First cruise ship on her way – start of new record-breaking season

On Sunday, April 6, a faithful cruise guest will make her way to Gothenburg, Sweden. The arrival of the German cruise ship AIDAcara will mark the start of this year's cruise season. A total of 73 cruise ships, carrying 120,000 passengers, will visit Gothenburg this year – a new record.

The Port of Gothenburg and Göteborg & Co have collaborated for several years to market Gothenburg as a cruise destination. This year it has definitely produced results. Despite very keen competition from other cities in the Nordic region, the number of cruise tourists coming to Gothenburg will for the first time exceed 100,000.

"The cruise lines evaluate very carefully the passengers' experience of different destinations. We know that Gothenburg is considered to be a green, clean city with friendly inhabitants, good shopping and a cosy atmosphere and this is something that we utilise in our marketing," says Sara Sundaeus, Cruise Manager at Göteborg & Co.

More Italians than usual
This year we will be visited by more Italians and another people from southern Europe than in the past due to the fact that the Italian company MSC Cruises has added Gothenburg to its itinerary.

MSC Cruises has also chosen Gothenburg for a number of turnarounds, which means that some passengers begin or end their cruise here.

"Turnarounds are particularly valuable for the tourist industry as they often mean that the passengers extend their time in the city and stay at a hotel," says Jill Söderwall, Head of Cruise Operations at the Port of Gothenburg.

Overnight calls new for this year
The vast majority of cruise guests have 6-8 hours to explore the city. They are active and try to see and do as much as possible in this short period of time. New for this year is that four Aida cruise ships will remain in port overnight, allowing the passengers to experience the range of culture and entertainment available in the city during the evening.

SEK 80 million for the city
Cruise tourists are an important source of income for the city. During a visit, they spend on average SEK 700 per person on food, shopping and other entertainment (SEK 1,200 if excursions are included). This year, cruise tourists will bring SEK 80 million into the city.

12,500 passengers in two days
May 14 and 15 will be very busy indeed for the Port, tour operators, guides, bus companies and others involved in calls by cruise ships. Seven ships, carrying 12,500 passengers, will arrive during this two-day period. The normal cruise ship berths at Arendal and Frihamnen will not be enough and Skandiahamnen and Stigbergskajen will also be used. 

For further information, contact Cecilia Carlsson, Head of Corporate Communications, Port of Gothenburg, phone +46 (0)70 508 66 32.

Pictured is the impressive Royal Princess, the largest and newest cruise ship to call at Gothenburg this year.

Largest and newest this year: Royal Princess, 330 metres in length and carrying 3,600 passengers. She will visit Gothenburg six times this year, beginning on May 14.

Most luxurious: Europa 2, a five-star vessel, 226 metres in length and carrying 500 passengers. She will call on June 21. 

Most faithful: AIDA Cruises. They will call at Gothenburg 28 times this year, including four overnight stays.

Number of calls by cruise ships at Gothenburg, 2002-2014

2002 – 5 calls, 2 400 passengers
2003  – 13 calls, 5 500 passengers
2004 – 18 calls, 14 200 passengers
2005 – 20 calls,  12 700 passengers
2006 –18 calls, 11 300 passengers
2007 – 23 calls , 11 400 passengers
2008 – 18 calls, 12 400 passengers
2009 – 34 calls, 36 000 passengers
2010 – 41 calls, 51 700 passengers
2011 – 52 calls, 64 000 passengers
2012 – 62 calls, 70 000 passengers
2013 – 39 calls, 40 000 passengers
2014 – 73 calls, 120 000 passengers