Press release from Copenhagen Malmö Port:
Only last week we received the final confirmation that Happy Cruises will be in Copenhagen for the first time ever with 11 turnaround calls - and with itinerary both to the Norwegian fjords and to the Baltic.
The first call will be on the 29th of May with the vessel Gemini who has a capacity of 900 passengers and 300 crew members.
Call numbers up
In 2011 there will be 368 calls on 67 different ocean cruise vessels from 37 international shipping companies to the Port of Copenhagen, 20% more than in 2010. Approximately half of the calls are turnaround.
"Never before has Copenhagen been included so many times in the route planning of cruise lines," says Arnt Moller Pedersen, general manager Copenhagen Malmö Port (who is responsible for the cruise calls in Copenhagen and in Malmö).
New passenger record
Nearly 770,000 (+16%) passengers and 200,000 crew members from more than 115 countries will be visiting Copenhagen between April and October.
"We expect that 25% of the passengers will be German, 19% from the US and Canada, 14% from the UK and 10% each from Italy and Spain."
Mr. Pedersen is optimistic that the industry will continue to grow in the future. He says: "The Baltic is a high yield destination with relatively short distances between ports such as Oslo, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Helsinki, which can all be visited in a week when sailing out of Copenhagen. It is easy to plan good itineraries in the Baltic."
Longer cruise season
The cruise season, traditionally from May to September, is getting longer with the 2011 season being kicked off by Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Ocean Countess on April 4 and ending on October 14 with a call from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Boudicca. A few ships, mainly from the UK, will call again in December on Christmas markets cruises.
The biggest ship in Copenhagen in 2011 will be the 121,880gt Celebrity Eclipse with a length of 317 meters. As far as passenger numbers go, the biggest ship will be the Emerald Princess with a capacity of 3,194 lower berths. The smallest ship will be the 90-passenger, 2,183gt Ocean Nova.
First time calls in Copenhagen
Ten vessels will call Copenhagen for the first time in 2011: AIDA Cruises’ Cruises’ Mein Shiff 2, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, Holland America Line’s Ryndam, SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream l, Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure, Windstar Cruises’ Wind Spirit and Happy Cruises’ Gemini.
This season Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to move Norwegian Sun from Dover to Copenhagen to make a total of 16 turnaround calls, the first call on May 8th and last September 20th.
The busiest day of 2012 will be June 4th with five turnarounds and one transit call with 23,000 passengers passing through the terminals. On both June 29th and July 7th there will be two turnarounds and six transit calls.
New cruise terminals in Copenhagen
In order to meet the future demands and the steady increase in calls, the port is developing the facilities even further. A new 1,100 meter long and 70 meter wide dedicated cruise quay is expected to be in operation in Copenhagen in 2013.
The southernmost part will be built on the existing coastline, while the remainder will require landfill. Permanent facilities for handling of waste water from the cruise ships will be incorporated in the pier which will also be prepared with power cables tubes for future investments in shore-based electrical power, all of which will reduce the environmental impact.
The new quay will mainly be used for turnaround calls in Copenhagen.
"We’re looking forward to quickly gaining access to the new quay which will enable flexible terminals and support facilities for passenger service. At the same time, the solutions for cars, buses and taxi service will become much more efficient," says Mr. Pedersen.
The total investment will be about DKK 500 million (approximately US$ 90 million). And the prospect for 2012 also looks very promising. The port has already received more than 325 bookings for calls. "Never before have we had so many bookings at so early a stage," says Mr. Pedersen.
Copenhagen makes an ideal base for cruises to and from the Baltic countries and their capitals and also for cruises to the Norwegian fjords.
Copenhagen is the HUB for the cruise industry in the region. About 50% of all calls are turnaround calls.
Copenhagen Malmö Port works in close cooperation with cruise lines, agents, incoming bureaus, the airport and tourist organizations to continuously develop the services and facilities.
Thanks to efficiency and world-class services, the port have received World Travel Awards award for Europe Leading Cruise Port five years in a row. Furthermore the port was awarded Best turnaround port of the Year by Princess Cruises in 2009.
More information:
Arnt Møller Pedersen
General Manager
Copenhagen Malmö Port
Tel. direct: +45 3546 1107
Mobile: +45 4063 4500
Email: Arnt.Moller@cmport.com