Cruise Port Kiel honoured again

For the second year running, the Port of Kiel has been honoured at the Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami - the world’s largest cruise shipping trade fair - by the trade publication “Dream World Cruise Destinations”. This year Kiel was selected from 231 ports to receive the award in the category “Best Turnaround Port Operations”. Also so honoured were Barcelona, Southampton and Sydney. Last year, Kiel won first prize in the category “Most Improved Terminal Facilities” for its new Ostseekai Terminal.
The Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) Dirk Claus said “it is the combination of state-of-the-art terminal facilities and first class service that enable us to offer superior handling quality in Kiel. I am very happy that our efforts are now also being recognised at an international level”. Shipping companies and cruise ships work closely on-site with the Port of Kiel and numerous other logistics and service companies to ensure that cruise ship processing procedures are smoothly dovetailed. Commented Dirk Claus: “this award jointly honours all those involved in cruise shipping in Kiel”.
The jury awarded points for passenger terminal and cruise ship berth quality as well as for public amenities and available services. Important aspects covered were security, baggage services, supplies, general logistics and communications, ship provisioning and waste disposal as well as customs procedures.
“Things may be somewhat quieter at the cruise shipping fair this year”, said Dirk Claus, “but North Europe is still being seen currently as the region with the best growth potential. With our new terminal at Kiel’s Ostseekai we are well-equipped to cope with passenger turnarounds involving even the biggest cruise ships”. Already, 117 calls by 20 different cruise ships have been registered in Kiel for the 2009 season. As many as a quarter of a million passengers are expected.
Kiel is predominantly a jump-off and destination port for cruise ships. It is however now also starting to chalk up some success as a port of call. Commented Dirk Claus: “there is a lot of potential here, particularly since tourist destinations like Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg are still not sufficiently well known to some American shipping companies”. In 2008, 32.000 cruise ship passengers undertook excursions from Kiel. Their destinations included the Kiel region, the old Hansa city of Lübeck and the north German metropolis Hamburg.

Source: Portnews