Hamburg inaugurates its third cruise terminal

Jens Meier, ceo Hamburg Port Authority; Michael Eggenschwiler, ceo, Hamburg Airport; and Sacha Rougier, md, Cruise Gate Hamburg, knotted a figure eight—a nautical knot—to symbolise the partnership behind Hamburg's latest cruise facility. The ceremony was also attended by Frank Horch, Hamburg's senator of economic affairs, who outlined the importance of the growing cruise trade for Germany's leading seaport.

The first ship already called at Hamburg's new cruise facility in May. AIDAbella docked at Cruise Center Steinwerder on May 23 to conduct a full 'test' turnaround. A total of 4,800 passengers disembarked and embarked that day.

Cruise Center Steinwerder was completed on time and €16m under budget. Savings during construction reduced the total cost to €64m. This, in turn, led to a reduced 'Terminal Occupancy Fee' of €6.60 per passenger.

Hamburg's newest cruise terminal is able to handle more than 4,000 passengers per call and provides 1,500 parking spaces. The new terminal is operated by a joint venture controlled by HPA (51%) and Hamburg Airport (49%).