Bremerhaven Cruise Port, located at the mouth of Germany’s Weser River and the North Sea, is celebrating its first bustling week under the management of Global Ports Holding (GPH) with a big start to 2025.
Under the leadership of the world’s largest cruise port operator, Bremerhaven welcomed two German-based cruise lines as their homeport. Phoenix Reisen’s Amera and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3 will bring in a total of 5,900 passengers to North Germany during every departure.
Timo Schön, general manager of Bremerhaven Cruise Port, expressed his optimism about the season’s prospects under GPH, which also recently took over operations San Juan Cruise Port in Puerto Rico and is investing £25 million to improve Liverpool Cruise Port in England.
“We are thrilled to host both ships during our opening week and to begin this exciting chapter under Global Ports Holding,” he said.
“Together with our dedicated team, our focus is on delivering exceptional service, showcasing the unique charm of Bremerhaven, and positioning the port as a key homeport within the region.”
The port, featuring the Cruise Terminal Columbusbahnhof, is well-equipped to handle large volumes of passengers during the embarkation and disembarkation processes, and features predominantly on Scandinavian and Baltic Sea itineraries.
However, as the first ships of 2025 to leave Bremerhaven, Mein Schiff 3 and Amera both embarked on long voyages to warmer destinations.
The 99,526-gross-ton Mein Schiff 3, which was the first in port with up to 2,506 passengers at double capacity on January 12, 2025, is now sailing a 35-night transatlantic cruise to the Caribbean.
The vessel will return to Bremerhaven on February 16 and then provide a number of 14-night voyages to ports in Norway.
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On January 13, the 39,051-gross-ton Amera, carrying up to 835 guests at double capacity, embarked on a roundtrip, world adventure, also sailing across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and South America following initial calls in Spain and Portugal.
It will return to Bremerhaven on April 26, where it will kick off a summer season in Northern Europe.
Phoenix Reisen will also homeport its 650-passenger, 22,496-gross-ton Deutschland in Bremerhaven, kicking off on April 22, 2025, and the 600-guest, 29,008-gross-ton Amadea beginning on May 21.
In total, Bremerhaven Cruise Port anticipates more than 90 ship calls and 300,000 passengers in 2025, including AIDA Cruise Line’s AIDAsol.
10-Year Port Concession
Global Ports Holding was officially given rights to operate and manage Bremerhaven Cruise Port from the City of Bremerhaven on September 6, 2023. The initial agreement is set to last for 10 years from its beginning in January 2025, with the option to extend for an additional 5 years.
At the time, GPH’s Chairman and CEO Mehmet Kutman said, “This concession represents another significant step in our ambitions to grow our global cruise port network and to expand our operations in Northern Europe.”
The company now operates 32 ports around the globe, making it the largest cruise port operator in the world.
Along with this agreement, the port is set to undergo enhancements to modernize its facilities with funding from the Bremen state and federal government.
Over the next 10 years, Bremen will invest nearly €2 million to widen the harbor by nearly 2 miles and dredge the Weser River to allow for large passenger ship arrivals. Additionally, the port will expand existing terminals.
