The port of Gdańsk will record a stable 57 cruise calls in 2025 – but this figure is set to rise to 105 by 2027. Thanks to expanded infrastructure, the Polish Baltic port can now also welcome larger ships and continue to grow.
The port authority Port Gdańsk has presented figures for the outgoing cruise season. In 2025, a total of 57 cruise ships called at the city on the Baltic Sea. As port capacities have been expanded, the Polish Baltic port is expecting the numbers to rise in future.
According to Port Gdańsk, cruise traffic is at a stable level this year with 57 ships. In 2024, around 60 cruise ships have stopped in the northern Polish city. In future, this position is to be further strengthened thanks to the possibility of accommodating larger ships. For 2027, 105 cruise ships have already announced their visit to the port of Gdańsk.
2022 – a record year
The record year for the port of Gdańsk so far was 2022. 79 ships with a total of 29,500 passengers called at the port when cruise traffic resumed after the pandemic-related break.
It was also an exceptional year from a geopolitical perspective. Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia, cruise ships avoided the port of St. Petersburg, which until then had been the third busiest cruise port in the Baltic Sea. Some of this traffic has since shifted to Gdańsk.
The situation stabilized in the following years: 42 cruise ships called at the port in 2023, 60 in 2024 and a similar level was reached in 2025 – 57 cruise ships visited the port of Gdańsk in this season. In total, over 27,000 tourists from dozens of countries came to the city – mainly from the USA, the UK and Germany.
Ever larger ships – the result of investments
According to Port Gdańsk, the development of cruise traffic is the result of a well-thought-out marketing strategy, which includes the participation of port representatives in renowned international industry events such as Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami and Seatrade Cruise Europe in Hamburg. As a result, Gdańsk has established itself as an attractive destination for tour operators planning cruise routes on the Baltic Sea.
“Gdańsk has enormous tourist and logistical potential. The port is located in the heart of the historic city – this allows passengers to visit some of the most beautiful places in Poland within a few hours. This is a clear competitive advantage over many other ports in the region,” says Michał Stupak, customer manager in the shipping market division of the port authority ZMPG SA.
Longer quays, deeper port
Until recently, only ships with a length of up to 225-240 m could dock in the port of Gdańsk. Thanks to investments in infrastructure and deepening work in the inner harbor, much larger ships can now be accommodated – up to 250 m and more. In July, the “Crystal Serenity” docked at the Westerplatte quay.
The “Viking Vella” also moored in Gdańsk four times this season – only slightly shorter at 239 m. And the “Rotterdam” is expected next year – the largest passenger ship in the port’s history at 299 m in length.
However, according to the port authority, the potential of the port of Gdańsk is significantly greater than the current 60 calls per year. According to estimates, the port could handle up to 120 ships a year with optimal planning and further infrastructure expansion.
Ships with a length of up to 250 m can call at the port (© Port Gdańsk)
