Media Information
Watch, marvel, and be amazed: Hamburg, the cruise liner hotspot
Hamburg, 2014 (HHT) – The trading city of Hamburg has always been the
gateway to the globe. Today, the world’s most beautiful and most popular
cruise liners move regularly in and out of Hamburg’s port. This is also where
shipbuilder Alfred Ballin established the cruise industry at the end of the 19th
century. Entire fleets of these majestic cruise liners can be witnessed at
Hamburg’s Port Anniversary and during the “Hamburg Cruise Days”. More than
500,000 visitors from over 100 countries arrive in Hamburg onboard these
queens of the ocean each year.
Arriving in Hamburg by boat is a very special affair: heading towards the city on the
River Elbe, you will pass the white mansions and tree-lined beaches of Blankenese,
and enjoy the city panorama of the colourful houses on the Hafenstrasse in St Pauli,
the Speicherstadt warehouse district and the industrial port. On 19 July 2004 the
banks of the Elbe were amass with people waving and cheering, as 500,000
spectators welcomed the first arrival into the port of Hamburg of the cruise liner
Queen Mary 2. At the time, this majestic ship was the world’s largest and most
expensive cruise liner.
It was back then that Hamburg’s cruise liner fever really took off. Today, Hamburg’s
locals have a very special relationship with these queens of the oceans. Every year,
more and more cruise ships take off from Hamburg, heading for destinations across
the globe. Cruise liners set off for the far north, to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and
Spitsbergen; others set out to explore England, Scotland and Ireland. Some drop
anchor at Baltic Sea cities such as Tallinn and Riga or voyage as far as Russia;
others chart the western European coast, past Amsterdam down to the
Mediterranean. Even the transatlantic routes to the United States or routes to South
Africa and Australia begin in Hamburg.
The birthplace of the cruise industry
When it comes to cruise liners, Hamburg has a long tradition. If you take a stroll along
the Ballindamm on the Inner Alster Lake – the street name pays tribute to
shipbuilder Albert Ballin, who “invented” the cruise ship industry – you will pass by the
headquarters of the Hapag Lloyd shipping company. In 1891, Albert Ballin, the
legendary director-to-be of the HAPAG shipping company, came up with a brilliant
idea: he decided to send passenger ships, which would normally commute between
Europe and North America, on excursions to the Mediterranean Sea over the winter
months – a period that would be characterised by low transatlantic bookings.
Soon these excursions became highly popular, and in 1900, commissioned by
HAPAG, the first ship designed specifically for the purpose of cruise lining was built.
The Princess Victoria Luise, which HAPAG expressly referred to as a “pleasure
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yacht”, had room for nearly 200 affluent first-class passengers. Within a short period
of time, additional ships were built, among them cruise ships specifically designed for
the middle and upper-middle classes. Not only did Albert Ballin make sea-going
voyages popular, he also initiated the development of an entire maritime branch that
quickly established itself and that continues to fascinate people around the world to
this day. Since Ballin’s time, an increase in the amount of ships and the conquest of
new and bigger target groups have lead to a boom in the cruise industry. This has
also changed the face of the City of Hamburg, the birthplace of the cruise liner
industry.
The cruise liner port of Hamburg
In 2013, a total of 550,000 passengers from more than 100 countries arrived in
Hamburg onboard 177 cruise liners. This number is expected to increase to one
million passengers by 2020. The city is well equipped for the onslaught of cruise liner
tourists: two cruise terminals in Hamburg are there to welcome passengers. Situated
near the city centre, the Hamburg Cruise Center at Überseequartier with its
unusual design combines the more industrial charm of the container port with the
contemporary chic of the prosperous HafenCity district.
From here it is only a few minutes’ walk to Hamburg’s main tourist attractions and
numerous shopping opportunities. In the near future, the provisional terminal facilities
will be replaced by one of the HafenCity’s most spectacular architectural designs that
will combine a hotel and cruise liner terminal. To complement the HafenCity terminal,
the Hamburg Cruise Center in the district of Altona was opened in 2011. One of the
special features of this terminal is the publicly accessible roof, which provides an
excellent view of the port of Hamburg. From here, the city centre can be comfortably
reached within 15 minutes via public transport, taxi or barge. A third cruise liner
terminal is currently under way at the Kronprinzkai in the middle of the port; it is due
to be completed in 2015.
Package deal – experience the world of cruise liners
A very special highlight for Hamburg – and for countless onlookers from near and far
– is the arrival of the elegant, impressive Queen Mary 2, which regularly graces the
port of Hamburg. We can provide an exclusive package deal for all those who would
like to join in and experience this queen of oceans close up, and the big party that
welcomes its arrival. The offer includes overnight stays, a guided photo tour around
the Queen Mary 2 via ship, a guided city tour, the popular Hamburg CARD, as well
as discounts in numerous restaurants. A special highlight in 2014 is the 825th
Hamburg Port Anniversary from 9 to 11 May 2014, featuring a four-day programme
evolving around the world of cruise ships, sailing vessels and military ships in the port
of Hamburg – including the famous tugboat ballet and the grand finale parade.
The biannual Hamburg Cruise Days festival takes place from 1 to 3 August 2014.
During this festival, the port will once again be bathed in blue light. The Blue Port
project is a fascinating work of art that also attracts many amateur photographers.
Around 100 objects in the port of Hamburg will be illuminated in blue light; among
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them St Michaelis Church, the Elbphilharmonie, the Köhlbrandbrücke and also
many of the smaller barges. On the occasion of these events, the Hamburg
Tourismus GmbH offers a number of attractive package deals.
You can book all hotels and tickets by phone at +49 (0)40 300 51 720 or online at
www.hamburg-tourism.de and www.hamburgcruisecenter.eu.
Media contact:
Hamburg Tourismus GmbH
Julia Bankus
Media Relations Department
Steinstrasse 7, D-20095 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (0)40 - 300 51 495
Fax: +49 (0)40 - 300 51 220
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.hamburg-tourism.de
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