Passengers of sea cruises in Germany 1998-2023

Sea cruise passenger numbers had increased year after year in Germany, signifying a long-term positive trend in a competitive industry. While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but a brake on that in 2020 and 2021, an encouraging return to higher numbers has been recorded in 2022.

Sea and river cruises

Cruises can take place either on rivers or at sea. On average, Germans went on sea cruises for around 9 days. Sea cruises typically involve longer distances covered, also depending on which port passengers start from and whether the cruise is domestic or international. Europe is connected to several well-known seas, among them the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile, by comparison, river cruises lasted less, 7 days. Germany is home to two famous rivers in Europe, the Rhine and the Elbe.

Cruise ports in Germany

Germany has several cities which are home to popular cruise ports from which ships and liners leave for various routes around the world. Of these, Rostock/ Warnemünde , Hamburg and Kiel, all in the north, were in the lead before the pandemic. The industry is facing various challenges, with the number of German travelers who prefer cruise vacations slowly increasing overall.