Milestone in Hamburg's cruise history

For the first time, Hamburg has reached a historic milestone in its cruise history: on November 12, 2023, the one millionth cruise passenger was counted when the MSC Euribia called at the Hanseatic city. The lucky winner and his family were given a festive welcome at Cruise Center Steinwerder and greeted by the management and team of Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH (CGH) as well as other high-ranking guests from politics, the city and the media.

Simone Maraschi, Managing Director of CGH, emphasized the significance of this event: "Welcoming the one millionth guest is a very special moment that is not only important for us as the operator of the city's cruise terminals, but also for our partners and the city of Hamburg. The cruise industry has recovered quickly after the pandemic - and Hamburg has developed into an attractive cruise port all year round, particularly thanks to winter cruising. The shipping companies' voyages to attractive destinations from Hamburg during the cold months are very popular. With this in mind, we wish the one millionth guest and all future guests an unforgettable cruise to and from Hamburg."

Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: "One million cruise passengers within one year - this figure shows how attractive Hamburg is for international cruises and tourism. The industry is an important pillar for the economy and the attractiveness of our city. Many cultural, sporting and leisure activities are made possible by tourism and are equally attractive for Hamburg residents and our guests from abroad. The Senate and the shipping companies are committed to greater climate and environmental protection. Cruise ships are being equipped with modern, more climate-friendly propulsion systems and are increasingly using shore power during their stay in port. The Port of Hamburg is a European leader in the installation of shore-side power technology. All cruise and large container terminals are equipped with shore power connections."

The lucky winning family of four were on their way to their cruise on the latest MSC ship with their two young children when they were surprised at the terminal. Simone Maraschi and Iris Scheel, Managing Director of CGH, together with Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Christian Hein, Managing Director of MSC Cruises Germany and other stakeholders, presented the congratulations as well as an experience package for a stay in Hamburg.

The MSC Euribia, which only celebrated its first call in Hamburg on October 8, 2023, is the second LNG ship in the MSC fleet and has a connection for shore power. Hamburg is consistently driving forward the expansion of its shore-side power infrastructure and will continue this strategy with the construction of another shore-side power plant at the Cruise Center HafenCity, which is scheduled to go into operation in spring 2025. From 2025, Hamburg will thus be one of the first European ports to offer environmentally friendly shore power at all permanent terminals.

On the occasion of welcoming the one millionth cruise passenger, CGH also provided an outlook on the planned calls for 2024. Following the busiest season to date in 2023 with 280 calls by the end of the year, 270 cruise ship calls are currently expected for 2024. Particular highlights will include ten first calls (Azamara Onward, COSTA Favolosa, Mein Schiff 7, National Geographic Explorer, Ocean Albatros, Queen Anne, Seabourn Quest, Sirena and Sky Princess), including the first call of Disney Cruise Line with the "Disney Dream" on September 3, 2024.

You can find the 2024 ship calls here.

About Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH
Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority AöR. As the operator of the Cruise Centers Altona, Steinwerder, Baakenhöft and HafenCity (from 2025), CGH is the central point of contact for all cruise lines. The company's declared aim is to ensure transparent "cruise shipping from a single source" for all Hamburg terminals.