With 1,204,089 passengers starting their cruise from the port last year, Hamburg is Germany’s top cruise port for 2023, according to a press release.

The new record is a significant jump from 785,000 passengers in 2022. A total of 51 cruise ships visited the Port of Hamburg 278 times, including eight maiden calls. 

Another 62 calls were made by river cruise ships.

Hamburg Minister for Economy and Innovation, Dr Melanie Leonhard, said: “The arrival and departure of a cruise ship in the Port of Hamburg is always an impressive moment. Last year, more than 1.2 million passengers experienced this. The cruise industry thus makes a significant contribution to value creation and employment in and around our port. I am therefore pleased that from 2025, we will have one of the most modern cruise terminals in the HafenCity, right in the heart of our city. As one of the most popular cruise destinations in Europe and a pioneer in sustainability issues, we also aim to further advance the topic of shore power. Therefore, we are currently massively expanding our shore-side power supply and will in future provide onshore energy supply at all cruise terminals.”

Simone Maraschi, managing director of Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH, added: “The record number of cruise passengers who start their journey from German ports is testament to the growing interest in sea trips of German holidaymakers. We are delighted to see the industry back on course after the coronavirus pandemic. The stronger market benefits the entire north German region. As cruise trips continue to gain in popularity, Germany remains a key player in the worldwide cruise industry that offers a wide range of fascinating routes and unforgettable experiences to travelers of all ages.”

The outlook is positive for 2024 as well with 270 planned cruise calls between January and December and 60 calls by river cruise ships. T

he port will also welcome ten maiden calls, including Cunard’s Queen Anne; Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream; Albatros Expeditions’ Ocean Albatros, Seabourn’s Seabourn Quest and Azamara’s Azamara Onward.