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Kiel forecast to receive 1m passengers this year

PHOTO: PORT OF KIEL kiel-2024-predictions.jpg
Kiel will upgrade the shore power plant at the Ostseekai terminal
Port of Kiel predicts it will receive 1m passengers over 173 cruise calls in 2024, and remains focused on its goal of welcoming cruise ships year-round.  

Last year, the port recorded 1.187m passengers and 217 calls. Port of Kiel MD Dirk Claus said more large ships are calling, resulting in stable passenger numbers in spite of fewer calls. 

Year-round operations  

In January and February, four calls from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Hanseatic Nature are booked - a key milestone for Kiel in its ambitions to serve cruise ships year-round. The first of these took place on January 4, the second is scheduled for tomorrow, and the remaining two will occur in February. The line has several calls scheduled throughout the year, along with Phoenix Reisen. 

December 20 will see Phoenix Reisen's Amadea visit the city en-route from Travemünde to Hamburg. 

AIDA Cruises, MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises and Costa Crociere will call most often in 2024, turnarounds among them.

Holland America Line will be among the lines whose ships make transit calls.

Shore power

No fewer than 100 calls are expected to be supplied with shore power in 2024. 

For the 2025 season, Kiel will have its shore power plant at Ostseekai extended, allowing cruise ships at both berths to be supplied with green shore power simultaneously. Currently only one ship at a time can be supplied with shore power at Ostseekai. 

Slightly less than half of Kiel’s 2023 ferry and cruise calls were supplied with shore power.