Kiel Kicks Off 2025 Cruise Season: Focus on Growth and Shore Power Expansion

The main period of the cruise season, as established in previous years, extends from May to October. The frequency of ship calls is lower during April, November, and December. The season will conclude with the visit of MS Amadea from Phoenix Reisen on December 14, 2025. For the third consecutive year, the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein expects over one million cruise passengers, thereby solidifying its position as one of the busiest cruise ports in Northern Europe.

In parallel with the seasonal operations, the Port of Kiel is continuously investing in the enhancement of its terminal infrastructure. The focus for 2025 is on the Ostseekai terminal with its two berths close to the city center. The existing shore power facility there is being expanded to enable the simultaneous supply of onshore electricity to two cruise ships in the future – a capacity increase not previously possible. However, due to the necessary construction work, the facility must be temporarily taken offline for several weeks. During this period, 19 scheduled calls at Ostseekai will not be able to connect to shore power.

The expansion at Ostseekai represents the final component in completing the shore power infrastructure in the Port of Kiel, a project initiated back in 2018 with a total investment volume of 50 million euros. Last year, the port was already able to supply more than half of all ferry and cruise ship calls with certified green electricity. The upgraded facility at Ostseekai, funded by federal and state resources, is expected to commence operations in the autumn of this year.

Concurrently, the baggage handling system at the Ostseekai terminal is undergoing comprehensive modernization. The aim is to optimize processes and create an expansion that is convincing both functionally and architecturally.

Dr. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG, emphasizes the significance of the current season: "This will be the cruise season in which we structurally finalize our shore power strategy. We plan to complete the work on the expansion facility at Ostseekai in the autumn, and will then have supply capacities for up to three cruise ships and four ferries." He views this as a "central step towards our environmental goals, which we aim to achieve with a complete supply of ships with green electricity in the coming years."

The use of shore power is a key technology for reducing the environmental impact of shipping in ports. It allows ship engines to be switched off during berthing, significantly reducing CO2 emissions, as well as noise and pollutant output. Implementing this technology requires substantial investment from ports and shipping lines. For several years, the Port of Kiel has consistently relied on European green electricity from renewable sources for its shore power supply to underscore its sustainability objectives.

"The demand for shore power in the cruise segment is enormous," explains Claus. "For this season, we had initially planned for a connection rate of 80 percent of all ocean-going cruise ships. Due to the construction measures [...] we anticipate a connection rate of about 70 percent this year."

[Based on excerpts from a press release by the Port of Kiel]