Stockholm’s cruise season launched April 16 with the arrival of AIDAmar, marking the beginning of what will be a busy season set to mirror last year’s in calls and passenger numbers.
Stockholm Season Sets Sails
As it prepares to welcome a total of 121 cruise ship calls in 2024, Stockholm is embracing its new cruise season that will continue through the end of October. The season is expected to closely reflect the 2023 cruise season in both the number of ship calls and the volume of passengers.
Receiving its first cruise call of the season, Ports of Stockholm welcomed German cruise line AIDA Cruises’ 71,300-gross-ton AIDAmar on April 16. AIDAmar‘s call brought nearly 2,200 passengers to Stockholm on a 4-night roundtrip cruise from Warnemunde, Germany, with an additional call in Visby, Sweden.
“It’s great to see that Stockholm is maintaining its attractiveness and continues to be one of the most popular cruise destinations,” said Stefan Scheja, marketing manager of Ferries and Cruises at Ports of Stockholm.
Ports of Stockholm will see the return of AIDAmar multiple times throughout its season, including other April arrivals on April 20, 24, and 29. AIDAdiva will also make its first of multiple stops of the season in Stockholm on April 29 during its 14-night tour of Scandinavia and Poland, also from Warnemunde.
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Additional cruise lines gracing Stockholm’s port include Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises.
The 2024 season will conclude in October, with AIDAmar also the last ship to call on October 29 during a 7-night sailing to Swedish and Danish ports.
Enhancing Sustainable Technology
The spotlight in Stockholm’s season is not only on the traditional aspects of cruising but on significant technological advancements and sustainability efforts. For instance, the Ports of Stockholm is nearing the competition of a pioneering onshore power connection facility at the Stadsgården quay, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of visiting cruise ships.
Once operational later this year, it is anticipated that approximately half of the cruise ships docking at Ports of Stockholm will be able to utilize the facility. The shift is expected to lower emissions, noise, and overall pollution in the surrounding areas.
All of the quay-berths at Ports of Stockholm’s Värahamnen and Norvik ports are currently enabled for onshore power connection.
Added Scheja, “The cruise shipping companies are committed to sustainable development and work actively on sustainability initiatives. They are upgrading their fleets with new technology that reduces the impact of their vessels on the environment.”
Key among these is the introduction of newer vessels like Mein Schiff 7, owned by German-based TUI Cruises, and British Cunard Line’s Queen Anne. These vessels are equipped with state-of-the-art technology allowing them to connect to onshore electricity supplies and operate on alternative fuels like methanol. Both ships are scheduled to call on Stockholm this year.
Adding to the region’s sustainability efforts, the Cruise Baltics network continues to operate on a sustainability manifesto introduced in 2022. The manifesto aims to make the Baltic Sea the most sustainable cruise destination globally.
A collaboration between countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, such as Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia, Cruise Baltic has received a signed Memorandum of Understanding from 19 cruise lines. Cruise ships within the fleets, including Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean Group, have pledged to utilize onshore power connection facilities at Baltic ports like Ports of Stockholm whenever available.
