Warnemünde will continue to be the most popular German cruise port also in 2013, according to Ulrich Bauermeister, managing director of Rostock Port Development Company, which operates the passenger port at the mouth of river Warnow since 2001.

Twenty-eight cruise lines have confirmed 197 calls by 40 ships this year, compared to last year’s 181 calls.

“This speaks for the port, the region and all the service providers and public authorities involved in cruise shipping. In order to maintain this high level we need to secure the existing port areas long-term and we need to use additional traffic areas at the passenger quay in Warnemünde,” commented Bauermeister.

The new season starts early with Rostock-based AIDA Cruises sending its newbuild AIDAstella to Warnenunde March 16 and 17. During the season, the AIDAbella and AIDAmar will also be regular visitors with 21 calls each. Both vessels will embark and disembark passengers.

Further highlights next year will be two queens calling in Warnemünde for the first time: the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Other new arrivals will be the Artania of Phoenix Reisen, Azamara Quest of Azamara Cruises, Carnival Cruises’ Carnival Legend and Voyager of Voyages of Discovery.

Eighty-seven ships will be embarking and disembarking all or some of their passengers in Warnemünde, and 110 vessels will send passengers on day trips to Rostock, the holiday region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or to Berlin.

There will be five quadruple and 17 triple port calls. On the Hansesail Saturday, Aug. 10, the AIDAmar, Costa Fortuna and Star Flyer will berth at the passenger quay while the Artania and Ocean Majesty will berth at the overseas port.

In addition to the AIDAmar and AIDAstella, the most frequent callers will be the Norwegian Star (15), Costa Fortuna (14), Emerald Princess (11) and Empress (10). Fifteen of the 197 ships calling will have to moor at the overseas port since all berths in Warnemünde will be busy.