On Tuesday April 12, the first cruise ship MV Hamburg (CruiseMapper) (operated by Plantours Kreuzfahrten) was welcomed in the port, thus opening this year's cruise tourism season in Riga.
MV Hamburg with 324 passengers on board arrived at Riga from the port of Klaipeda and left for Tallinn on Tuesday afternoon. During 12-day cruise, which started in Hamburg, the vessel is scheduled to visit several Baltic Sea cities, including Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Gdansk, Kiel as well as others.
MV Hamburg with overall length of 144 m and breadth of 22 m has maximum capacity of 420 passengers and 170 crew members.
“We are pleased to welcome cruise ships in Riga again, although we have to admit that this season will not be easy. Currently, about 120 cruise ship calls have been scheduled, with more than 100,000 cruise passengers coming to Riga. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the changing geopolitical situation and the war in Ukraine can and most probably will have an impact on cruise ship schedules and the expected number of calls. Nevertheless, we are ready to welcome every cruise passenger in Riga, providing the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality and uniqueness of our beautiful capital, as well as strengthen the city's economy and tourism sector,” emphasized Viesturs Zeps, Chairman of the Freeport of Riga Board.
The cruise ship season in Riga is expected to last from April to October.