Plans are moving forward on the new Altona cruise terminal in Hamburg. According to Joachim Kohn, managing director of Hanseatic Cruise Centers, operator of the Hamburg cruise terminals, the new terminal will be ready by summer 2010. A new pier is already in place. The total project cost is estimated at 30 million euros, Kohn said.

There are also plans to replace the existing temporary terminal with a new facility, that Kohn said would be butterfly shaped, and also include a hotel. The timeline is for 2012 or 2013, according to a spokesperson for the port.

Meanwhile, the temporary terminal in HafenCity, which is able to host two cruise ships at a time, including the Queen Mary 2, serves as a multi-use facility, with a literature festival tonight.
Hamburg expects 88 cruise calls in 2009 and expects 100 next year.

Caption: Joachim Kohn, managing director of Hanseatic Cruise Centers, operator of the Hamburg cruise terminals, with plans for the new Altona terminal.