Warnemunde-Rostock (Germany)

Port Warnemunde-Rostock is the largest cruise homeport in Germany (serving roundtrip itineraries). It is located on the estuary of Warnow River (northeastern Germany). Warnemude cruise port is operated by Rostock Port Development Company. Warnemunde is a seaside resort in Rostock district (Mecklenburg state, Germany). Rostock has population around 200,000.

Berlin is 2 hours from Port Warnemunde by train. The closest large city is Schwerin. Among the largest Baltic Sea cruise ports, Warnemunde-Rostock is ranked 6th - following Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Stockholm and Helsinki.

Being a major shipping traffic hub, the seaport has a wealth of navigational aids, the oldest of which is Warnemunde Lighthouse (built 1897, still operational). During summer months, the tower (height 37 m / 121 ft) offers to its visitors an impressive view of Baltic Sea and Rostock City's northern districts. Other famous landmark in Warnemunde is Teepott Leuchtturm. The tower was opened in 1926, rebuilt after WW2 (1939-1945). After the extensive renovation in 2002, the complex now houses restaurants and conference facilities. Warnemunde's large, sandy beaches stretch out over a length of 3 km (2 mi).

The German shipbuilding company Meyer Werft GmbH & Co KG was founded in 1795 and currently headquartered in Papenburg. Meyer Werft (part of Meyer Neptun Group) builds cruise ships, ferries (passenger and Ro-Ro), tanker ships, boxships, livestock carriers, research vessels. MV Werften operates 3 shipyards - in Rostock, Papenburg and Turku Finland, plus the module fabrication facilities in Wismar and Stralsund.

Warnemunde-Rostock cruise port

The port's schedule includes ships visiting on Baltic Sea, North Sea and Norwegian Fjords itineraries. Cruising season is May through October.

In 2017, the port handled 36 different cruise ships (24 different companies), had booked 190 ship calls and handled around 800,000 passengers plus 155,000 crew. Of all passengers, 195,000 booked a roundtrip itinerary. The season started on April 27 (AIDAdiva) and ended on October 12 (MS Balmoral). First-time visiting ships were CMV Columbus (ex Pacific Pearl), MSC Magnifica, NCL Norwegian Getaway, Regent Seven Seas Explorer, MV Viking Sky.

During summer 2017, AIDA Cruises homeported in Rostock AIDAdiva and ADIAmar. The port's schedule also showed three 4-ship days and fourteen 3-ship days. The 2017 cruising season's last visiting ship was Fred Olsen's MS Balmoral (October 12).

In 2017, of all ships (173 visits) were berthed in Warnemunde and 17 at the overseas port. Cruise liners called at the Warnow River port on 113 days of the year. The majority of cruise tourists in 2017 were from Germany (120,000), followed by USA (71,000), Spain (38,000), UK (33,000), Canada (23,000), Italy (22,000), Australia (13,000), other countries (126,000).

In 2017, cruise ship tourists (passengers and crew) spent in the region (Warnemunde, Rostock, the surroundings) around EUR 20 million. The ashore spending was mainly on shopping, hotels, restaurants, public transportation, taxis, car parking. Local, supporting cruise lines businesses that hugely benefit from the ports include coach and tour operators, railways, travel agents, vessel supply and disposal companies, shipping agents, port operators, assisting pilots.

In 2018, the cruise port had scheduled 207 ship calls (45 different liners), of which 180 booked at Warnemunde and 25 booked at the seaport. Maiden port calls in 2018 made Brilliance of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Britannia (P&O UK), Marella Discovery (Marella / Thomson), MSC Orchestra (MSC), Norwegian Breakaway (NCL), Sapphire Princess (Princess), Seven Seas Navigator (RSSC), Viking Sun (Viking Ocean) and Zenith (Pullmantur).

In 2018, the Port's passenger shipping traffic increased by 9% (over 2017) to 700,000, including 300,000 transiting. Of all scheduled for visiting ships, 39 were large-sized liners (with LOA length over 300 m), the season's biggest being Norwegian Breakaway (145,700 GT tons). In 2018, AIDA homeported in Rostock two liners - AIDAdiva and AIDAmar, for a total of 43 roundtrips.

On September 19, 2018, Rostock Port Authority announced that by 2020 will be available shoreside-power connection capabilities in both seaports (Rostock and Warnemunde), providing berthed cruise vessels with shoreside electrical power.

• Shoreside power (aka cold ironing, shore-to-ship power) allows docked ships to turn off their engines and use electricity supplied by the city's power network.
• The shore powerplant was completed in 2020 and is currently Europe's largest - having a power output 20 MVA (megavolt amperes) and the ability to supply with electricity 2x cruise ships simultaneously - at Warnemunde's berths P7 and P8.
• The shore powerplant was officially inaugurated on May 10, 2021, with AIDAsol - this ship needs 4,5 MWh (megawatts per hour) of electricity while docked. The ceremony was attended by Peter Altmaier (Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs), Manuela Schwesig (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state's Prime Minister) and Felix Eichhorn (AIDA Cruises' President).
• Since 2017, AIDAsol uses electricity from Europe's first shore powerplant - at Altona Terminal (Hafen Hamburg).

In mid-October 2018, Rostock LNG GmbH (joint venture gas company of the Belgian Fluxys and the Russian Novatek OAO) signed a land lease deal with Port Rostock for an LNG storage terminal. Rostock LNG GmbH (Fluxys 51%, Novatek 49%) will build and operate the new LNG terminal by serving LNG carriers and providing gas distribution and bunkering services. Gas carriers will be loaded at Novatek's facility in Port Vysotsk (near St Petersburg).

On November 28, 2018, was officially inaugurated one of Europe's most advanced welding plants at MV WERFTEN Rostock GmbH's shipyard. The plant's automation provider was the 1970-founded Finnish company Pemamek Oy Ltd. Yard's new Hall 11 is a highly efficient, semi-automatic plant specializing in steel prefabrication of panels with max size 25x16 m (82x52 ft). Shipyard's panel line is the only one in Germany and features a one-sided butt welding station (PEMA OSW-M 12000 equipment) with laser-hybrid welding head and additional MAG tandem welding heads with integrated milling, automated assembling (2-sided fillet welding of profiles) and programmable robots. This EUR 100 million innovation project was also supported by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (state) and Germany's Federal Government with EUR 6 million. Shipyard's all 3 halls have a total of 25 workstations. Up to 150 employees per shift work in medium term.

Due to the COVID crisis, in 2021 the Port handled only 47 ship calls (~100,000 passengers). In 2019 (before COVID) were handled 196 ship calls and 600,000+ tourists.

Warnemunde-Rostock cruise terminal

Warnemunde-Rostock tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

Warnemunde:

• Alter Strom
• Harbor Warnemundeor
• Warnemunde Beach
• Warnemunde Cruise Center
• Lighthouse Warnemunde
• Robben Research Station High Dune Park
• Flammen Lighthous
• Old Town Warnemunde
• Esperanza Sculpture
• Church Warnemunde
• Beach of Diedrichshagen Mecklenburg-Western
• Marine Science Center Warnemuende

Rostock:

• St. Marien Church: dates from 1472 and it has a famous astronomical clock
• The Town Hall: amazing building in baroque style
• Rostock University: dates from 1419. Visit also the University Square.
• Kröpeliner Tor & Steintor: the gates of the town
• St. Petri Church
• Boulevard Kröpeliner Strasse: buy souvenirs or just have a coffee and take a look at the people
• Monastery of the Holy Cross: visit also the museum.
• Museum in the former STASI prison
• Ulrich Deprie Chocolate Manufactory
• The Zoo of Rostock