A total of 81 cruise ships called at the Port of Gothenburg (Goteborg, Sweden) in 2022.
That is 7 calls more than the previous record season of 2014.
According to Nicole Brattasen, Cruise Operations Manager at the Gothenburg Port Authority, it was a big increase following the COVID crisis, even though it was other tragic circumstances that were behind the upturn to a large extent.
“As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian ports were excluded, and the shipping companies had to cancel the big drag St Petersburg out of their plans and find alternatives. In Gothenburg, we already had a good booking situation for 2022, but the number rose in the spring with 30 bookings as a result of the geopolitical situation.”
The majority of cruise passengers in Goteborg are Germans, British, and Americans. Once in the port city, both classic local attractions are popular, as well as destinations outside downtown.
Season 2023 looks set to be another record year for Gothenburg with a total of 92 calls booked to date. In the long term, the Port needs to continue to strengthen its competitiveness as a destination in a global industry that is facing challenges.
Like other industries, the cruise industry is facing sustainability challenges where, among other things, liners are connected to electricity at the quay to an increasing extent and are looking at alternative fuels like biogas/methanol.
When it comes to alternative fuels, the Port of Gothenburg was the world's first to introduce operating regulations for the bunkering of methanol/biogas. The Port is investing heavily in becoming a central bunkering hub for alternative fuels and contributes to increasing the rate of conversion and at the same time becomes more attractive as a destination for shipping companies investing in green conversion.
In total, Gothenburg had ~80,000 cruise visitors this current year, and many operators notice an upturn in sales when there are cruise passengers visiting.
2022 and 2023 Gothenburg cruise seasons' stats include:
- The number of calls in 2022: 81 calls distributed among 25 shipping lines
- The number of passengers in 2022: ~80,000
- The largest ship, length 2022: Disney Magic, 300 m
- Largest ships, capacity 2022: TUI Mein Schiff, Disney Magic, and MSC Poesia, 2700 guests
- Booked calls in 2023: 92.