A record number of cruise ships is expected at the port of Riga in 2022 - the reported 102 ship calls are signaling arrival of almost 109,000 sea cruise tourists at Riga during current cruise season, according to the port’s press center.
“This year's cruise ship schedule clearly indicates a positive recovery of the cruise industry. At the same time, it is the result of relentless work of the Freeport of Riga Authority and its partners, who have been working systematically with international industry associations, cruise companies and ship agents throughout the pandemic with the aim to highlight Riga's benefits and excellence on the cruise route map”, said Viesturs Zeps, Chairman of the Freeport of Riga Board.
Twelve vessels plan to visit the port of Riga for the first time, including the largest of them - the 15-deck ship Voyager of the Seas of the cruise company Royal Caribbean International. It is 311.1 meters long and can carry more than 3,600 passengers at a time.
The first cruise ship in the port of Riga this season is expected on April 13. It will be the German liner Hamburg of the German cruise company Plantours Kreuzfahrten with about 400 passengers on board.
It is expected that this year we will be able to see bigger ships in Riga than before, and good news are that 25 cruise ships plan to stay in the port of Riga longer - two days. The highest number of expected calls is from the US and German cruise companies.
For several years the Freeport of Riga Authority has been a member of various international associations - Cruise Europe, Cruise Lines International Association, Baltic Ports Organization, The International Association of Cities and Ports (AIVP) and International Association of Ports and Harbors, - actively participating in the agenda of the industry organizations. With the aim to foster successful marketing program, this spring the port of Riga and the city of Riga will once again be represented at the largest and most important exhibition of the world's cruise industry Seatrade Cruise Global, which will take place in the USA in April.
This year, not only cruise ship traffic but also passenger, vehicle and cargo transportation will be resumed - on April 6 Tallink M/S Isabelle will start its first voyage since suspension, thus resuming regular passenger and cargo transportation on the sea route Riga - Stockholm. Direct voyages connecting the capitals of Latvia and Sweden are scheduled every other day.