By
Alex Smith |
The Port of Gothenburg received its highest ever number of cruise calls in 2022, with a total of 81 ships from 25 different cruise lines visiting the Swedish port throughout the year, seven more than the previous record in 2014.
“It is a big increase following the pandemic, even though it is other tragic circumstances that are behind the upturn to a large extent,” said Nicole Brattåsen, cruise operations manager at the Gothenburg Port Authority. “As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian ports were excluded, and the shipping companies had to cancel the big drag St. Petersburg out of their plans and find alternatives. In Gothenburg, we already had a good booking situation for 2022, but the number rose in the spring with 30 bookings as a result of the geopolitical situation.”
Around 80,000 passengers visited Gothenburg, with most travellers being from Germany, the UK and the USA.
“The occupancy has been around 70 per cent on the ships,” says Brattåsen. “We are seeing greater demand for booking entire restaurants or concert halls where you stay within the cruise bubble, but also an opposing trend where visitors want to meet locals, visit farms and get closer to people. Cruise passengers are not a homogenous group, they are individuals who want to experience different things.”
The port is already set to break this year’s record in 2023, with a total of 92 calls currently booked. These will include the maiden calls of Vantage Cruise Line’s Ocean Odyssey and Grand Circle Cruise Line’s Clio to the America Cruise Terminal. Meanwhile, Arendal Cruise Terminal will receive visits for the first time from Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Navigator; Compagnie Francaise De Croisieres’ Renaissance; Princess Cruises’ Princess Caribbean; and Explora Journey’s Explora I.
Gothenburg is also planning to continue its investments in sustainable technologies, as well as developing ways to allow guests to learn more about its efforts to be sustainable.
“We’ve received indications from tour operators that guests want to learn more about what Gothenburg does to be sustainable,” says Brattåsen. “We are investing heavily in becoming a central bunkering hub for alternative fuels. It contributes to increasing the rate of conversion and at the same time makes us more attractive as a destination for shipping companies that invest in green conversion.”