, or you can take around a 20-minute walk to the mainland.
We took the free shuttle bus which dropped us off outside of the town main church and from there we would simply walk around the town and see some of the large wooden house on the outskirts of the centre, the main high street that has a number of statues along it and then a walk along the harbour front.
Haugesund Cruise Guide
Haugesund
Name: Haugesund
Currencies accepted: Norwegian Krone
Overall
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Attractions - 6/10
6/10
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Excursions - 4/10
4/10
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Facilities - 5/10
5/10
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Getting Around - 6/10
6/10
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Location - 5/10
5/10
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Choice of Lines - 8/10
8/10
User Review
( votes)In this guide, we take you through all that you need to know about visiting the port of Haugesund on a cruise holiday including where you dock, what there is to do in the town and what excursions ar eon offer.
If you have already booked a cruise that calls into the town, this guide should help you make the most of your time ashore, whilst if you are still at the research stage, this guide should help you decide whether an itinerary going to the port is right for you or not.
Type of Cruises Available
When it comes to visiting the port there are 3 main options for visiting the port, which are round trips from Northern Europe, repositioning cruises and Norwegian coastal cruises.
Round trips usually call into the port before or after heading to either the Norwegian Fjords or the Norwegian Arctic and start in Northern European cruise turnaround ports such as Southampton, Rotterdam and Copenhagen.
For those wanting to spend more time in the region, a repositioning cruse from one of those ports that heads up the Norwegian coast and continues to the port of Reykjavik in Iceland is also an option.
The final choice you have is to take a Norwegian coastal trip onboard a cruise ferry service that either starts in Bergen or Oslo.
Haugesund Cruise Port Location
The port is located on Garpeskjaerskaien, which is an island just off of the mainland of Haugesund that makes it a straightforward entrance for ship to pull into but does make it a bit of a walk for visitors to get into the town centre.
On our journey there was a shuttle bus provided but there is a bridge that links the port to the town centre for those wanting to walk it.
Haugesund Cruise Facilities
The port only has limited facilities as it offers no turnaround functions but as somewhere that is only a port of call, it doesn’t really need anything else.
There is a car park area for shuttle buses, a small tourist information office and shop and some toilets just across from where you exit your ship.
Haugesund Attractions
There are a few attractions for those visiting the town to enjoy including the Dokken Museum which take you back to the days of the town been a major Herring fishing port.
There is also a small military museum which focusses on the towns time during World War 2, whilst the red brick Our Saviours church grab the attention thanks to its hilltop location on the edge of town.
The town hall is an impressive building as are the many mansions to the north of the town centre that used to house boat owners and merchants.
The town’s high street has a number of statues that create a trail that is fun for kids and interesting for adults whilst the top end of town features some buildings that are interesting architecturally.
There is a small park close to the town centre that is a pleasant place to sit, relax and maybe eat a snack from some of the nearby bakeries.
The harbourfront in the town features several statues including one of Marilyn Monroe, a boardwalk and some bridges to take pictures of.
There are also a number of brightly coloured historic wooden buildings to visit.
Haugesund Shorex
An easy way to see the town and the surrounding area is to book onto the Hop On Hop Off bus tour which can be booked once in town or via your ship.
Other excursions tend to be coach tours of the town and surrounding area including taking visitors to see the beautiful and historic Ryvarden lighthouse.
Best Time To Visit Haugesund
It is possible to visit the port all year around with some ships calling into the port during the winter before or after heading north to see the Aurora Borealis, but the main cruise season is between April and October.
With most visitors simply walking around the town centre, we would recommend during the summer months between June to August to have the best chance of dry weather and blue skies.
Transport
There is a shuttle bus offered from the cruise dock to the town centre and whilst there are local bus services, most will not need to use them.
If you want a tour around the city, there is a Hop On Hop Off bus offered.
Haugesund Cruises From UK
If you want to visit the port directly from the UK, not only can you do just that but it is possible all year around.
The UK has one of the widest choices of any country including many lines and ports of departure.
Haugesund Cruises From Southampton
The port of Southampton offers the wide strange of itineraries, lines and ships sailing between the UK an Haugesund.