Port of Gdańsk at the anniversary Seatrade Cruise Global fair in Miami

From 7 to 10 April this year, the global passenger cruise industry met in the heart of Miami for the 40th edition of Seatrade Cruise Global – the largest and most important event in the cruise shipping calendar. The Port of Gdańsk, which traditionally represents Poland on the international stage, had to be among this group of exhibitors and business people from all over the world.

Although the Seatrade Cruise Global trade fair is mainly associated with Florida today, its origins date back to 1985, when the first edition of this event was held in New York. The anniversary fair brought together representatives of the largest shipowners, ports and tourist organisations, who discussed the future of passenger cruises, sustainable development and technological innovations.

Gdańsk among the European leaders

The Port of Gdańsk took part in the event as part of a joint stand of the Cruise Europe organisation, working with ports from Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and Ireland. Being part of such a prestigious group is not only an opportunity to exchange experiences, but also to present the advantages of the Pomorskie region in comparison to its European competitors.

‘Participation in the Seatrade Cruise Global fair offers an excellent opportunity to promote the Port of Gdańsk, the city of Gdańsk and the entire Pomorskie region. What we offer, addressed to passenger shipowners, should start to pay off within the next 2–3 years, in the form of more cruise ships calling at the Port of Gdańsk. We need this time to prepare all the passenger logistics related to the calls and passenger service’, said Dorota Pyć, President of the Port of Gdańsk.

An important part of this year’s event was a study visit to the Port of Miami, during which the Port of Gdańsk business trip, led by Dorota Pyć, learned about modern pro-environmental solutions, above all, the Onshore Power Supply (OPS) infrastructure – a system that supplies ships with onshore power while at berth.

One of the outcomes of the meetings and talks in Miami was the confirmation of the call by the Rotterdam cruise ship in 2026 – a vessel belonging to the renowned Holland America Line. It is going to be the largest passenger ship to ever call at the Port of Gdańsk. The 299-metre-long colossus can take on board more than 3,000 passengers.

During the trade fair, the Port of Gdańsk along with the Baltic Gateway Group (one of the leading tour operators in Northern Europe) presented a comprehensive tourist offer, including the attractions in Gdańsk and the entire region. The increase in the number of cruises and visitors arriving by sea can significantly contribute to the economic development of the Pomorskie region.

The inauguration of this year’s cruise ship season in the Port of Gdańsk is scheduled for 17 April, when the first passenger ship of the year, Le Champlain, is due to reach Gdańsk. It is a modern vessel belonging to the French cruise line Ponant, which specialises in luxury, boutique expedition cruises. It is small (131 m long, approx. 18 m wide), manoeuvrable and environmentally friendly, allowing it to call at ports and places inaccessible to larger vessels. The ship was built in 2018 and can accommodate a maximum of 184 passengers.

For this season, cruise ships are scheduled to call at the Port of Gdańsk 60 times.

Source: Port of Gdansk