Klaipėda kicked off this year’s cruise season as Ambience, a ship owned by Britain’s Ambassador Cruise Holidays, docked at the Lithuanian port’s cruise terminal on Thursday.
Throughout the season, which runs until mid-October, 63 cruise ships are expected to visit the Lithuanian port city, 19 percent more than in 2024, Klaipėda State Seaport Authority said in a press release.
Algis Latakas, the authority’s CEO, noted that the early start to the cruise season is yet another sign that ports must adapt to fast-changing market trends.
Ambience brought nearly 1,300 passengers to Klaipėda, most of them British.
According to the press release, the ship was built in 1991 and modernised in 2022, featuring the latest ballast and wastewater treatment systems. It mainly sails routes across Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian fjords, and the British Isles.
Nearly 40 percent of the cruise ships expected in Klaipėda this year are over 290 metres long. The largest will be Mein Schiff 7, which was built and made its first visit to Klaipėda last year, and Mein Schiff 1. Both ships are 316 metres long and can accommodate almost 3,000 tourists and about 1,000 crew members each.
Eight ships will be visiting Klaipėda for the first time this year, including vessels from two new cruise lines, SeaDream Yacht Club and Atlas Ocean Voyages.
Almost 70 cruise ships have already expressed interest in stopping in Klaipėda in 2026.
Klaipėda welcomed 63,000 passengers on 53 cruise ships last year, according to the port authority.
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