Cruise ships Hit Record in Helsinki

During the cruise season that ended on 22 October, a total of 603,500 cruise passengers arrived in Helsinki. This was 16 per cent more than the previous year.

There were a total of 303 ship visits to Helsinki. This was the first time the number exceeded 300. This translates to a 6-percent growth from last year (2018:285).

The largest percentages of cruise passengers came from Germany (32%), the United States (21%) and the United Kingdom (10%). The top three nationalities remained the same as the previous year, although the proportion of German visitors grew slightly. The proportions of other nationalities among visitors to Helsinki were all less than 5%.

The popularity of Helsinki as a destination for international cruise ships has grown steadily, claimed a press release from the Port of Helsinki.

"Our capital is internationally attractive, and on top of that, everything works. The new LHD quay in Hernesaari, which serves large cruise ships, also proved to be functional. It was opened by the Port of Helsinki at the beginning of May," it said.

"We have had good feedback on wastewater reception and the general functionality of the quay from experienced captains as well as pilots," said Harbour Master Antti Pulkkinen from the Port of Helsinki.

"All in all, this season was a success and we were pleased that no large cruise ship had to skip Helsinki due to bad weather in September or October," he added.