Cruise season kicks off at the Port of Gothenburg

With the arrival of the cruise ship AIDAmar in the morning, the start of the 2025 cruise season in Gothenburg is now official. In the coming months, nearly 100,000 tourists are expected to arrive by sea to explore the city and its attractions. A total of 64 cruise ships will visit Gothenburg Port this year.

At around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the 253-meter-long cruise ship AIDAmar called at one of the Port of Gothenburg’s two cruise terminals. On board were 2,603 German tourists eager to discover the city.

"The start of the cruise season is a classic sign of spring in Gothenburg, and it's great to finally be underway," says Per Alkås, Cruise Manager at the Port of Gothenburg.

Almost half of the cruise tourists visiting Gothenburg are Germans, followed by Italians, Americans, and English people.

"Cruise tourists in Gothenburg generally appreciate that we are a small big city, or a big small town, if you like, offering unique experiences and something for everyone. The Haga quarters is very popular with its picturesque small-town charm. We have beautiful green areas like the Botanical Garden and the Garden Society, which are highly appreciated. The Gothenburg Archipelago and Liseberg provide two very different experiences, but both are unique in their own way and major attractions," says Per Alkås.

Last year at Arendal
2025 will be the final season for cruise ships to call at the cruise terminal in Arendal. After that, the area will become inaccessible due to the construction of Stena Line’s new ferry terminal, which will continue for the next few years. Instead, the ro-ro terminal, just a stone’s throw away, will serve as the cruise terminal in 2026 and 2027.

"We already have 47 cruise calls booked for next year, and many of them will be received at the ro-ro terminal. The terminal operator Gothenburg Roro Terminal has been very accommodating, and we have good cooperation and preparations around this," says Per Alkås.

The Port of Gothenburg other cruise terminal, the centrally located America Cruise Terminal, remains open and will handle many calls this year as well as in the coming years.

In 2025, a total of 64 cruise ships are expected to call at Gothenburg Port, compared to last year's 56 ships.

Fact file: This year's cruises at the Port of Gothenburg
First: AIDAmar, 253 meters long, 2,600 passengers.
Largest: By length: Norwegian Star, 294 meters. By passengers: Emerald Princess, 3,100 passengers.
Last: Spirit of Discovery, December 14.
Unique: Nordstjernen – the first Hurtigruten ship, built in 1956. Only 80 meters long with 40-50 passengers. Will call at the America Cruise Terminal.