By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Port of Rostock’s Warnemünde Cruise Center handled 198 calls and a record 365,000 passengers in 2013, marking Germany’s most successful cruise season to date.
Warnemünde, which also set new German records in 2011 and 2012 with 158 and 181 port calls respectively, welcomed 41 vessels from 28 international operators this year.
“With 198 port calls by 41 passenger vessels, Warnemünde holds its own as Germany's most popular cruise port the third year running,” said Ulrich Bauermeister, managing director of Rostock Port Development Company.
The terminal also handled eight maiden visits in 2013 including calls from AIDA Cruises’ AIDAmar, Voyages of Discovery’s Voyager, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, Costa Cruises’ Costa Pacifica, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star und Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Quest. AIDA Cruises’ AIDAstella was also christened at the port on 16 March.
On 10 August AIDAmar, Costa Fortuna and Star Clipper berthed in Warnemünde, while Majestic International Cruises’ Ocean Majesty and Phoenix Reisen’s Artania docked at the overseas port. The port welcomed four ships a day on five occasions and three ships a day on 17 occasions. It also handled five liners in one day for the first time.
Around 120,000 German tourists visited Warnemünde in 2013, accounting for the majority of total passengers, which rose 22% from last year’s record of 300,000 guests. The port also welcomed 74,000 Americans, 47,0000 Britons, 21,000 Spaniards, 19,000 Canadians, 12,000 Italians, 9,000 Australians and 63,0000 tourists from 142 other nations. The guests visited a range of attractions in the surrounding area while in port.
“14% of all cruise guests in Warnemünde, that is around 50,000, went on a day trip to Berlin by train or coach this season,” said Bauermeister. “About 197,000 passengers set out to discover Warnemünde, Rostock or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and 118,000 started or ended their cruise in the passenger port at the mouth of river Warnow.”
Warnemünde is set to welcome Fred. Olsen Line’s Black Watch on 27 November, before closing its 2013 season with a visit from the line’s Boudicca on 28 December.