The Mayor of Bergen, Marthe Mjøs Pedersen, expressed joy over finally being able to offer this service to seafarers in Bergen. “It can be a burden for seafarers to be away from home. This centre can be a place for socializing and friendship and possibly make life easier while visiting Bergen. We also hope that this centre can work as a gateway to Bergen, providing information about the services our city has to offer, “she said.
The guest of honour at the opening was Commodore Christopher Rynd from the cruise ship Queen Victoria, which is currently at port in Bergen. His crew is part of the target group for this service.
“Our crew will love this,“ he says. “We have about 1000 crewmembers on board, of 50 different nationalities. Many of them are away from their families for almost 9 months. Internet connection is slow on board and it is very important for them to be able to keep in touch with their families, “ he says.
The Seamen’s Center is a collaboration between the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the Port of Bergen. The European Cruise Service has donated furniture and inventory to the center. In the high season, volunteers will operate the centre. Off-season seafarers will be able to get an access code to enter the building.
“This is a day to remember for us,“ said Lars Alvestad, Head of Vessels and Seafarers at the Norwegian Maritime Authority. “This is a great example of how we can carry out our commitments to seafarers. We hope this will be the start of a service that can be found in several other large ports along the coast of Norway,“ he said.