Wismar, “Small but mighty”
The Hanseatic city Wismar draws a half-year balance to its cruise business with the call from ms Silver Wind on July 1st 2016. Under the motto “small but mighty”, Wismar has proven that even smaller destinations are able to participate professionally in a cruise business: and yet solely smaller ships are handled.
Columbus Cruise Center Wismar (CCCW), which is responsible for marketing and operation in the cruise industry, positions its destination at ship companies, whose ship sizes do not exceed 240 meters long. This year alone, 6 first ship calls were able to be registered.
“Citizens and town fathers of the Hanseatic City support cruise ship calls, that originated from the exemplary interaction between the touristic units of Wismar and CCCW. This all leads to an exceptionally high satisfaction of cruise companies and passengers” said Veit Huerdler, one of the managing directors of CCCW.
On May 2nd 2016, Wismar ranked 2nd place in the guest rating of a Baltic cruise from the British cruise line Fred Olsen Cruises. “This is especially worth mentioning as Baltic cruises certainly sail to big ports, which delivers a completely different touristic experience dimension”, added Hürdler. “Apart from the wonderful old town itself as an experience, guests feel welcomed by the citizens there”.
In Winter 2016/2017, approximately 3 Million Euros will be invested into the cruise berth. Activities include, among other things, the construction of a small terminal building, a fixed ISPS border that integrates the guidelines of historic preservation into the surrounding, improvements of fresh water supply and conditions of mooring the vessels. The construction has already begun.
CCCW is a member of Cruise Europe and works closely together with Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven (CCCB). In 2017, the big annual Cruise Europe Conference will be held in Bremerhaven.
“We will also take advantage of this opportunity to present the advantages of Wismar and to maximize synergies between the two destinations”, explained Veit Huerdler, who is also responsible for CCCB. “For several years now, cruise lines who were convinced of our performance in Bremerhaven have also cruised to Wismar. We are particularly proud of the fact that German cruise lines increasingly integrate Wismar as a German destination into their itinerary.”
(Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven – Wismar)