Shortly before Christmas, the last Hanseatic Spirit passenger ship this year arrived at the Port of Gdańsk. In 2024, Gdańsk welcomed a total of more than 28,000 tourists on board cruise ships, coming from 87 countries, predominantly from the USA, the UK and Germany. These also include Poles – 31 this year.

This year, luxury cruise ships have called at the Port of Gdańsk 60 times. In December alone, they visited us four times, a remarkable feat. The fact is that we are attractive not only in summer, but also in winter. We have the most wonderful Christmas Market in Europe (Gdańsk has been ranked 1st in the Best Christmas Markets in Europe 2025!). This is something that attracts tourists.

Passenger ships and their passengers represent income mainly for the city. Tourists arriving in Gdańsk are estimated to leave between 3 and 5 million dollars a year in the city by the Motława River.

‘The cruise season started in April. I must admit that the Port of Gdańsk has not seen such crowds at the quays where passenger ships berth for a long time. In August, for example, we had three cruise ships and a ferry in the port channel at the same time. This is a rare sight. We have more than 60 passenger ships scheduled for the year ahead’, says Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk.

Winter is great, too

Ships navigating the Baltic in winter are mostly expedition vessels. As a rule, cruises start and end in Copenhagen (Denmark). Along the way, they visit the major Baltic ports: Ronne (Danish island of Bornholm), Gdańsk, Klaipeda (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), Helsinki (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden).

The French Le Commandant Charcot called at the Port of Gdańsk twice in December. The vessel is 100 m long. This newest expedition ship of the Ponant fleet can hold more than 200 passengers plus 190 crew members on board. This is the first hybrid-electric polar research vessel powered by LNG. All 92 cabins and suites aboard Le Commandant Charcot have private and spacious balconies or terraces.

The HANSEATIC SPIRIT is another expedition ship. A cruise on this vessel perfectly combines adventure with comfort. This remarkable cruise ship has several restaurants, a spa, fitness rooms, HanseAtrium, which is a multi-purpose lounge with state-of-the-art technology and the Ocean Academy, an interactive learning space. There is also a microscope room, where you can discover a world that cannot be seen with the naked eye, a terraced viewing platform at the bow with a panoramic view, a balcony with a glazed floor and a panoramic path on the top deck. The Hanseatic Spirit can take tourists to some of the most inhospitable areas of the Earth, including the Arctic and Antarctica, relatively out of reach for ordinary tourists. The agent operating this cruise ship and 14 others that visited the Port of Gdańsk in 2024 is Morska Agencja Gdynia.

The Amadea vessel is a frequent visitor to the Port of Gdańsk, with the last visit on 9 December. The vessel under the Bahamian flag is 192 m long and 24.7 m wide. There is room for more than 500 passengers on board, with a crew of almost 300 people. Tourists can enjoy their time in bars and clubs, a wellness zone, a fitness centre or a steam bath and sauna, to name but a few. The vessel offers golf and table tennis areas, a swimming pool, a cinema and shops.

The largest cruise ship to visit Gdańsk this season has been the Crystal Symphony. The vessel is 238 metres long and 30 metres wide. It has been navigating the seas and oceans since 1995. It is a luxury five-star floating hotel, featuring premium cabins, two swimming pools, a spa and fitness centre, tennis court, golf course, casino, cinema, library and even an interfaith temple. Passengers have eight decks at their disposal. The last of these, at the bow of the ship, is a special observation deck. The vessel can carry around 1,000 passengers on board, served by more than 500 crew. It sails under the flag of the Bahamas.

The principal tour operator for cruise passengers at the Port of Gdańsk is Baltic Gateway. Once ashore, tourists are most keen to visit the following landmarks: the Royal Route, Artus Court, St Mary’s Basilica, Oliwa Cathedral (organ concerts), Malbork Castle, European Solidarity Centre, Amber Museum and World War II Museum.

Let us remind you that the record year in terms of number of calls was 2022, with 79 cruises arriving at the Port of Gdańsk (with 29,500 passengers on board). This was a clear upsurge following the pandemic period.