The tourism market in the Baltic Sea has come to life in 2025
Source: Itinerary Planner
By Marek Grzybowski
Cruise Baltic and Cruise Norway announced the relaunch of the updated Itinerary Planner recently . The Itinerary Planner is a digital tool designed to help cruise operators plan their routes by providing information on port availability and key port data in the Baltic Sea region and Norway. Only Gdańsk is on the Cruise Baltic and Cruise Norway tourist map. The Tri-City and Pomerania have growing opportunities. But they have to be earned. The ports of Gdynia and Gdańsk will not break the dominance of the top five, led by Copenhagen and Cologne, without the active support of tourist organizations and local governments.
In 2024, there was a slight decrease in the number of passengers on cruises, calls and stopovers in the Baltic Sea region – informs Cruise Baltic, summarizing the results for 2024 and setting forecasts for 2025 in Market Review 2025. Forecasts for 2025 are quite optimistic for northern European cruise ports. In 2024, a particularly noticeable decrease in port visits by passenger ships occurred during the season. On the other hand, a significant increase in the number of calls was recorded outside the season. This was an attempt to save the sale of services and save revenues. The profitability of connections and the possibility of switching to year-round cruises were also checked.
In 2024 (compared to 2023), the number of guests booking cruises on passenger ships decreased by 2.8%. The number of calls decreased at the same level (-2.8%). As a result, the total number of stops was lower (-1.6%) – reports Cruise Baltic based on data from shipowners. In 2024, the cruise season in Gdańsk lasted from April 22 to December 19. Cruise ships docked in Gdańsk 60 times. The largest of them were “Marina” and “Balmoral”. Over 28,000 tourists from 87 countries reached Gdańsk by cruise. In Gdynia, the season lasted from May 2 to October 22.
In the Port of Gdynia, at the Emigration Museum, 41 cruise ships docked, carrying 99,000 passengers to Gdynia. The cruise season in Gdynia was opened by AIDAdiva. The AIDAmar ship visited Gdynia 9 times and ended the season on October 22. Only one cruise ship with 470 passengers moored at the Port of Szczecin in 2024.
2025 – more cruises in Baltic ports
In 2025, things are supposed to be much better. Expectations are very optimistic, especially for cruise ports operating in the North of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. This is the result of a comprehensive approach to tourism and the involvement in the promotion of entire regions by maritime clusters, in which not only ports but also tourist organizations and local governments are active. Thanks to these activities, in 2025 (compared to 2024), the total number of cruise guests is expected to increase by 8.5%, the number of passenger ship calls is expected to be higher by 10.1%, and the number of stopovers is expected to increase by 2.1%.
In the years 2018-2024, the number of guests on passenger ships decreased by an average annual rate of 3.3% (from 5,420,927 in 2018 to 4,423,473 in 2024). The number of calls in 2024 decreased compared to 2023 and amounted to 1,802 calls (a decrease of 2.8%). However, in 2020 there were about 90% fewer calls. The Covid-19 pandemic also had its repercussions in 2021 (-75%) and the effects were visible in 2023 (-35%).
Source: Cruise Baltic, Market Review 2025
Baltic ports expect a 10.1% increase in the total number of calls and expect 1984 calls in 2025 based on the notifications. In the years 2018-2024, the number of calls decreased by 6.5% on average per year (from 2692 in 2018 to 1802 in 2024). However, the years 2020-2021 were tragic (practically stagnant). From 2022 it is already better. A total of 29 ports belonging to Cruise Baltic accepted cruise ships in 2024. The number of cruise stopovers decreased slightly, from 438 in 2023 to 431 in 2024. In 2025, Baltic ports will exceed the numbers from 2023 and 2024. 440 stopovers are planned in Baltic ports.
As in 2023, July was the most active month for passenger ships in 2024 (378 calls). August (338 calls) and June (297 calls) were the next good months for business. May and September are described as busy months, with a total of 480 passenger ship calls.
Source: Itinerary Planner
Off-season and half a day in port
Off-season cruises are a new phenomenon that was observed in 2024, and it was particularly noticeable in the first quarter of last year. During this time, Baltic ports recorded a total of 44 cruise calls compared to a total of 3 ships with passengers in the first quarter of 2023. Attempts to extend the tourist season were made in October. This month, the number of visits increased from 70 in 2023 to 122 in 2024. The offer called “Christmas cruises” was maintained at a good level. In December 2024, a total of 47 cruises were organized, 3 more than in 2023.
Despite the increased supply of services and strong promotion of cruises and the joining of forces with the Norwegians, the average number of cruise passengers is expected to decrease in 2025 compared to 2024. For comparison, in 2024 the average number of guests per call was 2,455, and in 2025 it is expected to fall to 2,419. In the period from 2013 to 2024, the average number of cruise guests per call increased from 1,734 to 2,455. The market is therefore mch better with a significantly increased offer of passenger space and ship capacity.
Since 2017, Cruise Baltic has been monitoring the number of longer stays in ports in the Baltic Sea. Since St. Petersburg, and previously Leningrad, are dominated by 1-day stays. 2-day stopovers have decreased by over 42% over the past two years, from 295 in 2023 to 171 last year. Modified business plans of cruise operators meant that in 2024, 13 cruise series adopted one-night connections, and 5 destinations offer sea tourists connections with two or more nights. In 2023, 15 connections offered one-night stays in ports, and 7 destinations adopted two or more nights.
Source: Port of Roene
The market leader is Cologne, despite recording an 11.3% drop in the number of cruise guests between 2023 and 2024. In the southern Baltic, Rostock achieved the highest passenger growth rate of 29.8%. This result was achieved by increasing the number of passengers from 410,000 in 2023 to 532,000 in 2024. From 2023, there was no change in the top five leaders in receiving sea tourists arriving on passenger ships. Cruise Balit does not expect any changes on the podium and among the top five in 2025 either.
The top five dominate
The business situation in the top ports was not uniform in 2024. The number of calls fell in the top five ports, with the exception of Rostock and Kristiansand. Rostock recorded a decrease last year. more calls by 13.1%, The increase in the number of passenger ship calls at Rostock in 2024 causes the port to move from 4th to 3rd place in the top five destination ports for cruise operators. So we should ask ourselves: What can interest ship passengers in Rostock that is not in Gdańsk, Kashubia or Pomerania?
In 2023, the ports were in the following positions: 1) Copenhagen, 2) Cologne, 3) Oslo, 4) Rostock and 5) Helsinki. The following ports expect an increase in the number of calls in 2025: Arendal, Copenhagen, Helsingor, Gothenburg, Hamina, Helsingborg, Kalundborg, Klaipeda, Kristiansand, Lysekil, Oslo, Riga, Rostock, Roenne, Skagen, Stockholm, Tallin, Visby and Aarhus. Oslo is expected to regain 3rd place in the top 5 in 2025. Oslo saw the largest increase in the number of stopovers between 2023 and 2024, from 11 to 26. Stockholm and Rostock also saw significant increases in ship visits.
Photo: Marek Grzybowski
The two ports previously in the top spot, Cologne and Copenhagen, saw a decrease in the number of layovers in 2024 compared to 2023. Since 2019, Cologne has been the largest layover port in the Baltic Sea region and is expected to maintain this position in 2025. Interest in Baltic cruises has clearly fallen in the US market. Since St. Petersburg was removed from passenger connections, Copenhagen has also lost many longer cruise layovers. It was a port where passengers transited from airports to passenger ships.
Meanwhile, the German market has increased the number of port visits. Cologne has taken the dominant position in the Baltic market. The Port of Cologne is currently a larger layover port than Copenhagen in 2019. Therefore, no changes in the top five passenger ports are expected in 2025. It’s just a shame that the Tri-City ports are not able to break this trend. Without team effort and action in maritime tourism clusters, this is unachievable.