Cruise festival in Hamburg: Tens of thousands celebrate Cruise Days 2025!

Cruise festival in Hamburg: Tens of thousands celebrate Cruise Days 2025!

TheCruise Days 2025in Hamburg celebrated a fantastic start on September 12th. Around 250,000 guests came to the last event in 2023, and several hundred thousand visitors are expected this year. This was done with the impulsive fireworks display that lit up the sky above the Landungsbrücken anniversary celebrated the tenth anniversary of Cruise Days. The event brings a variety of activities for the whole family, including cabaret, children's activities and numerous food and drink stalls to ensure your physical well-being.

A highlight is without a doubt the impressive parade of cruise ships next Saturday, led by “Mein Schiff 4”. The “MSC Preziosa”, “Vasco da Gama”, “MS Sans Souci” and “AIDAperla” will also be presented to the audience. A double departure, with the “MSC Preziosa” and the “Norwegian Dawn” starting on Sunday, promises additional spectacle. But there is also a lot of excitement away from the water, because the Hafencity will soon get a new cruise terminal, right next to the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, which should boost cruise traffic even further.

Special measures and traffic restrictions

There were already certain traffic restrictions in Hamburg before the event. These affect, among other things, the areas at the harbor that are closed from Wednesday to Monday at 3 p.m. The police recommend using public transport to get to the event more relaxed. In addition, the port will be bathed in a dreamy blue light by the “Blue Port”, which will enrich the backdrop for the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the port group HHLA until September 21st. Light artistMichael Batzprovides an impressive experience with 9,000 light elements.

But as beautiful as the festival is, it is caught between tourism and environmental protection. Studies show that cruise tourism is often associated with high levels of air pollution. Cruise ship emissions have serious impacts on the environment and human health. Hamburg is currently one of the most polluted port cities in Europe and has risen in the ranking from 17th to 6th place. Given these numbers, there is a call for oneShore power requirementAccording to NABU, it has become increasingly loud in order to reduce emissions.

Challenges of cruise tourism

In 2022, 3.2 million Germans preferred to cruise in a relaxed manner on the vast expanse of the sea. However, the cruise industry has recovered not only due to the increase in passenger numbers, but also due to increasing criticism of the negative environmental impact. More than 218 cruise ships in European waters will emit as much sulfur oxide (SOx) as one billion cars in 2022. This is a worrying trend that challenges the industry to find solutions to reduce environmental impact.

The planned calls in Hamburg by the end of the year are estimated at around 50, and almost twice as many are expected next year. It is therefore essential that these figures not only increase the enjoyment of cruises, but also take into account the serious environmental impacts. More information Information about the Cruise Days can be found on the event's official website.