Stavanger: when your ship stops here
Wooden houses from the 1700s and 1800s, a cathedral from 1125, and the museum of Norway's oil story.
Facts checked Nov 6, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.
Stavanger is the third largest city in Norway, on the Stavanger Peninsula in the southwest, and counts 1125, the year its cathedral was completed, as its founding year. Wikipedia says the city center is just a small walk from the quay and is small and intimate, with narrow streets and open spaces protected from car traffic.
Source: Wikipedia: Stavanger
Top 3 things to do
1. Old Stavanger (Gamle Stavanger)
Right next to the city center, a collection of 18th and 19th century wooden houses. The core of Stavanger is largely these protected wooden houses.
Tip: It is a walk from the quay, so it suits a short call. The streets are narrow.
Source: Wikipedia: Stavanger
2. Stavanger Cathedral
Built between 1100 and 1150 by the English bishop Reinald in Anglo-Norman style, with a Gothic choir added in the late 13th century. Wikipedia calls it the only Norwegian cathedral that is almost unchanged since the 14th century.
Tip: Our sources give no opening hours, so check them for your day.
Source: Wikipedia: Stavanger
3. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum
Opened in 1998 and the most visited museum in the city, with almost 95,000 visitors a year from 1998 to 2008. Stavanger is known as the Oil Capital of Norway.
Tip: Our sources give no address or opening hours, so ask at the tourist desk.
Source: Wikipedia: Stavanger
What to skip
Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) on a short call
The rock overhangs Lysefjorden, 604 m above the water. It lies in a neighboring municipality, and our sources give no travel time. It is a hiking day, so leave it for a long call or an excursion booked through the ship.
Source: Wikipedia: Stavanger
Before you go ashore
You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.
Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?
Back-to-backs that stop in Stavanger
Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Stavanger, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:
- Back-to-back cruises from Southampton 6 back-to-backs with a stop in Stavanger
Sources
Find back-to-backs that stop in Stavanger
Two or more Royal Caribbean cruises in a row, with a day in Stavanger on the way.
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