By
Laura Hyde |
Hamburg Port is closing its 2023 cruise season with two calls from AIDA Cruises’ AIDAnova.
The Christmas holiday voyages on 22 and 29 December will see record-breaking passenger turnaround per day at the German city’s cruise terminals, which are operated by Cruise Gate Hamburg. The ship, which has a maximum capacity of 5,200 passengers, is fully booked so thousands of guests are expected to disembark and embark, with port staff unloading and loading some 8,800 suitcases for each voyage.
“Ending this eventful cruise season with such a highlight is noteworthy on two counts,” said Simone Maraschi, managing director of CGH. “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. We want our guests to have the very best experience here, and we will do our utmost to make sure that they can set off on their Christmas holiday cruise carefree and relaxed.”
Hamburg has been AIDAnova’s homeport since the ship arrived on 11 November 2023. In September 2023, AIDA Cruises signed a five-year agreement to continue bringing the same volume of ships and passengers to the port.
“We are delighted to see so many guests wanting to spend Christmas and the New Year with us,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises. “Since 2016 when we launched AIDAprima we, in conjunction with the city and CGH, the terminal operator, have been putting a lot of effort into making Hamburg a year-round destination. We are one of the key drivers of tourism in the city; more than every second cruise passenger is an AIDA guest.”
So far, 268 cruise calls are scheduled at Hamburg for the 2024 season, of which nine cruise ships will make their maiden voyage to the port, including Azamara Cruises’ Azamara Onward, Costa Cruises’ Costa Favolosa, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7, Albatros Expeditions’ Ocean Albatros, Cunard’s Queen Anne, Seabourn Cruises’ Seabourn Quest, Oceania Cruises’ Sirena, Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream, which is scheduled to call at Hamburg for the first time on 3 September 2024.