FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Stavanger RIB FAQ

On this page you will find answers to the most common questions travelers have about our company and tours to help you best prepare for your adventure. From safety protocols and booking processes to what to expect on your journey. If you have a query that isn’t listed below, or desire further clarification on a point, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Table of Contents

STAVANGER RIB

  • Stavanger RIB is a RIB boat tour operator, based in Stavanger, Rogaland. The company was founded in 2022 by Helge Karlsen with the simple mission of sharing the splendors of our local backyard with adventurers from every corner of the globe. Helge grew up in the fjords of Rogaland and possesses a deep understanding of the region along with considerable boating experience. Having spent 30 years in the offshore industry, he has integrated both his expertise and safety protocols into the everyday activities of Stavanger RIB.

    Click here to learn more about us and our values.

  • Stavanger RIB offers a great choice for those seeking to explore Norway's majestic fjords with a blend of adventure and safety. You'll travel with seasoned captains who know these waters like the back of their hand, in top-of-the-line RIB boats that guarantee a smooth and exciting ride. We pride ourselves on our impeccable safety record, underscored by rigorous standards and comprehensive briefings to ensure guest well-being. Our commitment to guest satisfaction extends to our booking policies, offering 24-hour free rescheduling or cancellation and full protections for cruise tourists experiencing berthing cancellations or delays.

  • Stavanger RIB offers regularly scheduled Lysefjord Sightseeing tours throughout the year from February to November.

    Click here to learn more about our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour.

  • Stavanger RIB offers year-round private tour services for tourists, events, parties, teambuilding, and more. Click here to browse our private tour catalogue. Each offering can be tailored to your desires, and we also offer custom tours where you create the course.

    Click here to learn more about our private tours.

  • Yes, in addition to leisure tours, Stavanger RIB also offers boat-for-hire services. Whether you require water transport, safety and support vessels, search and recovery support, or film and media production support, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

    Click here to read more about our Boat-for-Hire services.

LYSEFJORD SIGHTSEEING TOUR

  • Our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour is our signature offering and the most popular choice for our adventurers. The tour is a 1 hour 45 minute RIB-Safari that offers travelers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of one of Norway's most famous fjords. It’s a join-in tour regularly scheduled throughout the year from February to November.

    Click here to learn more about the tour.

  • On our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour, we go as far into the fjord as Hengjane, some of the major sights you’ll see include Pulpit Rock, Whisky Falls, and Vagabond Cave.

  • Our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour costs 1290 NOK per seat for adults and 990 NOK per seat for children aged 6-16. Private Lysefjord Sightseeing tours cost 11 900 NOK per boat.

  • Our Lysefjord Sightseeing RIB boat tour lasts approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, with 15 minutes beforehand for onboarding, and about 5 minutes after the tour for offboarding.

  • This tour is regularly scheduled throughout the year from February through November, but we don’t follow the exact same timetable week-to-week. To find your ideal departure time, we recommend exploring our online tour calendar. We foremost set our schedule with cruise tourists in mind, offering multiple departures most every cruiseday. During the high-season from June to August, we offer daily departures.

  • Yes. We always strive to be as flexible as possible for our customers, if you would like to go on a Lysefjord Sightseeing tour at a time we haven’t presently scheduled, just notify us with your desired time and date in the submission form below and we’ll get back to you ASAP about whether we can make it happen.

  • Our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour is presently provided in English and Norwegian.

  • On this tour, yes. On some of our other private-tour offerings, like our Flørli hike, and our restaurant tours, we incorporate land activities.

  • While there is adventure to be found no matter what time you head out, we would recommend booking earlier tours in the day. The sun will be lower in the sky, offering more dramatic lighting, and the chance for encountering wildlife is heightened.

  • On good days it will be possible to spot seals, porpoises, sea eagles, mountain goats and more.

  • Yes, you’re allowed to take pictures on the tour, we strongly recommend you do. Just remember to respect and be mindful of your fellow passengers, and, -just to be safe- we suggest you attach the camera to your person with a strap or something similar.

  • No, we don’t require a minimum number of travelers for our Lysefjord Sightseeing tour to go ahead.

MEETING POINT & CRUISE SCHEDULE

  • We meet all our passengers Click here to see an image of the meeting point next to the common berthing spot of cruises.at Strandkaien 37 (4005 Stavanger), which is right by the innermost floating dock in the Stavanger city harbor.

    Click here for the Google map link to our meeting place.

    Click here to see an image of the meeting point next to the common berthing spot of cruises.

  • Please meet up 15 minutes before the listed starting time of your tour to receive all necessary equipment along with a safety briefing.

  • If you’re running late for your tour, please give us a call immediately and we’ll assess the situation. If it’s only a couple of minutes, we can likely wait. If you’re a cruise tourist running late due to the delayed berthing of your ship, you’re likely not the only one on our tour who won’t make it in time. In those cases we will generally delay the departure or add a new one.

  • Yes, there is a public handicap-friendly restroom about 20 meters from the floating dock where our tours depart. The tour is close to two hours, so we naturally recommend you use it beforehand. Do note that this facility has a paid entry of 10 NOK.

    For a full overview of public restrooms in Stavanger, you can check out this link.

  • Yes, there are 20 parking spots by the harbor at the Strandkaien Sør lot, you are also allowed to park camping vehicles there. Click here to learn more.

    If there’s no more space there, the nearest parking garage is P-Posten located right below the city post office. Do note that you can’t park camping vehicles there. Click here to learn more.

    For a full overview of parking spots in Stavanger, you can follow this link.

    For a comprehensive detailing of all parking garages in Stavanger, you can follow this link.

  • Generally no, we only check tickets if there’s a dispute. We have the guest list, so we typically just do a name call to make sure everyone has arrived.

  • We're always happy to help. Reach out to us with the time and place and we can make an order on your behalf.

    If you’d like to book yourself, you can try stavanger-taxi.no or siddistaxi.no

  • Our tours depart extremely close to where cruise ships berth in Stavanger City. If your ship docks at Strandkaien, it’s about a five-minute walk, if it’s at Konserthuskaien, walking should take about 15 minutes. If your ship docks in Stavanger, an hour after the set arrival time of your cruise is more than enough marigin for getting off the boat and reaching us in time.

    If your boat docks in Sandnes, Mekjarvik, or some other port outside the city, you will need to factor in a bit more time. A taxi from Sandnes to Stavanger takes about 20 minutes as long as you’re not stuck in rush hours. If you’re heading down from Mekjarvik, cruiselines have so far always provided complimentary shuttle buses to the city center, this drive should take about 30 minutes, though delays are in our experience likely here.

    Cruise tourists are the primary demographic for our Lysefjord Sightseeing tours, if you’re running late, chances are you’re not the only one. Should your boat experience a berthing delay, we will reschedule our tours for the day in accordance with the new itinerary.

  • If you’re a cruise tourist considering joining a tour later in the day, rest assured that we are fully aware of your ship's departure schedule and are committed to ensuring your timely return. We always keep up to date cruiselists on hand and set our tour schedule in accordance with these itineraries. Furthermore, in the unlikely event of a delay that compromises our schedule and could affect your ability to rejoin your cruise in time, we will proactively shorten our tour to ensure you make a punctual return.

    To date, we have maintained a flawless record of ensuring all our guests return well before their cruise departure times, and it is our intention to uphold this standard.

RIB BOATING

  • RIB Boats, or Rigid Inflatable Boats, are a type of small speedboat that combines a solid, shaped hull with flexible tubes at the gunwale. Their inflatable sides provide buoyancy and shock-absorbing qualities, making them exceptionally seaworthy and comfortable for passengers. Their rigid hull ensures structure, stability, and the capability to handle a broad range of water conditions with ease. This innovative design offers a great balance between sturdiness and versatility, making RIBs a great choice for sightseeing tours.

  • Our fleet is solely made up of 31-foot Grand D950 Rafters. This state-of-the-art model was designed in collaboration with top Ukrainian and Swedish engineers, boasting exceptional sea-keeping abilities and comfortable high-speed cruising. It features a reinforced fiberglass hull with an "Ultra deep V" design, Hypalon pontoons, and twin 300 horsepower engines. These boats will ensure that your RIB-Safari is all it can be, offering up the highest degree of comfort, safety, and fun.

  • Yes, we would certainly say so. Sightseeing in a RIB Boat is a real adventure that’s not just about what you’ll see, but also the fun you’ll have along the way. If you’ve never gone on a RIB-Safari before, you’re in for a treat. You’ll get to experience the total freedom of the open water, wind blowing through your hair, feeling like a true seafarer. It's all about discovering that adventurous side of yourself that you maybe didn't even know you had. Entering the fjord, you’ll get super close to nature in a way you just can’t on larger boats, tracing the cliff contours, edging close enough to waterfalls to soak in their mist, granting you photo opportunities you won’t get anywhere else.

  • There are only 12 passenger seats onboard each boat, ensuring all our guests are afforded a personal and exclusive experience with a close connection to your captain.

  • Yes, we will provide you with all the necessary equipment to partake in our adventure, ensuring you a safe and enjoyable experience. This includes 1-piece flotation suit overalls, essential for both protection and safety on the water. We provide these in a wide range of sizes from child-sized to quadruple XL, ensuring you a snug fit no matter your shape or size. You’ll naturally also be supplied with an inflatable life-jacket, which we will guide you on how to use. Additionally, we also offer goggles and gloves for extra covering, which is essential on colder days.

  • While you can just show up to your appointment and be good to go, there’s some things you should consider packing to make your adventure as awesome as it can be. It goes without saying that you should bring a camera along to capture the experience and create memories to revisit. Whether using a dedicated device or your phone, you should if possible secure your camera to your person with a strap (though passengers accidentally dropping their device in the water is in our experience exceedingly rare).

    Besides that, the most important thing is to dress appropriately for the weather, while our flotation suits provide great protection, it’s always colder at sea than on land. Rule-of-thumb is to dress to the extent that you feel comfortably warm when standing by the harbor, waiting to board. Bringing extra covering on colder days, like a beanie and neck gaiter, is also smart. As is extra skin protection on sunny days, like hats and sunglasses, not to mention sunscreen.

  • Yes. Don’t worry if it starts raining, we’re well equipped to venture out in most any weather. The very same Grand D950 model RIB boat we use is also employed in professional offshore work, so it’s more than capable of withstanding the elements. We also protect our passengers well. While there is no roof onboard, your provided flotation suit features fabric made from water-repellant materials plus a wraparound hood.

    And don’t count yourself unlucky if you aren’t greeted with perfect blue skies when it’s your time to board, we promise you it won’t spoil the fun. A bit of rain adds a vivid freshness to the scenery, enveloping the fjord in an enchanting mist while surging its waterfalls, making them fuller and more numerous. It’s a real chance to explore the wilderness at its rawest.

    Of course, if the weather gets truly bad to the extent that it poses a safety risk to anyone onboard, rest assured that we will without hesitation cancel our departure and offer everyone affected a full refund.

  • It depends on your preference. If you want to feel like you’re flying on the waves, the front seat might be for you, but if you prefer a bit more cushioning, it can be smart to sit further back. With only twelve passenger seats onboard, each one will provide fully unimpeded views.

  • Not ordinarily. Passengers customarily pick their seat when boarding. All our seats offer great unobstructed views, and we always try our best to seat groups together.

    If you have a strong preference for where you would like to sit, please reach out to us and we can make a note to reserve that seat for you in our systems.

  • Yes, there is ample cargo space onboard for bags and purses, though if you're arriving straight from the airport with all your luggage in tow, it could be a bit much. If that’s the case, please contact us and we'll see if we can arrange for a place to store it for the duration of your tour. The cargo compartment on the boat is furthermore fully waterproof and completely insulated from both the surrounding sea and potential rainfall.

  • Generally yes. Though please notify us ahead of time. We’ve had plenty of dogs onboard our tours before and they’ve always had fun.

  • You are welcome to bring beverages along, however, for the sake of maintaining cleanliness onboard and protecting the environment, we kindly ask passengers to refrain from consuming food or snacks on the boat.

ARE RIB BOAT TOURS FOR ME?

  • Skimming the waters on a RIB is exhilarating, but not extreme in any sense, our tour is suitable for most anyone between the ages of 6 and 99 with an adventurous spirit. We pride ourselves on providing great fun for people from all walks of life: our oldest passengers have been well past their 90th birthday and we’re used to helping mobility impaired passengers get on and off the boat. Whether you’re a family traveling together, a group of friends, or a solo explorer, our activity will be a great choice for you.

    Click here to read our full safety policy.

  • Stavanger RIB would advise against participating in RIB tours for the following individuals.

    • Persons with severe pre-existing neck or back conditions.

    • Pregnant women beyond their first trimester.

    • Persons who are entirely dependent on a wheelchair.

    • Individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis or other conditions that result in brittle bones.

    If you’re unsure about whether you should join our tours, don’t hesitate to reach out. We can put you directly on the phone with our experienced captains if necessary.

  • Safety is of course always our number one concern, and we pride ourselves on having been 100% accident free for as long as our company has existed. The boat and captain are without exception certified for their activity, every passenger is provided with all requisite safety equipment, and an extensive safety briefing is always held before anyone is allowed to board the boat. We always take stock of the situation on the sea, and if we are at all uncertain about the safety of embarking on a tour or continuing an ongoing one, due to weather conditions or some other factor, we will without hesitation cancel the tour and issue a full refund for anyone affected.

  • No need to worry. Our RIB boats only hold twelve people at a time, this ensures that our captains are able to maintain constant oversight and make sure everyone onboard is having a great time throughout. We tailor each tour to the needs and preferences of the present group, and always do our best to strike the perfect balance between thrill and comfort. As you will be extensively briefed on before the start of your tour, we also have a simple system in place where if anyone for any reason feels uncomfortable or scared during the tour, you simply have to raise your hand and the captain will slow down and check up on you.

  • The average speed of the boat in a typical tour will be between 30 and 40 knots (55-75km/h), the acceleration curve is however stable, and you will not experience any sudden fluctuations. The course itself is steady and straightforward with no drastic turns or maneuvers. You are unlikely to experience the speed of the boat as discomforting.

    The main thing to be prepared for is a fair amount of wind hitting your face. It is however not uncomfortable, and most will find it refreshing and part of the fun of riding in a RIB. If the wind does concern you though, you can ask to sit in the seat beside the captain, which is protected by a windshield.

  • Our RIB boat tour is not very bumpy. In typical weather conditions, the boat will cut through most waves instead of going over them. Though on windy days, some bumps from going over waves will be unavoidable. Our captains do however take great care to ensure that these waves are absorbed as gently as possible and not experienced harshly by passengers. If bumps concern you, sitting further towards the back of the boat will significantly reduce their impact. You can also ask to sit beside the captain, this seat is the farthest back and also features extra feathering and cushioning.

  • No. Our high-end RIB boats are specifically constructed to protect passengers from water splashing onboard. The hull design and inflatable tubes going around the boat act as natural fenders against sprays. You will only get wet onboard if it starts raining as there are no roofs on the boats. The protective flotation suits you will receive for your tour will however very effectively shield you in that event as they are made from water-repellant materials and feature a hood.

  • It is very rare that any of our passengers get seasick onboard. Our RIBs slice through smaller waves smoothly, minimizing the rocking motion that often leads to seasickness. The inflatable tubing around the edges of the boat also provides a significant steadying effect, minimizing swaying both when stationary and in motion. Secondly, the open design of our boats allows passengers to maintain a constant, 360-degree view of the horizon and their surroundings, this helps align the visual and vestibular (inner ear) inputs, which plays a crucial role in preventing the disorientation that can cause seasickness.

  • Please reach out to us and we’ll assess the situation. Nine times out of ten, we can make the necessary accommodations to get you onboard and have a great time.

  • Our tour is suitable for children aged six and up. Provided you don’t suffer from osteoporosis or any major pre-existing neck or back issues, there’s no real maximum age for joining, the oldest passengers we’ve had along were well past their ninetieth birthday and they had a great time.

  • Unaccompanied children travelling on RIB boats should be at least 14 years of age.

TERMS OF SERVICE

  • We offer 24-hour free rescheduling or cancellation for all our tours and full protections for cruise tourists.

    Click here to read our full terms and conditions.

  • For guests expecting to arrive in the Stavanger region on a cruise ship, in the event that the scheduled berthing of your ship is cancelled, we will offer a full refund for your booking even if the 24-hour cancellation window has passed. In the event of a berthing delay, we will offer you the option to reschedule.

  • Yes, we provide full Force Majure refunds should your tour be prevented from going ahead, whether due to unsafe weather conditions or some other factor.

  • If you would like to make a reservation for a tour, please reach out to us regarding your preferred time and date and we'll evaluate the possibilities.

PRIVATE TOURS

  • We offer private Lysefjord Sightseeing tours, Flørli hikes, restaurant visits and more. Whether you’re exploring as tourists, celebrating with friends, or teambuilding with the office, we have experiences tailored to you.

    Our present fleet comprises three top-of-the-line 31-Foot Grand D950 RIB boats with 12 seats each, allowing a party size up to 36 at a time. If you’re a larger group, please reach out and we can inquire with our contacts about adding additional capacity.

    Click here to see our full private tour catalogue.

  • Yes, if you don’t find your perfect tour in our catalogue, we gladly take requests. Our standard rate is 7900 NOK per hour of driving and 1290 NOK per hour of waiting.

  • Yes, no problem, though this may incur an additional fee.

Contact us.

post@stavangerrib.no
+47 400 86 886

Strandkaien 37
4005 Stavanger, Norge