English
The busy cruise tourism season will continue at the Port of Riga, and 22 cruise ship calls have been scheduled for July, bringing 30,000 cruise passengers to Riga. This month, the presence of U.S. cruise operators at the Port of Riga will be particularly visible - more than one-third of all calls will be provided by American cruise lines’ vessels.
In July, eight ships operated by U.S. cruise operators will arrive at Riga: on July 13, the mid-sized boutique-style ship Azamara Journey (length: 181 m, 8 decks, maximum passenger capacity: 700); on July 5 - the luxury-class ship Silver Dawn (length: 212 m, 11 decks, maximum passenger capacity: 596), on July 31 - the premium-class cruise liner Seven Seas Navigator (length: 172 m, 8 decks, passenger capacity: up to 500), and on July 9, 15, 23, and 29 - the Norwegian Sun (length: 258 m, 12 decks) will visit Riga. On July 20, the U.S. cruise line’s ship Sapphire Princess (length – 290 m, 18 decks, passenger capacity – 2,670) will arrive at the Port of Riga; on July 21 - the Sirena (length – 181 m, 11 decks, passenger capacity: 670), on July 24 - the boutique-style ship Marina (length: 239 m, 11 decks, maximum passenger capacity: 1,250), and on July 6 and 14 - the luxury expedition cruise ship World Navigator (length: 129 m, 6 decks, passenger capacity: 200) will arrive at the port. The growing interest of U.S. cruise lines in Riga is one of the outcomes of targeted work in the international cruise market. Positive results might be attributed to regular participation in the world’s largest cruise industry forum - Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, where the Port of Riga, together with its partners promote the capital of Latvia as an attractive cruise destination in the Baltic Sea.
The most frequent visitor this month will be the Norwegian Sun, a ship operated by the U.S. Norwegian Cruise Line, which will call at the Port of Riga four times. The ship can accommodate up to 1,900 passengers at a time, and its passengers are mostly tourists from the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The growing activity of North American cruise lines is apparent in Riga’s cruise tourist statistics. In the first half of this year, more than 11,000 tourists from the U.S. have already visited Riga, which is 27% more than during the same period last year. Meanwhile, the largest number of cruise passengers arriving in Riga this year came from Germany - more than 23,000 guests, or two and a half times as many as last year.
A significant increase in Canadian, Australian, Brazilian and the UK passenger numbers has also been observed this season, confirming Riga’s growing popularity in the ever-expanding cruise tourism market.
On July 28, the French cruise line Ponant’s luxury expedition ship Le Champlain (length: 131 m, 7 decks) will arrive at the Port of Riga for the first time this cruise season. Unlike large cruise ships, which can accommodate several thousand passengers at a time, Le Champlain is designed for just 184 guests, offering an exclusive cruising experience, highly personalized service, and a more intimate exploration of the destinations visited. On Ponant’s Baltic Sea cruises, special emphasis is placed on exploring the historic Hanseatic cities, the Baltic Sea islands, and the cultural heritage of Northern Europe.
The largest ship by gross tonnage in July will be the Sapphire Princess (115,875 GT), which will arrive in Riga on July 20, while the smallest will be the expedition ship World Navigator (9,315 GT), which will call at the port on July 6 and 14. On four days in July, two cruise ships will dock simultaneously at the Port of Riga. On July 5, the Europa (length: 198 m, 10 decks, passenger capacity: 400) and the Silver Dawn will arrive at the port; on July 15, - the AIDAmar (length: 253.3 m, 14 decks, passenger capacity: 2,200) and the Norwegian Sun; on July 20 - the Sapphire Princess and the Victoria (length: 192 m, 12 decks, 2,500 passengers), and on July 21 - the Sirena and the MSC Magnifica (length: 293 m, 16 decks, 3,223 passengers). A detailed schedule of cruise ship arrivals is available on the Freeport of Riga Authority’s website at www.rop.lv/lv/pasazieri. In the first six months of this year, cruise ships have called at the Port of Riga 32 times, bringing a total of 54,000 passengers to Latvia - a 51% increase compared to the first half of 2025.
A total of 101 cruise ship calls have been registered at the port this year, which is a 21% increase over the previous year. It is expected that approximately 135,000 foreign tourists will visit Riga on cruise ships during the season.
According to studies by the Cruise Lines International Association and Baltic ports, cruise passengers spend an average of 60 to 100 euros during a one-day visit to Riga.
Information for media
- [email protected], +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- Mihaila Tāla iela 1, Rīga, Latvija, LV-1045
