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Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven gets ready for bigger vessels

Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven gets ready for bigger vessels
In 2016, Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB) will handle approximately 35% more passengers than in the previous year, with a further increase of at least 25% expected for 2017.

The managing director of CCCB, Veit Hürdler, summarised as follows, ‘With this growth in mind, we have taken a very close look at our passenger handling processes. CCCB has always placed great importance on professional service, and for many years it has been well-equipped to deal with the turnarounds of several cruise vessels at one time. And this winter we were able to implement optimisation measures for handling very large vessels.’

These include construction work on the Terminal's internal infrastructure to make baggage reclaim faster and easier. The old conveyor belts have been removed, and by using new openings to the quayside it is now possible to reduce the distance which has to be covered by the baggage.

As part of a conveying system developed specifically by CCCB, ships' own luggage trolleys can now be transported directly to and from the Terminal in an environmentally-friendly and material-saving way.

A new concept has been developed in co-operation with the local municipal bus operator, who for many years has been responsible for getting railway users to and from CCCB. In the past, passengers' luggage was also taken from the train station directly to the cabin, but by means of technical innovations, this service has now been optimised and made much more convenient for the cruise passenger.

The Columbus Cruise Café has launched a mobile catering service which benefits cruise passengers as well as bus and taxi drivers.

Within the Terminal premises, CCCB now provides free WiFi.