Dreams of the ocean and a passion for cruises: the Hamburg Cruise Days 2023 are back in full force

Hamburg, 5 July 2023 – An event packed with emotion and unforgettable moments awaits visitors to the ninth Hamburg Cruise Days from 8 – 10 September 2023. Nine impressive cruise ships, the legendary Blue Port Hamburg and an engaging programme along the waterfront and on the river will be bringing a magical maritime atmosphere to Hamburg’s harbour. AIDA Cruises is on board again as the event’s Premium Partner.  

The Hamburg Cruise Days 2023 are gearing up to start, again promising to be an unforgettable event for cruise fans. From 8-10 September 2023, the harbour in Hamburg again becomes a stage for the glittering world of cruises. With a brilliant programme of information, entertainment, culture and gastronomy along the waterfront, and nine majestic cruise ships on the Elbe River, the “world’s most beautiful cruise festival” again invites visitors to join the inspiring journey – and dive into dreams of the ocean.  

Michael Otremba, managing director of Hamburg Tourismus: “The longing for a break from everyday life and for special experiences is one of the most powerful travel and leisure motives, especially in current times. Unique events like the Hamburg Cruise Days offer Hamburg residents and guests exactly that: the festival programme, the involvement of the cruise ships and the Blue Port make the port more tangible and experiential than anywhere else. Visitors can look forward to a unique atmosphere.”

Nine ships on three days – AIDA Cruises is the event’s Premium Partner

The Hamburg Cruise Days 2023 will feature nine very different ships, which visitors will be able to admire during the three-day event, ranging from majestic ocean cruisers and grand luxury liners to elegant expedition ships and agile river cruise boats: AIDAprima, AIDAperla and AIDAsol (all AIDA Cruises), MS Artania (Phoenix Reisen), Mein Schiff 6 (TUI Cruises), MS Thurgau Chopin (Thurgau Travel), MS Sans Souci (PLANTOURS Kreuzfahrten), VASCO DA GAMA and WORLD VOYAGER (both nicko cruises).

The organisers have teamed up with the Rostock-based cruise line AIDA Cruises as the premium partner for the sixth time. The cruise company is sending three ships from the AIDA fleet to the event and will be hosting the popular AIDA Holiday World on the event site. 

The AIDA Holiday World will be an absolute highlight for visitors and take all guests ashore on a journey through the world of cruises. Directly at Kehrwiederspitze, AIDA presents itself with its two-storey show cabin and a holiday world on 600 m² next to the river. You will find, for example, the AIDA kissing stop created with great attention to detail. The sustainable highlight: the entire holiday world is made from 95 percent reusable materials that can be reused for future events.

Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises, comments: “AIDA has a long and trusted partnership with Hamburg and the Port of Hamburg. With more than 120 departures per year, we offer guests the greatest variety of voyages from the Hanseatic city and are thus, with our ships, guests and crew, not only a significant ambassador for the Gateway to the World, but also an important economic factor for the location. Cruising connects countries, cultures and people and creates emotions as well as lasting unique experiences like hardly any other form of holiday. The Hamburg Cruise Days transport this special spirit ashore for several days and thus inspire guests from all over the world.”

A world of excitement and inspiration along the waterfront

The Hamburg Cruise Days warmly invite visitors to enjoy some “shore leave”: on the event site between Landungsbrücken and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall the shore programme provides a hugely engaging mixture of culture, gastronomy, entertainment and activities for all generations. There will be showcases by the cruise lines AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises, MSC Kreuzfahrten, nicko cruises and the Cunard Line, including exciting promotions and special offers. The programme includes great shows, fine dining, interesting facts about cruises, destinations and travel opportunities, an adventure world for kids, acrobatics and live music, a Ferris wheel for the perfect view of the action, a salsa dance floor and a König Pilsener beer garden.

The ROCK ANTENNE Hamburg Stage will be providing a varied choice of entertainment, and the Hamburg Cruise Days Studio will be sharing exciting news from the world of cruises with visitors at the event with live coverage and a giant LED video screen. 

Highlights on the water – a joy for all senses 

The first highlight of the Hamburg Cruise Days takes place on Friday evening. Landmarks in the port and the cruise boat VASCO DA GAMA by nicko cruises will be impressively illuminated in the Rhapsody in Blue presentation against the magical backdrop of Blue Port Hamburg. The show will be accompanied by music and a live commentary and will culminate in a dazzling blue firework display. The Grand Hamburg Cruise Days Parade – the uncontested highlight on Saturday evening 

The last time it took place was before the pandemic at the Hamburg Cruise Days 2019 – and this year it’s back in all its glory: the Grand Hamburg Cruise Days Parade. Five cruise ships – AIDAprima, Mein Schiff 6, VASCO DA GAMA, WORLD VOYAGER, MS Sans Souci – will sail down the Elbe River in formation, providing an unforgettable spectacle accompanied by music and a commentary by the Hamburg-based actor Marek Erhard. The parade will be led by the AIDAprima, which will be showcased with a special light show; each of the following ships will be accompanied by an individual firework display. As the crowning highlight of the evening, the parade closes with a dazzling firework show. 

“The Hamburg Cruise Days bring together the inimitable thrill of cruises and the very special atmosphere of the harbour with its dreams of travel and distant places”, says co-organiser Katja Derow (redroses communications GmbH). “After the boutique edition of the event last year we are overjoyed to be returning in full force this year with all the event’s popular highlights. The people of Hamburg and guests from around the world can look forward to exciting days and memorable evenings in Hamburg’s harbour.” 

Blue Port Hamburg

Closely connected with the Hamburg Cruise Days since 2008, the lighting installation Blue Port Hamburg by Michael Batz is also very much an artwork in its own right, attracting thousands of people every evening. As in previous years, the lighting artist is dividing his artwork into two phases: Blue Port Hamburg Art from 1-7 September and Blue Port Hamburg Event, which lights up the port in a magical blue light during the Hamburg Cruise Days. At the Light-up on 1 September, the shoreline in the harbour will be illuminated with the first blue lights; on the following days the installation will grow bigger by the day, lighting up the port and illuminating dozens of buildings, bridges, ships and port infrastructure along the riverside. 

“The blue light radiates great calm, stability and serenity. The colour blue draws us into the distance, blue conveys a longing for distant places”, says Michael Batz, explaining the fascination of his artwork. “Taken as a whole, Blue Port is a story that goes on and on. It’s not about making something blue. Its essence is to tell the story of the port and reveal change and evolution.” 

Sustainability – an important topic 

The Hamburg Cruise Days give the cruise industry a stage and an opportunity to engage in a lively public debate on sustainability in the industry. For many years the cruise lines have been working to protect marine eco-systems and use resources mindfully and efficiently. They have made significant investments in new vessels and emission-neutral propulsion technologies, all with the aim of achieving the long-term target of making cruises climate-neutral. The participating cruise lines will again be featuring this issue prominently in their presentations on land, and will be highlighting their progress and achievements, for instance with technical facts and figures, multimedia information and fun activities for visitors to join in.

“The cruise industry has set itself ambitious sustainability targets and has a high aspiration to reconcile sustainability and growth. As organizers of this event, we recognise and welcome this“, says co-organizer Uwe Bergmann (uba).

Sustainable planning and production of the event itself is also a key aspect for the Hamburg Cruise Days. A comprehensive sustainability concept has been developed, including a waste avoidance strategy and waste separation scheme at the event site. Other measures include a ban on disposables, climate-friendly communications, reusable products and digital menus across all food and beverage offerings. The “Green Fork” seal indicates green gastronomy. A barrier-free design and the use of an internal “green checklist” to monitor carbon emissions for water, electricity and waste are also included in the concept.

Public event at the harbour – trade events at the Hamburg Exhibition Centre 

From 4 – 10 September 2023, the city of Hamburg will not only be welcoming the general public, but also industry insiders and experts. For the fourth time, Hamburg is bundling its cruise events and providing a stage for three major cruise events. This globally unrivalled cruise week kicks off with Ports and Destination Summit (4/5 Sept), a trade event organised by CLIA, the world’s largest cruise association; this is followed by the trade shows Seatrade Europe (6-8 Sept) and Marine Interiors (6-9 Sept. Seatrade Europe is Europe’s leading congress and trade show for the cruise and river cruise industry; Marine Interiors is the first stand-alone trade fair for interior design, equipment and technology for passenger ships. The crowning finale of the week is the Hamburg Cruise Days (8-10 Sept). With this unrivalled combination of trade events and the public event, in September 2023 Hamburg once again becomes a hotspot for the entire cruise world.