Record number of cruise ships in Copenhagen

The cruise business reports expected prosperity in 2009 despite the financial crisis. This applies especially for Copenhagen and for Northern Europe in general.

The number of cruise ships which call into Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) this year will be the largest until now - no less than 332 calls from April to October. It is expected that the cruise ships will carry some 620,000 passengers with them to Copenhagen which is a new record.

Today the Baltic Sea area has surpassed Alaska and ranks number three of cruise destinations only surpassed by the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

At the same time Copenhagen is the largest turn around port in the Baltic Sea area leaving Copenhagen as the most visited cruise destination in its area. Overall Northern Europe receives 18% of all cruise tourism.

“We are very pleased with the development in cruise tourism and we are ready to expand the capacity to give room to even more ships. Traditionally the cruise season lasts from April to October but it looks like we have been able to expand it to include Christmas cruises as well. The Christmas cruises seem to be a new growing trend in Copenhagen,” says Per Schmidt, cruise manager at Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP).