March 7, 2018 - In 2017, for the first time, more than 500.000 cruise passengers were counted at the terminals of the “Port of Kiel”. A total of 143 ship calls were recorded there. In 2018, even 600.000 cruise passengers and 166 calls from 32 different cruise ships are expected. This puts Kiel in third place among Germany's cruise ports after Warnemünde / Rostock and Hamburg.
For the sake of good order, however, the number of passengers has to be increased by a further 1,5 million passengers on the Scandinavian ferries. The management of the port explains that ship passengers generate annual sales of 50 million euros in Kiel alone. International guests use their stay in Kiel primarily for day trips throughout Schleswig-Holstein and to the old Hanseatic cities of Lübeck and Hamburg.
Port of Kiel
There is no doubt that Kiel's cruise port is on the upswing. While the total tonnage was 2017 million GT in 10,0, it will increase to more than 11,0 million GT in the current year due to larger shipping units. The cruise season opens on April 6th, the "Boudicca" of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. As in previous years, the ships of the shipping companies AIDA / Costa, TUI Cruises and MSC visit Kiel's port most frequently. AIDA Cruises alone will fly the flag with five ships in the port of Kiel.
The largest ship of the season is the “MSC Preziosa” (139.000 GT). It will call at Kiel for the first time on April 28th. The highlights of the season are the “Mein Schiff 1” (new building) on April 27, as well as seven other first calls, including Cunard's “Queen Victoria”. She moored at the Ostseekai on July 17th. Twelve ocean-going vessels and two river vessels are expected for Kiel Week, which will take place from June 16 to 24, 2018. The US shipping company Viking Ocean Cruises and the Spanish shipping company Pullmantur Cruises will be presenting themselves as newcomers over the course of the season.
Queen Victoria in front of Santorini
Kiel continuously invests in the expansion of its port facilities. Construction of a second terminal building on Ostseekai will start in late summer. A 3.700 m² two-story building is being built there, which will complement the existing terminal in a contemporary way in terms of form and function. The new building will open for the 2019 season.
