The Port of Rostock Warnmunde has reported increased cargo and passenger traffic for the first half of 2016 with a record 4,011 calls by ferry, ro-ro, cargo and cruise vessels.
The port said it expects 183 port calls by 33 different cruise ships for the full year for a total of 800,000 passengers. This makes Rostock Warnemunde the busiest cruise port in Germany, ahead of Hamburg and Kiel, according to Jens A. Scharner, managing director of the Rostock Port Development Company.
Four first time callers include the Koningsdam and Zuiderdam of Holland America Line, the Viking Sea of Viking Ocean Cruises and the Monarch of Pullmantur.
Rostock-based AIDA Cruises is homeporting two of its vessels and is embarking passengers on 41 out of 51 calls. Also, Costa, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line and other cruise lines are embarking/disembarking some of their passengers on 57 calls.
The 2016 cruise calendar shows Aug. 27 with five cruise ships in port and there are 13 days with three ships. All told, there will be cruise ships in port 110 days this season.
