Freeport of Riga receives record-high number of cruise ship passengers this season

RIGA - The Freeport of Riga has welcomed 150,000 cruise ship passengers so far this season, setting a new record, the Freeport of Riga Authority informed LETA.

The freeport notes that with the visits of the cruise ships Hamburg, MSC Magnifica and AIDAmar last weekend, the port has broken the previous record for the number of cruise passengers handled in a single season.

Since May, 150,000 tourists have arrived in Riga on cruise ships, and the 2026 cruise season will continue until the end of December.

Most cruise passengers arriving in Riga came from Germany, the US, and the UK.

According to forecasts, the total number of cruise passengers this year will be approximately 30 percent higher than last year.

The freeport notes that the increase in passenger numbers confirms that Riga continues to strengthen its position in the international cruise market. This has been facilitated by several years of targeted efforts by the Freeport of Riga Authority and the city’s partners, who have jointly promoted Riga in the international cruise market and established cooperation with cruise lines. To attract cruise ships, the Freeport of Riga Authority works in collaboration with the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (LiveRiga), the Riga Passenger Port, Riga RoPax Terminal, and other companies in the tourism sector.

The freeport notes that this year’s cruise season at the Freeport of Riga is proceeding successfully. It began on May 3 with a visit by the German cruise ship Hamburg, with a total of 98 cruise ships scheduled to call at the port by the end of the year. Six ships visited Riga for the first time this season, while 13 cruise ships stayed in Riga for two days.

One of the most significant events of this season was the arrival of the largest cruise ship ever handled at the Freeport of Riga. On May 22, the Mein Schiff Relax, a 333-meter-long and 42-meter-wide cruise ship operated by the German cruise line TUI Cruises, entered the port for the first time. This cruise ship is scheduled to call at the Freeport of Riga a total of five times this season.

This cruise season, the Freeport of Riga has also seen several calls by large premium-class ships and vessels in the expedition or niche cruise segment. Among them were several newly built, next-generation cruise vessels, including the Scenic Eclipse II, Seven Seas Grandeur, and Explora III, which called at the Freeport of Riga in August. The freeport notes that the increase in the number of ships and passengers in this segment in Riga is considered a significant achievement, as attracting luxury and expedition cruise ships is one of the cruise tourism segments purposefully developed by the Freeport of Riga Authority and its partners.

The cruise season at the port will continue through the fall and winter. Two visits by the large cruise ships, the Norwegian Sun and the Mein Schiff Relax, are planned for October, while the luxury expedition ship Le Commandant Charcot will arrive Riga in November. Four more cruise ship calls have been scheduled for December. The 2026 cruise season will conclude on December 26, when the AIDAprima will depart Riga following a two-day Christmas visit.

LETA previously reported that the number of cruise ship passengers served at the Freeport of Riga in the first eight months of this year grew by 54.9 percent compared to the same period in 2025. In the first eight months of 2026, the Freeport of Riga handled a total of 115,356 cruise ship passengers, while during the corresponding period in 2025, the port served 74,493 cruise passengers.

In 2025, the Freeport of Riga received a total of 115,469 cruise ship passengers, which is 42.8 percent more than in 2024, when the port served 80,870 cruise ship passengers.

Riga is the largest port in Latvia by cargo turnover.