By The Port of Kiel in northern Germany has a packed programme of 221 cruise ship visits for this 2023 cruise season*, starting today (14 Apr) with Fred. Olsen Lines’ Balmoral.
The port says that being a pioneer in sustainability means it continues to enjoy high popularity among international cruise lines. It has already become an established home port for cruise ships from major shipping companies such as AIDA, TUI Cruises, Costa and MSC, whose latest ship, MSC Euribia (which I saw last year being fitted out at Chantiers de l’Atlantique), one of the most modern and environmentally friendly cruise ships*, will start its first season from Kiel.
Kiel’s location on Germany’s Baltic coast makes it a popular stopover on itineraries featuring neighbouring countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, but it has also become one of the largest turnaround ports in the German market. There is a wide range of attractive excursion destinations in the region, UNESCO natural and cultural monuments and its proximity to Hamburg, the Port of Kiel offers a good starting point for day trips in northern Germany. In addition to ships from Regent Seven Seas Cruise, Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line, the port is also expecting a call from Disney Cruise for the first time in the 2023 season.
As one of Europe’s pioneers in the area of shore-side power supply for seagoing vessels***, the port is also setting clear sustainability goals for this season: “Together with the shipping companies, we want to supply one third of the cruise calls with shore-side power this season and thus set a clear example in the industry,” says Dirk Claus, Managing Director at PORT OF KIEL. The port is currently investing in a multi-million-euro project to expand the shore power infrastructure and will be able to offer shore power at all its major cruise terminals from autumn 2023. This will give the port one of the most extensive shore power infrastructures in Europe.
* PORT OF KIEL Cruise ship call schedule
** MSC Euribia is a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) powered ship with an advanced onboard wastewater treatment system and extensive energy-saving equipment to maximise efficiency such as smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
