Over the weekend of September 16th to 18th, the Port of Kiel (Germany) achieved a significant milestone by welcoming 1 million cruise passengers in a single season for the first time.
During this period, the liners MSC Euribia, AIDAnova, AIDAbella, and AIDAluna as well as the riverboat Excellence Coral called at Kiel Port.
The rising popularity of cruises and strong booking figures for shipping companies have contributed to this achievement. Port Kiel is experiencing a record year in 2023, with expectations of maintaining a stable level of cruise business in the coming years. The Port's terminals and operational processes are well-prepared to handle this level of cruise traffic.
Kiel's cruising business has shown positive growth in recent years, despite setbacks caused by the COVID crisis. The presence of major European cruise lines like AIDA, Costa, MSC, and TUI has been bolstered by the addition of North American shipping companies such as Holland America Line, NCL-Norwegian and DCL-Disney, which have chosen Kiel as a prime cruise destination in the Baltic Sea region.
In 2022, Port Kiel recorded its busiest season to date, with 243 cruise calls and 835,000 passengers. The current 2023 season is on track to continue this upward trend with 222 ship calls already scheduled.