67 cruise ship visits announced in the port of Riga / Article

IN SHORT:

• On Tuesday, the second cruise ship this season docked at the port of Riga.
• Tourists visit Old Riga, go to Jurmala and other excursions.
• This season, 67 ship visits are planned, last year there were 62, but the record is 2022. 99 visits per year.
• Ships with an average length of 300 meters can enter Riga, the port is not available for larger ones.
• The port of Riga wants to extend the season and welcome cruise ships in winter as well.

This season, 67 ship visits have been announced and “Poézija” is the second one to arrive in Riga.

“Poetry” arrived in Riga already at nine in the morning, and the most diligent travelers immediately boarded buses to go to Jurmala and other excursions. The rest choose to visit Riga, then return for lunch, so that they can still enjoy Old Riga until five in the evening, when the ship moves on.

“We had a three-hour tour of the city. Fantastic. Everything so clean. And such beautiful houses. We did a bit of shopping, and now we’re going to lunch and then back. To the cathedral and Old Riga,” the ship passengers Friedrich and Katrina told about their plans.

“The cruise lasts 12 days, tomorrow we are going to Estonia, then to Helsinki, Stockholm, Gothenburg and then back home,” said passenger Renate.

In the Freeport of Riga, visits are counted, not ships, because several arrive in Riga repeatedly.

Last year there were 62 visits. The absolute record was 2022, when ships docked in Riga 99 times.

Due to the war started by Russia in Ukraine, the port of St. Petersburg has closed for cruise passengers. It was like a magnet for many tourists, especially Americans. However, little by little, it has been possible to turn the steering wheels of the big cruise ships towards the Baltic.

“There are a lot of beautiful cities, there is something to see and gradually you will understand that the Baltic Sea region is interesting. It doesn’t matter if there is St. Petersburg or not,” said Yeļena Burdastova, commercial operations specialist of the Riga Free Port Authority.

Due to the width of the Daugava, cruise ships with an average length of 300 meters can enter Riga. Riga is not available for bigger giants. The second challenge is to lure the big ships here even in winter.

“Extending the cruise season is a challenge and a goal. We are doing everything to extend the season,” said Yelena Burdastova.

Last year, two cruise ships docked in Riga during the Old Riga Christmas Market, this year five have already been registered.

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