The Port of Rostock in Germany enjoyed a 22% rise in cruise passenger numbers this year and 14% of all passengers that visited the port took an excursion to Berlin, Port of Rostock said in a statement
This year, 28 international shipping companies had 365,000 cruise tourists on board their holiday vessels, who accounted for an annual passenger volume of 730,000 in the port on river Warnow, an increase by 22% over the previous year's record of 300,000 guests.
Of the total of 365,000 cruise travellers the majority were Germans (120,000 passengers), followed by 74,000 Americans, 47,0000 British, 21,000 Spaniards, 19,000 Canadians, 12,000 Italians, 9,000 Australians and 63,0000 tourists from 142 other nations. The ships also carried just under 140,000 crew members from 126 countries, more than one third of whom also went on shore leave.
Three more port calls by cruise liners are expected in Warnemünde this year. The vessels Marco Polo, Black Watch and Boudicca are scheduled for a visit to the Baltic Sea spa of Rostock on 23 October, 27 November and 28 December.
These three ships conclude the most successful German cruise shipping season to date. "With then 198 port calls by 41 passenger vessels Warnemünde holds its own as Germany's most popular cruise port the third year running", explains Ulrich Bauermeister, managing director of Rostock Port Development Company (HERO). Warnemünde set new German records in the two previous years with 158 and 181 port calls by cruise liners.
"14% of all cruise guests in Warnemünde, that is around 50,000, went on a day trip to Berlin by train or coach this season", states Ulrich Bauermeister. "About 197,000 passengers set out to discover Warnemünde, Rostock or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and 118,000 started or ended their cruise in the passenger port at the mouth of river Warnow."
