The public workers strike in Norway expanded May 30 to include harbor pilot boat crews up and down the coast, according to the Norway Coastal Administration (NCA).
Harbor pilots are on strike only in Oslo so far, but the addition of the boat crew strikers means that working pilots cannot board cruise ships scheduled to dock in the fjords.
If the strike continues, the inability of harbor pilots to reach ships could undermine the lucrative Norwegian fjord cruise season, which is just getting under way.
But the NCA noted, "The strike is only affecting the pilot boat service, not the helicopter transport service for pilots."
Helicopter drop-off assignments, however, will be prioritized "on the basis of life, health and the environment," said the administration.
Some cruise ships already are serving the area, including Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas.
According to a Royal spokeswoman, the Vision of the Seas is in Bergen and the Brilliance of the Seas is in Flam.
“Both ships are expected to depart their ports of call [May 30] as scheduled. However, we are currently preparing contingency plans in the event the strike continues and either ship is unable to make their next scheduled port of calls in Norway,” she said.
The Vision of the Seas is scheduled to call in Geiranger on May 31, spend June 1 at sea and conclude its sailing in Oslo on June 2.
The Brilliance of the Seas is scheduled to call in Bergen May 31, spend June 1 at sea and conclude its sailing in Amsterdam on June 2.
A Princess Cruises ship, the Emerald Princess, missed an Oslo call last week.
“Once the pilot was onboard, the ship received notification that there would be a strike that included the pilots. If the ship had gone alongside they would have not be able to depart as there would not have been a pilot available,” said a spokeswoman for the line.
“The call at Oslo was unfortunately canceled and the ship instead did some scenic cruising of the Oslo fjords before proceeding directly to the next port of Aarhus. The next call [in Oslo] is June 4 and we will, of course, monitor the situation.”
Princess has four ships slated to visit Norwegian ports in the next few weeks.
One cruise line that is unaffected by the strikes is Hurtigruten, the Norway-based expedition line.
“Differing from traditional cruise liners,” a spokesman explained, “Hurtigruten’s 11 ships in daily service along the Norwegian coast are under the rules of compulsory pilotage.”
The line’s operations are defined as “inshore navigation” and its navigators have a “lead license,” which enables them to sail unassisted by harbor pilots.
The maritime sector strikes are affecting cargo operations, as well. Media reports in Norway have cited the inability of petroleum tankers to reach commercial harbors, and some parts of Norway are running out of fuel.
Other strikers include immigration and passport control officials, teachers and virtually all municipal workers.
Correction: Aarhus is in Denmark, not the Netherlands.
For cruise news and updates, follow Donna Tunney on Twitter @dttravelweekly.