Friday, February 28, 2025 - 18:20 by ce-press
Year-round cruising has been a growing trend in the southern Baltic Sea for some years already, and now cruiselines are expanding their winter itineraries into the northern part of the region as well.
Michael Schulze, director of cruising, Phoenix Reisen, says: “Winter sailings from/to Germany are becoming more attractive, to Scandinavia and also into the Baltic, especially in combination with the pre-Christmas atmosphere and popular Christmas markets.” He explains that the prerequisites for such itineraries are that there is a ship on site and that enough passengers can be encouraged “to accept cold and frosty weather”.
During the 2024–2025 winter season, from November to March, a total of 11 destinations across the Baltic Sea welcomed cruiseships. Copenhagen emerged as the most popular winter cruise destination, receiving 19 calls, followed by Stockholm with eight and Riga with six.
After more than a decade, passengers now had the opportunity to explore the winter wonderlands of popular summer destinations, such as the capital cities of Tallinn (Estonia) and Helsinki (Finland). Smaller Baltic ports such as Aarhus, Skagen, Klaipeda, Gdansk, Karlskrona and Visby were also included on itineraries this winter.
The success of year-round cruising was first tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, explains Sirle Arro, head of marketing and communication department, Port of Tallinn, when travel options were limited. “The results were clear: travellers are eager to experience Northern Europe beyond the traditional summer season.”
Leading cruiselines that have embraced or expanded winter cruising include TUI, AIDA Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd, Ponant, Phoenix Reisen, P&O Cruises, CFC Croisieres, and Ambassador Cruise Line. While most winter cruises took place in December - particularly for Christmas-themed sailings - ships also made calls in November, January, February and March.
Winter cruising presents unique opportunities for destinations and tour operators, requiring creativity to offer experiences that differ from traditional summer attractions. Festively decorated cities, Christmas markets, outdoor winter activities, and indoor cultural programmes, such as concerts and workshops provide guests with diverse and memorable experiences.
Schulze says: “I find that numbers of beautiful destinations in the Baltic region give enough reasons to visit them, even in winter. A nice side aspect: you can feel the special joy of the ports, the city tourism and all the people involved because you come at an unusual time.”
Beyond the seasonal charm, winter cruising offers several advantages: fewer crowds at major attractions, access to top tour guides, personalised services, and a variety of seasonal events. Passenger feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with one common request—more snow!
Arro says: “Encouraged by the success of winter itineraries, the Baltic Sea region is optimistic about the future. Bookings for upcoming seasons indicate growing interest from cruiselines. And there is potential to include even more destinations such as Turku and Kotka in Finland, Kalmar in Sweden and Hundested in Denmark. These cities could positively surprise passengers with their unique winter experiences.”
Indeed Schulze says: “We, from Phoenix Reisen, are pretty much looking forward to attract even more guests to join us to Scandinavia and the Baltic in winter time and, who knows, one day we may leave a ship completely in the north during the winter, as some others already do.”
The expansion of winter cruising in the Baltic Sea reflects a broader shift in the industry, proving that the magic of the region is not limited to summer.
