Cruise Ship Diverted for Urgent Repairs Following Severe Weather

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Viking Oceanโ€™s newest ship, Viking Vela, is facing formidable challenges during its fourth voyage โ€“ its first to the frigid waters of the North Sea.

On January 13, as the 54,300-gross-ton vessel was making its way from Ijmuiden, Holland, to Narvik, Norway, the ship encountered heavy winds and experienced steering problems, diverting to ร…lesund, Norway, to seek refuge and make emergency repairs.

Passengers took to social media, reporting that the ship had been rocked by 100 mile-per-hour winds and met swells of 35 feet.

Weather reports revealed โ€œan abrupt change in the weather was setting off new storm and avalanche warnings all over Norway on Monday.โ€

โ€œStrong winds were causing additional trouble, not least for ferry and shipping lines, with even the sturdy coastal line Hurtigruten having to cancel some stops, around both ร…lesund and Harstad,โ€ said the news source.

Up to 998 passengers sailing on the shipโ€™s 12-night โ€œIn Search of the Northern Lightsโ€ voyage to Norway that departed from London on January 10, 2025, received word that the ship would not only be unexpectedly calling in ร…lesund, but spending three full days in port as the ship conducted repairs and inspections.

โ€œAs you have witnessed during your time with us, while this region is majestic this time of year, sometimes the weather patterns can be unpredictable,โ€ said Captain Rune Loekling.

โ€œIn order to complete the necessary inspections, we anticipate our stay in ร…lesund to be extended to Thursday, at which point we will continue our journey south to Bergen,โ€ he continued.

Read Also: Who Owns Viking Cruises?

To compensate for the disruption, guests were given a complimentary Silver Spirits beverage package for the remainder of the sailing.

The package is valued at $25 per night per guest and includes premium wines and champagne by the glass, cocktails, aperitifs, and any drink up to $18 throughout the day, anywhere on the ship.

Passengers who had already purchased the package would be automatically refunded.

Additionally, Viking provided each guest with a credit voucher, valued at 60 percent of the paid cruise fare. The voucher can be used toward any Viking river, ocean, or expedition voyage.

Viking Vela in ร…lesund, Norway
Viking Vela in ร…lesund, Norway (Photo Courtesy: Geir Tore Hjelle)

Adjusted Itinerary

Viking Vela, which was delivered to Viking on December 3, 2024, from Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy, was supposed to call on three Norwegian ports after visiting Ijmuiden. The itinerary included Narvik on January 14, an overnight call in Tromsรธ on January 15, and another overnight call in Alta on January 17.

Instead, the ship arrived in ร…lesund on January 14 and will remain in port until 6 p.m. on January 16. 

The new itinerary will still bring guests to three Norwegian ports before it ends, although they now are Flam, Eidfjord, and Stavanger.

Each arrival will be at 8 a.m. and passengers will have 9 to 11 hours in each port before resuming on the water each evening.

โ€œOf course, this is not the itinerary you originally bookedโ€”or the one we planned to execute,โ€ said the captain. 

โ€œWe do believe that the ports you visit on the adjusted itinerary are among the most interesting and scenic in Norway, and we are confident that this new itinerary will be equally enriching,โ€ added Captain Loekling.

All shore excursions booked through Viking for activities in Narvik, Tromsรธ, and Alta have been cancelled and automatically refunded to the onboard accounts of passengers.

The ship will maintain its previously scheduled arrival in Bergan on January 21, providing an overnight in the city before disembarkation on January 22.

Viking Vela will conduct a 12-night return trip to London on January 22 that will feature the original schedule.

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Lissa Poirot
Lissa Poirot
Lissa Poirot has been covering travel for more than a decade, including sites such as TripAdvisor, CruiseCritic, The Points Guy, Family Vacation Critic, and Family Traveller. Her love of travel has led Lissa to visit more than 43 countries and has her on a mission to see every state in the U.S. (only 4 states to go!). When she's not traveling, she's exploring new attractions and events on the weekends, be it in New York City or Philadelphia, as Lissa lives between both fabulous cities.

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