Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) has announced that in 2016 it will handle approximately 35 percent more passengers than last year, with a further increase of at least 25 percent expected for 2017.
Managing Director of CCCB, Veit Hürdler, summarized the situation: “With this growth in mind, we have taken a very close look at our passenger handling processes. CCCB has always placed great importance on professional service, and for many years it has been well equipped to deal with turnarounds of several cruise vessels at the same time. And this winter we were able to implement optimization measures for handling very large vessels.”
He said that these include construction work on the terminal’s internal infrastructure to make baggage handling faster and easier. The old conveyor belts have been removed, and by using new openings to the quayside it is now possible to significantly reduce the distance which the luggage has to be moved.
As part of a conveyor system developed specifically by CCCB, ships’ own luggage trolleys can be transported directly to and from the terminal in an environmentally-friendly and efficient way. Information boards and passenger direction displays have been adapted and further simplified.
A new concept has been developed in co-operation with the local municipal bus operator, who for many years has been responsible for getting railway users to and from CCCB. In the past, passengers’ luggage was also taken from the train station directly to the cabin, but by means of technical innovations, this service is now said to have been optimized and made much more convenient.
The Columbus Cruise Café has launched a mobile catering service which benefits cruise passengers as well as bus and taxi drivers. Free Wi-Fi is also provided within the terminal premises.
According to CCCB, a service quality certification process has been embarked upon which should be completed by June 2016. This will lead to even more improvements in the quality of service and internal processes. These measures will safeguard and maintain the existing high quality standards as well as their continuous improvement, the port said.
Hürdler commented further: “Our next major project will focus on our parking facilities at the CCCB. In the past, we have always been able to offer our guests in Bremerhaven sufficient parking right in front of the terminal and at very reasonable prices and with no advance reservations necessary. To ensure that this will continue, a study will be carried out, and based on the results, we will look into extending the parking area or building a multi-storey facility. The valet parking service provided by third-party partners will continue.”
