Danish Port Celebrates Rise in Cruise Ship Calls

The Port of Copenhagen, famous for its maritime heritage and its environment-friendly policies, is marking a robust cruise tourism recovery with an enviable rise in cruise ship calls.

Known as the gateway to the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic, the port operates three cruise terminals at Ocean Quay, and is close to the city center and Copenhagen Airport.

Copenhagen Welcomed Nearly 300 Ships in 2023 

The Port of Copenhagen welcomed more than 750,000 cruise arrivals and close to 300 cruise ships in 2023. The numbers reflect a robust recovery from the pandemic era, but do not quite reach the arrival levels of 2019, when the port received 348 ship calls and about 940,000 cruise arrivals.

Port officials are bullish about 2024, expecting similar ship and guest arrivals, and with ship visits anticipated year-round. In fact, 50-plus ship calls are slated from October 2024 to April 2025, a healthy number considering it is the winter season.

Also in 2024, a number of high-profile cruise ships will call at the port, including the new Cunard ship, Queen Anne, which will be christened in June 2024; TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7, a new-build will debut in June 2024; Azamara Cruises’ Azamara Onward; Albatross Expeditions’ Ocean Albatross; and Villa Vie Residences’ Villa Vie Odyssey, to name a few,

Copenhagen Malmö Port AB operates the port in Copenhagen and in Malmö, Sweden; the two ports are located on opposite sides of Øresund, the strait that separates the two countries. 

For the fifth time in its history, the Port of Copenhagen was named Europe’s Leading Cruise Port 2024 by the World Travel Awards, held March 6, 2024 in Berlin. The port previously won the honor in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The award is seen as a major boon to the port and to the city of Copenhagen, which is rich in cultural and historical sites.

“This is just what we need when we travel around the world to promote Denmark as a cruise destination. Especially at a time when we are working hard to get more – especially the American cruise lines – to come back to Copenhagen and the Baltic Sea region,” said Klaus Bondam, Director of Cruise at CruiseCopenhagen. 

“This award helps to convey that there is so much else and more to experience, especially in our capital Copenhagen,” added Bondam.

Luis de Carvalho, Commercial Cruise Director of Copenhagen Malmö Port, accepted the award, offering his thanks to the cruise lines and the local companies and stakeholders that create memorable experiences for the cruise arrivals.

Environmental Policies Buoy Port’s Reputation

The Port of Copenhagen is known for its environmental policies that will make it climate neutral by 2025. The policies were among the reasons why MSC Cruises chose the site for the christening of the new-build MSC Euribia in June 2023.

The 6,334-guest ship is the cruise line’s second vessel powered by LNG (liquified natural gas), one of the cleanest marine fuels available. The cruise line said the Danish port was chosen specifically for Denmark’s efforts in environmental sustainability.

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Cruise guests who visit Copenhagen have a wealth of attractions to visit, including historic sites such as Amalienborg Palace, seat of the Danish monarchy, and Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1420 and famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

Other major tourism sites are Tivoli Gardens, Christiansborg Palace, the National Museum, and the 17th century Round Tower, said to be the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.