In 2018, Germany port is hoping to again surpass these results: To date 168 visits to Kiel by 32 different cruise ships have been registered and the number of passengers could reach 600,000.
The season begins on April 6 with the arrival of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Boudicca.
The most frequent visitors this year will be the ships of AIDA/Costa, TUI Cruises and MSC, with AIDA calling at the port no fewer than 63 times with five ships.
The biggest cruise ship this season will be 139,000gt MSC Preziosa which will be seen for the first time in the Kiel Fiord on April 28.
Other highlights of the season will be the arrival of TUI’s newest ship Mein Schiff 1 on April 27 and the maiden visits of seven further ships. Among them Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria in July.
Dr Dirk Claus, md of Port of Kiel noted two new customers are visiting this year: Viking Ocean Cruises and Pullmantur Cruises.
Fourteen visits are expected during this year’s Kieler Woche sailing regatta between June 16-24, two of them river cruise ships.
From an operational point of view however the focus of attention will be the twelve dates on which three or even more ocean going cruise ships are expected in the port. On August 11, five cruise ships will be in Kiel at the same time.
‘We want to consolidate this position by continuing to invest in our facilities,’ noted Claus.
In late summer work is starting on the construction of a second terminal building at the Ostseekai. With this, Kiel will create the quality capacity to accept even bigger ships with more passengers in future. Planned is a 4,000 sq mtr two-storey building which will be of contemporary design and complement the existing structure in both form and function. It will open at the start of the 2019 season.
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