This year may be a lean one for Aarhus with only three calls booked but it is giving the Danish port ample time to prepare for 24 calls and 75,000 passengers in 2011.
To date the maximum number of passengers visiting has been 30,000 and that was on 23 calls. The size of the vessels just goes on getting bigger with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Costa Cruises all calling as well as Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 in 2011.
Due to development plans for the city centre which include apartments, schools, a science park and multimedia house, ships calling next year will be accommodated at pier 4 slightly further north. Originally for container traffic there is plenty of room for buses but the walk into the city centre is about 20 minutes and there may be a need to put on shuttle buses, says Vibeke Jorgensen of VisitAarhus.
This year ships will continue to call at pier 2 at Nr Port in the city centre where all the basic infrastructure, including sewage and electricity, has already been completed. The original timetable was put on hold due to the financial crisis but all the signs are that work will begin again in the fall.
In preparation for next year, Ms Jorgensen is intent on increasing the number of guides and making sure they are trained in time for the 2011 season. With 2012 already looking good as far as the number of calls are concerned, the project is a vital one.
