You'll find whale-watching excursions on offer in every port, but you'll also, with luck, see marine mammals from the ship. The bridge officers keeping extra watch will make an announcement if there's a particularly impressive pod in the vicinity.
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For cruise ships, avoiding a whales requires that the captain, pilot, or other bridge personnel detect the whale at a sufficiently large enough distance to change course or speed. This often means detecting the whale several kilometers away.
You can see chunks of boat float away. A 2022 study found that out of 49 attacks that year, whales damaged ships in about 73% of interactions. And 25% of those had to be towed back to port.
There are many locations around the world where whale watching is possible, and the migration patterns of the whales luckily coincide with the migration pattern of our fleet of Norwegian cruise ships. That means there are plenty of options for whale watching shore excursions on Norwegian cruises around the world.
Underwater noise created by shipping can stop whales from being able to communicate with each other and can interfere with their navigation, causing them to be disoriented or isolated from the rest of their group. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds may even result in hearing loss or injury.
Despite what ANY whale watch company may claim, you can never really guarantee how many whales will be seen, or even if any whales will be seen, when you go whale watching. You can guarantee a free return ticket (aka “rain check”) if you don't see a whale, but you can't guarantee the whales themselves.
June through August is the best time for a Norway cruise, but voyages begin in May and run into September. In general, Norway weather is the best in the summer months, with temperatures that are warm (and occasionally hot).
While most outfits guarantee a 90 percent chance of a spotting a whale, you might consider booking an extra trip if it's at the top of your bucket list. Some companies offer a complimentary outing if your trip ends sans sighting—check out the policy before booking.
Are cruise ships safe? Let's cut right to the chase: Yes, cruise ships are generally safe as long as you use common sense and remember that vessels are not impervious to accidents, illness or people who just don't know how to behave.