There will be no crowd of cruise ships this year

07.06.2011

Regrettably, our geographical latitude fails to ensure favourable conditions for all-year-round sea tourism. Cruise ships usually appear on the Baltic towards the end of May and sail around between the ports until October. The real concern to the port personnel, as well as the local hotel and restaurant owners is that, as a rule, they only bring their passengers to Gdansk and Gdynia for no longer than several hours. Therefore, each year we open and close the short cruise season with scarce information, assessing the statistical figures with regret.

For years now - regardless of Poland's accession to the European Union and the opening of our borders - the number of calls from cruise liners has failed to keep up with the wide range of historic and leisure attractions offered by the Pomeranian region. Also for years - together with Gdansk city guides and tour leaders - we have observed the prevailing number of cruise ships dock at the quays of the port of Gdynia, while the berths at the Westerplatte Passenger Ferry Terminal lie idle. This is yet more surprising since the passengers arriving at Gdynia have to endure the wearisome bus transfers to Oliva, Gdansk Old Town and to Malbork, which substantially cuts short the actual time for sightseeing and leisure. Apparently, such are the habits of the sea tourism operators regarding the Polish coast...

Gdynia - still world-renowned for the "Batory" cruises - can rest assured of the best wishes of the Gdansk port personnel as we are also concerned about the dropping numbers of cruise ships calling at this sister-port. Although Gdynia launched its 2011 cruise season already on 13 May, only 57 calls have been scheduled this year as compared to 70-100 calls made last year. The first cruise liner scheduled to Gdansk was due to arrive on 31 May. However, at the last minute, the agent shifted the port of call to Gdynia. The 2011 season was launched on 4 June with the arrival of the "Albatros" which has remained loyal to Gdansk for several years now. Consequently, there are 21 more calls from cruise ships scheduled to be made at the port of Gdansk this year.

As I was writing these lines, I had a look at an article by the popular marine feature writer, Marek Blus, who shared with the readers his summertime reflections in the local daily Dziennik Baltycki. Even "postcards editors - he says - failed to notice that the icons of today are seaports, shipyards and shipping...". I will add that the efforts of the port and city promotion teams will yield no results as long as the visitors walking the streets of the historic centre are offered none but Russian dolls, Egyptian shells and pictures of churches decorated with low-quality amber dust from Kalinigrad... Both the ports of Gdansk and Gdynia have similar parameters for accommodating passenger ships and ferries. However, in order to best utilise their operations, it is necessary to coordinate the efforts of all business entities and institutions engaged in promoting the region, managing restaurants, hotels as well as the tourist and city transportation i.e. all those making their living in the tourism industry. The absence of that common language - the Esperanto of the tourism industry - acting as a spur to the joint course of action will prevent the growth of sea tourism in Gdansk Pomerania for a long time to come.

PGA SA PR Officer