By
Laura Hyde |
Cruise visitors to the Baltic Sea region increased by 12.3 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the newly published Cruise Baltic Market Review.
The review reports many medium and large destinations in the region received an increase in guests, calls (up by 12.8 per cent) and ship turnarounds (up by 5.6 per cent) in 2025. The share of calls visiting the largest five ports in the region – Copenhagen in Denmark, Kiel and Rostock in Germany, and Oslo and Kristiansand in Norway – remained stable at around 50 per cent in 2025. Kiel is still the largest port in terms of guest numbers, followed by Copenhagen. However Kristiansand experienced the highest growth in 2025, with visitor numbers rising from 320,446 in 2024 to 430,122 in 2025, an increase of 34.2 per cent.
“The 2025 results show a stronger and more stable development across the Baltic Sea region,” said Klaus Bondam, director of Cruise Baltic. “The growth we see across many destinations is very positive and reinforces the region’s continued appeal to cruise lines and their guests.”
The review also identified a shift in seasonality patterns, with the number of visitors in the latter half of the year “growing rapidly”. While the summer months still attracted the largest number of cruise guests in 2025, the number of visitors in October, November and December rose by 33.2 per cent compared with 2024.
The number of visitors to the region during October to December is on the rise
“It is encouraging to see more ships visiting during quarter three and especially quarter four,” said Bondam. “Guests are increasingly seeking new and memorable experiences, and our region offers something genuinely unique during the autumn and winter months.”
Forecasts indicate growth will continue, with guest volumes expected to grow by 9.2 per cent, calls by 10.7 per cent and turnarounds by seven per cent in 2026. In fact, turnarounds are expected to hit 487, which exceeds the numbers before the global shutdown in 2020.
Read the full Cruise Baltic Market Review here.