Cruise ships from German ports set passenger records in 2025

A record 1.51 million holidaymakers set sail on cruise ships from German ports last year, official data showed.

The Federal Statistical Office said cruise ship passengers from Germany were up 4.1% in 2025 compared to the previous year. 

The figures come weeks after an outbreak of hantavirus on a Dutch-operated cruise ship in the Atlantic made headlines worldwide after three passengers died and several were taken ill. 

Dozens of passengers are in quarantine in their home countries after being evacuated from the Canary Islands earlier this month. 

Passenger numbers on cruise ships plummeted worldwide in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but have since recovered. The latest figures in Germany were 13.5% higher than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. 

Across the European Union, 8.73 million people embarked on a cruise in 2024 according to data from Eurostat. Most set off from Italy, followed by Spain and Germany.  

For the German analysis, the Wiesbaden-based Federal Statistical Office took into account only cruise ships offering purely tourist experiences. 

River cruises were not included, while ships operating as regular ferries and cargo ships with a few cabins were also excluded.