Not long until premiere for cruises in Visby - CMP's latest destination

It will soon be the premiere for cruises in Visby, the first call is on April 16. CMP’s terminal is offically inaugurated at the end of April, with two cruise ships arriving on that day with about 2,600 passengers. There will be a total of about 90 arrivals during the season.

It’s a busy time right now at the cruise terminal in Visby. Control measurements of the depth of water, which must be 11 metres to meet the requirements, were taken during March. It was also one of the very last tasks before the terminal was formally handed over to CMP at the turn of the month March/April.

”We can thus state that we have kept to the plan, which also means that the terminal will be inaugurated as planned on 29 April,” says Henrik Ahlqvist, CMP’s terminal manager in Visby.

As stated, there will be two arrivals in connection with the inauguration. However, the very first arrival will take place a couple of week previously, when the cruise ship Astoria moors at the ultramodern new terminal. There will subsequently be a total of 90 arrivals during 2018 with about 90,000 passengers. This is twice as many as in 2017.

Besides the terminal, Henrik Ahlqvist has recently also been putting a lot of work into information and marketing. Visits have been made to the major shipping companies to present Gotland as both a destination and a cruise terminal.

”We are providing information about what the piers are like and in regard to practical issues surrounding depth of water, moorings etc.,” Henrik Ahlqvist reports. The response has been positive. CMP has a very high level of credibility in the cruise industry, which facilitates the work we are currently undertaking.

”Visby is an established destination, but interest is now increasing, which is also revealed by the number of arrivals in 2018,” he continues. At the same time, the shipping companies are making their bookings a long time ahead. So the focus in the spring’s marketing work has primarily been on the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

CMP has also been preparing this year’s season locally on Gotland together with various collaborative partners. Visby port will take care of many of the practical tasks at the terminal. At the same time, CMP is part of various networks that are working to develop the tourism industry.

”The ultimate objective is to bring more visitors to Gotland. We clearly have a role to play in these efforts with our experience of cruise tourism,” Henrik Ahlqvist emphasises.

He is now doing his utmost to receive the first arrivals and make the cruise season really successful. And there is one thing that is particularly important in ensuring that the shipping companies are satisfied.

”It must be completed and clean,” he says. ”We are consequently putting a lot of energy into all the practical details to ensure that the visitors receive a really positive impression of our terminal and of Visby.”

Photo: Sören Mård