Hamburg consolidates its leading position in the cruise industry

A total of 1,416,715 cruise passengers departed from Hamburg during the 2025 season (2024: 1,301,295 passengers). This further strengthens Hamburg’s position as one of the leading cruise destinations in Northern Europe. Germany’s busiest cruise port recorded 295 ship calls (previous year: 266) from 46 different cruise ships, including three maiden calls, as well as an additional 43 calls by river cruise vessels.

Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics, Labour and Innovation, said: “Hamburg is not only an exciting destination for city breaks, but also an excellent starting point for holidays. The Port of Hamburg continues on its growth trajectory and is further consolidating its role as one of the leading cruise destinations in Northern Europe. In addition to cargo, passenger shipping is an integral part of our port, bringing visitors to our city and contributing to economic value creation in Hamburg—both directly and indirectly, for example through revenues in tourism and hospitality, specialized suppliers, retail, provisioning, and jobs.”

Hamburg is once again setting benchmarks in sustainability. The use of shore power continued to develop positively in 2025: 162 cruise ships were supplied with emission-free energy during their port stay—an increase of more than 25 percent compared to the previous year and a supply rate of 71 percent of all shore-power-capable calls. From 2026 onwards, shore-side power supply will be available across all three cruise terminals—Altona, Steinwerder, and HafenCity—four years ahead of the EU requirement mandating shore power usage.

Jens Meier, CEO of Hamburg Port Authority, commented: “The continued rise in passenger numbers and ship calls demonstrates how strongly Hamburg is positioned in the international cruise market. At the same time, social acceptance of this growth plays a decisive role in the long-term development of the industry. HPA is therefore continuously investing in efficient and future-oriented port infrastructure, such as modern terminals and comprehensive shore power supply. The fact that nearly two-thirds of all shore-power-capable ships already make use of this offering confirms our approach: in Hamburg, sustainability and growth go hand in hand.”

Iris Scheel, Managing Director of Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH, added: “With its three terminals, Hamburg offers cruise lines and passengers a flexible, attractive, and future-oriented infrastructure. The high utilization rate of shore power demonstrates that cruise lines are committed to this path. By equipping all cruise terminals with shore power, we are creating clear framework conditions and strengthening Hamburg’s role as a sustainable port in international competition.”

The rising number of ship calls and passengers highlights Hamburg’s growing attractiveness as a cruise hub—not only for cruise lines and passengers, but also for numerous other sectors in Hamburg and the metropolitan region, including retail, hospitality, gastronomy, and cultural and leisure industries. The cruise sector is becoming an increasingly important component of the region’s economic and tourism development, generating demonstrably rising value creation. This is confirmed by a passenger survey conducted at Hamburg’s cruise terminals in 2025, which shows that Hamburg is increasingly benefiting from its role as a national and international home port.

Guests who start and end their journey in Hamburg spend an average of €133.59 during their stay, are more likely to stay several nights in the city, and in more than 70 percent of cases make use of gastronomic, cultural, or shopping offers. In addition, 38 percent of all cruise passengers now spend at least one night in Hamburg before or after their journey—almost double the figure from 2016, when the share was 20 percent.

For 2026, 331 ship calls are planned from early January to the end of December, along with an additional 47 calls by river cruise vessels. Eight maiden calls are also expected. Among them, Virgin Voyages will call at Hamburg for the first time with its ship Valiant Lady. Other first-time calls include Explora III, Midnatsol, Norwegian Sky, Majestic Princess, Liberty of the Seas, Scenic Eclipse II, and Mein Schiff Relax.

The celebrations for the Hamburg Port Anniversary will take place from 8 to 10 May 2026.

All ship calls for 2026 can be found at: www.cruisegate-hamburg.de/schiffsankuenfte