The Port of Rostock has reported a record 2017 with 892,000 cruise passengers embarked and disembarked on 190 calls.

Of the 190 port calls by 36 different ships from 24 cruise lines, 173 were serviced in Warnemunde and 17 at the overseas port.

The largest vessel this season was the Norwegian Getaway with approximately 4,800 passengers.

One hundred and eleven calls were by vessels involved in full or partial turnarounds of passengers. Rostock-based AIDA Cruises, for instance, used Warnemunde as a homeport, sailing 40 Baltic cruises aboard the AIDAdiva and AIDAmar.

Among the highlights of this season were five ships calling in Warnemünde for the first time and three quadruple port calls. First-timers in Warnemunde were the Viking Sky, MSC Magnifica, Norwegian Getaway, Seven Seas Explorer and Columbus. Four cruise ships in one day were recorded on three occasions.

One unexpected challenge that was successfully dealt with, according to the port, was when strong winds caused the Norwegian Getaway to postpone a call and about 400 passengers had to be put up in hotels in Warnemunde and Rostock overnight.

This year the majority of cruise travelers were Germans, counting 120,000 passengers, followed by 71,000 Americans, 38,000 Spaniards, 33,000 British, 23,000 Canadians, 22,000 Italians, 13,000 Australians and 126,000 tourists from 146 other nations.

The ships also carried about 155,000 crew members from 118 countries, more than one third of whom went on shore leave.

Around 110,000 international guests went on day trips to Berlin by train, coach or car. About 142,000 passengers set out to discover Warnemunde, Rostock or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on day trips and 195,000 cruise passengers started or ended their cruise in the port.

Based on a study by Rostock University on the spending behavior of passengers and crew members, the port stated that it may be assumed that cruise passengers and crew spent around Euro 20 million during the 2017 season, especially in local and regional shops, hotels and restaurants, on public transportation, taxi fares and car parking in Warnemunde, Rostock and the surroundings. In addition is the revenue generated through cruise shipping by coach operators, railways, travel agents for shore excursions, utilities, supply and disposal companies, shipping agents, pilots and port operators.

Fifteen ships also discharged grey water into the public waste water system during 92 port calls this year. In total 23,000 cubic meters of ship’s waste water were discharged, nearly 2,000 cubic meters less than last year.