English
Le Commandant Charcot / (c) Studio Ponant: Emerick Le Mouel
5 cruise ships are scheduled to call the Freeport of Riga in December to enjoy the Christmas ambience. On Saturday, 7 December, the cruise ship “Amadea” operated by Germany-based Phoenix Reisen will call Riga for a winter cruise. Moreover, this month “Le Commandant Charcot” - the French cruise line Ponant's ice-class vessel will call Riga twice, as well as the cruise ship “Birka Gotland”, co-owned by the Swedish companies “Rederi AB Gotland” and “Viking Line”.
“We have managed to extend the cruise season in Riga, attracting visitors during the winter, which is considered a typical low season for tourism in the Baltic Sea region. This year, more cruise ships will call Riga in December than in December in previous years, and the Port of Riga is expected to close the 2024 season with a total of 66 ships, which is 4 more ships than last year,” said Jeļena Burdastova, Business support specialist at the Riga Freeport Authority and member of the “Cruise Europe” Council.
Winter cruises will continue at the beginning of next year, as Riga is included in the itinerary of the “Nordic City Escape” cruise of the British Ambassador Cruise Line, with the “Ambience” visiting the port of Riga on 19 February 2025.
“We expect around 6000 tourists from Germany, France, Scandinavia, the UK and other countries to visit the Latvian capital this winter on cruise ships. This is a good result of the work we have been doing together with the Investment and Tourism Agency of Riga, actively participating in cruise industry developments, forums and associations, widely promoting and presenting the tourism offer of Riga and the Pieriga region,” added J. Burdastova, noting that many cruise lines inform about a high level of satisfaction in passenger surveys after visiting Riga. Cruise passengers appreciate Riga's tourism product offer, the port infrastructure and the short distance to the Old Town.
“It is important for the city of Riga that cruise vessels call the port during the winter season, as each cruise ship brings hundreds of tourists who visit local restaurants, cafés, shops and museums. Thus, an additional income for the hospitality industry outside the traditional tourist season is being generated. We are delighted to see the growing demand for winter cruises in the Baltic Sea and, thanks to our cooperation with the Freeport of Riga Authority, more cruise lines are including Riga in their winter itineraries. The year-round development of cruise tourism promotes Riga as an attractive destination internationally,” said Ieva Lasmane, Head of the Tourism Department of the Investment and Tourism Agency of Riga.
The cruise ship “Amadea” is 193 metres long and can accommodate 602 passengers and 292 crew members. The ship started and will finish its cruise in Hamburg at the beginning of December, and during its 12-day sea voyage will also visit the Baltic Sea port cities of Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Klaipeda, Gdansk, Wismar, Kiel and Brunsbüttel. “Amadea” is well known as the “Ship of dreams”, as a popular German TV series has been filmed on board since 2015.
And the 2020-built and LNG-powered “Le Commandant Charcot”, which will be seen in Riga on 8 and 17 December, is a premium vessel that offers its passengers a unique sailing experience in the Arctic. The 150-metre cruise ship can accommodate 270 passengers and a crew of 187 on board and it is the first cruise ship in the world which in September 2024 has reached the North Pole of Inaccessibility, the point on the Arctic Ocean that is furthest from land. The cruise ship “Birka Gotland” (177 metres long, with a total passenger capacity of 1 800), carrying mainly tourists from Scandinavia, will visit Riga on 9 and 16 December.
According to the information provided by the Freeport of Riga Authority, 81 cruise ships are scheduled to visit Riga next year, with the cruise season from February to December.
Information for media
- liene.ozola [at] rop.lv, +371 670 308 53
- Freeport of Riga Authority
- 12 Kalpaka blvd, Riga, Latvia, LV-1010
