The AIDAmar concluded the cruise season on Oct. 15 in Warnemünde-Rostock, making it a record year with 766,000 passengers embarking and disembarking on 181 calls, according to the port.
“Warnemünde is again the most visited cruise port in Germany. We thank all the cruise shipping companies, service providers and public authorities for their support,” said Jens A. Scharner, managing director of the Rostock Port Development Company.
Of the 181 calls by 31 different ships this year, 160 berthed in Warnemünde and 21 at the adjacent sea port. The largest caller was the Regal Princess.
Full or partial turnarounds amounted to 107 calls. AIDA Cruises used Warnemunde as a homeport for the AIDAdiva and AIDAmar, sailing in the Baltic with a total of 41 turnarounds.
Altogether 21 cruise lines called, according to a prepared statement from the port.
From the variety of tours offered, 16 percent of the passengers traveled to Berlin. About 153,000 passengers toured in the area in Warnemünde, Rostock or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on day trips and 170,000 started and/or ended their cruise in the passenger port at the mouth of the Warnow River.
This year the majority of cruise travelers were Germans: 118,000, followed by 71,000 Americans, 36,000 British, 31,000 Spaniards, 20,000 Italians, 15,000 Canadians, 11,000 Australians and 81,000 tourists from 150 other nations.
The ships also carried 140,000 crew members from 116 countries, more than one third of whom went on shore leave, the port said.
Based on a study by Rostock University on the spending behavior of passengers and crew members, the port concluded that cruise travelers and crew spent at least 16 million euro during the 2016 season, in local and regional shops, hotels and restaurants, on public transport, taxi rides and parking in Warnemünde, Rostock and the surrounding area. Adding to this is the revenue generated by coach operators, railways, travel agents for shore excursions, utilities, supply and disposal companies, shipping agents, pilots and port operators.
“The cruise guests generate great demand in many areas and they bring an international flair to the port city of Rostock and the holiday state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,” stated Jens A. Scharner.
In addition, 13 cruise ships discharged grey water directly from the ship into the public waste water system during 90 port calls . In total, 24,500 cubic meters of ship’s waste water were disposed of.
