End-of-season triumph: Record-breaking performance at Hamburg

Friday, December 22, 2023

Hamburg’s cruise industry concludes the 2023 season with a notable event as two consecutive visits by a fully booked AIDAnova contribute to an impressive passenger turnaround. The Christmas holiday voyages on December 22 and December 29 establish a new record for daily passenger turnaround at Hamburg’s cruise terminals managed by Cruise Gate Hamburg (CGH). These days involve disembarking and embarking thousands of guests, handling around 8,800 suitcases, and managing 16 truckloads of food and drinks for each voyage.

Simone Maraschi, Managing Director of CGH mentioned that their top priority is to ensure their guests have the best experience, and they are committed to making sure travelers can embark on their Christmas holiday cruise with a sense of ease and relaxation. He says, “Ending this eventful cruise season with such a highlight is noteworthy on two counts. On one hand, it shows just how attractive and sought-after cruise trips departing from Hamburg are, even in winter. On the other hand, the logistics achievements of the employees are outstanding. Our well-practised processes at the terminal and the excellent co-operation of all parties involved make it possible to ensure efficient luggage services and smooth provisioning operations even on extremely busy turnaround days such as these.”

Since November 11, 2023, Hamburg has served as the home port for AIDAnova during the winter season, marking a first for the ship. Until May 4, 2024, the vessel will embark on 26 voyages to major cities in Western Europe, as well as Norway and Denmark, following an alternate weekly schedule. AIDAnova is equipped with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and has the capability to use shore power when berthed at Cruise Center Steinwerder. With this infrastructure, Cruise Center Steinwerder becomes Hamburg’s second cruise terminal with shore power, in addition to Altona. The under-construction Cruise Center HafenCity will also feature shore power facilities, contributing to nearly zero emissions while ships are at berth in the Port of Hamburg.

The 2024 cruise season in Hamburg is currently scheduled to include 268 calls. Nine cruise ships, including Azamara Onward, COSTA Favolosa, Mein Schiff 7, Ocean Albatros, Queen Anne, Seabourn Quest, Sirena, and Sky Princess, will make their maiden voyages to Hamburg. Additionally, a ship from Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Dream, is set to call at Hamburg for the first time on September 3, 2024.

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