This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of the International Cruise and Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Now that Europe is a year-round cruise destination that also homeports 11% of the global cruise ship fleet, Cruise Europe and its members are optimistic for future growth in 2018 and beyond, particularly as the number of Europeans taking a cruise has doubled in the past 10 years.
Cruise Europe, which was founded in 1991 to promote cruise destinations, ports and shore excursions across Northern and Atlantic Europe, welcomed 15 new member ports and three new associate members over the past 12 months. Total membership has now reached 138 port and associate members, making Cruise Europe a diverse and dynamic organisation that covers all regions of Europe – from Lisbon in Portugal, to Saint Petersburg in Russia, Norway’s North Cape and Iceland. In 2017, Cruise Europe members welcomed cruise ships throughout the 12 months, while all regions reported an increase in both cruise calls and passenger numbers.
From 5-8 March 2018, Cruise Europe and several of our member ports will be at Seatrade Cruise Global in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We have joined with the Holland Pavilion to increase the size of our CE Pavilion to 110 square metres. Here, we will talk to visitors alongside representatives from the ports of Dublin in Ireland, Riga in Latvia, Zeebrugge in Belgium and Bremerhaven/Wismar in Germany.
Once again, we will host our popular Monday afternoon reception (on 5 March), bringing together the cruise industry onboard a chartered yacht moored outside Fort Lauderdale’s Hilton Marina. Invited guests will include Cruise Europe members, cruise line representatives and trade press. The vessel will remain berthed during the full reception to enable cruise executives who have busy schedules to call in for short periods of time.
Our members are also preparing for the annual Cruise Europe Conference, which many consider the must-attend event of the calendar year. The event will be held from 24-26 April in Saint Petersburg, Russia – one of the marquee ports in the Baltic region. On 24 April, members will be able to participate in internal meetings and enjoy excursions around the city, ahead of the full-day international conference on 25 April. Several high-profile speakers from the cruise lines have already been confirmed as speakers.