Hamburg. The month of May in Hamburg will be completely dominated by the cruise industry. 29 arrivals in all are expected, together with a spectacular ships’ parade by the cruisers to mark the official birthday of the Port of Hamburg. This bids fair to be the biggest port festival in the world.
Last weekend, from the 7th until the 9th of May, the world’s greatest port festival took place. In front of the unique maritime scenery around the Landungsbrücken over 1,2 million citizens and visitors experienced a wonderful event by sea, land or even air. Sailing ships, frigates and steamboats have been admired during the days of the Port’s Birthday.
The major highlight of the port’s 821st birthday celebrations was the arrival of as many as five cruise ships in rapid succession. First arrival was marked by the “AIDAluna”, of AIDA Cruises, on 7 May, followed by “MS Delphin” of Delphin-Hansakreuzfahrten and Cunard’s “Queen Mary 2” on 8 May. Just in time for the concluding fireworks display, the Rock Liner “Mein Schiff” from TUI Cruises with Udo Lindenberg and his Panic Orchestra on board then sailed into port at 11.00 pm of the same day. Playing from the railings, they delivered a Rock Liner rendering of the hard rock blues hit Candy Jane with maximum bravura, accompanied by something like 100 passengers on their electric guitars. In the course of the following day Phoenix Reisen’s “Alexander von Humboldt”, docked next to “Mein Schiff” at the HafenCity.
Based on the construction costs, the five luxury liners together add up to a value of more than one billion Euros. Travelling in convoy, they would form a line well over a kilometre in length.
Other highlights in the month of May – after a number of cruises to and from Hamburg, the “AIDAblu” takes its leave for the Baltic and will return to Hamburg at the end of August; the “Delphin” and “Delphin Voyager” of Delphin- and Hansakreuzfahrten return from their winter cruises to the north, both leaving Hamburg again on party trips; the “MSC Poesia” celebrates its maiden call in the Hanseatic city; the “Columbus” will be the first Hapag-Lloyd cruise vessel to be welcomed to Hamburg this year; and the “Queen Mary 2” will be visiting the Port of Hamburg twice in the space of one month.
With all these maritime highlights happening in just one month, the Hamburg Cruise Center – in partnership with its members– is organising a photographic competition. The winners can look forward to fabulous prizes, including party cruises on the “Delphin” and “Delphin Voyager”.
