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Cruise Center HafenCity
New terminal built into Westfield Hamburg-Uberseequartier, operating since spring 2025 with two berths and shore power. U4 Uberseequartier, a taxi and coach level and the Westfield garage connect directly.
Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and biggest seaport, about 100 km up the Elbe from the North Sea. More about Hamburg →
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Ship schedule by month
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Central European Time)
ShipDateArrivalDeparture
Showing 7 of 7 calls in October
Cruise Ships in Hamburg
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Central European Time)
Today · Fri 23 OctTypical
5,425 people in port
1 ship · 1 turnaround · ships alongside 05:30 – 19:00
8% busier than a typical day in Hamburg. Busiest 05:00 – 19:00, when 1 ship is alongside.
Next 7 days
Quietest: Sat 24 Oct · busiest: Sun 25 Oct- Fri23 Oct5.4kTypical1 ship
- Sat24 Oct4.2kLight1 ship
- Sun25 Oct10.0kPeak2 ships
- Mon26 Oct5.0kTypical1 ship
- Tue27 Oct5.0kTypical1 ship
- Wed28 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Thu29 Oct–No ships0 ships
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Hamburg day.
Planning a day in Hamburg?
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Where is the Hamburg cruise port?
Ships dock alongside at three Cruise Gate Hamburg terminals on the Elbe, assigned by ship, so check your documents.
Cruise Center HafenCity, opened in 2025 inside Westfield Hamburg-Uberseequartier, is about 20 minutes on foot from the Elbphilharmonie, with the U4 two stops from the Hauptbahnhof. Cruise Center Altona is on the north bank west of the centre, about 15–20 minutes' walk from the Fischmarkt.
Cruise Center Steinwerder, for the largest ships, is on the industrial south bank with no rail link; most passengers use a taxi, shuttle or the limited bus 256.
Terminal
Getting to the Hamburg cruise port
Hamburg Airport → Hamburg cruise terminals (HafenCity, Altona, Steinwerder)
13–19 km · 30–60 min by car
Hamburg Airport is about 13 km by road from HafenCity and Altona (about 30 minutes). Steinwerder is 19 km away via the Elbe bridges or 40 km via the A7 Elbe Tunnel, and congestion around the Elbbrucken can push the trip to about an hour. Taxis wait outside Terminals 1 and 2 on the arrivals level; the S1 runs every 10 minutes to the Hauptbahnhof (25 minutes).
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Taxi
EUR 37–52per vehicle
30–60 min
Metered from about EUR 37 for 13 km plus waiting time, or agree the official EUR 52 fixed fare for 12–20 km.
S1 + U4 (or S1/S3 + ferry 62)
EUR 4.10per person
Varies
One hvv Hamburg AB single. S1 then U4 for HafenCity; S1 to Landungsbrucken then ferry 62 for Altona. No rail to Steinwerder.
Cruise-line transfer
Variesper person
Varies
Varies by line and sailing; book through your cruise line.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Driving to the port
Check your terminal before travelling, as berths are assigned by ship and date. Fixed taxi prices can be booked through dispatchers and ride apps. Steinwerder is reached only over the Elbe bridges or through the tunnels, so allow extra time on busy mornings.
Hamburg Cruise Terminals
3 terminals
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Cruise Center Altona
North-bank terminal west of the centre, open since 2011, for ships up to 300 m, with a public roof terrace and shore power. There is no long-term parking.
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Cruise Center Steinwerder
Hamburg's largest terminal, on the south bank, opened in 2015 for ships over 340 m. It handles over 8,000 passengers per call and has more than 1,500 parking spaces.
Parking at the Hamburg cruise port
Cruise Gate Hamburg runs a long-term cruise car park at Cruise Center Steinwerder, for Steinwerder sailings only. Parking is booked online; for example, about EUR 139 (Outdoor A) or EUR 159 (Priority) for a 7-night sailing, VAT included. Cruise Center Altona has no long-term parking. Cruise Center HafenCity sits inside Westfield Hamburg-Uberseequartier, where parking costs approximately EUR 3.00–3.50 per hour (dynamic pricing) with a EUR 39 daily maximum, as of April 2025. There is no shuttle between Steinwerder parking and the other terminals.
Parking facilities
FacilityServesRatesReservationRate notes
Cruise Center Steinwerder car parkCruise Gate Hamburg (APCOA)
Cruise Center Steinwerder
~EUR 139–159/cruise
Available
Serves Cruise Center Steinwerder · Reservation: Available
Example: about EUR 139 for a 7-night sailing (Outdoor A), VAT included; varies by date and can sell out. · Example: about EUR 159 for a 7-night sailing (Priority), VAT included; varies by date.
Westfield Hamburg-Uberseequartier car parkWestfield (referenced by Cruise Gate Hamburg)
Cruise Center HafenCity
~EUR 3/hour – ~EUR 39/day
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Serves Cruise Center HafenCity · Reservation: —
Dynamic pricing, EUR 3.00–3.50 per hour shown at the barrier (as of April 2025). · Daily maximum (as of April 2025).
At Steinwerder, disabled parking spaces are directly in front of the terminal in the drop-off zone and on Parking Lot A; they must be booked online.
Where to Stay Before Your Cruise
Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.
HafenCity
EUR 75–210 / night
Closest to Cruise Center HafenCity
Typical hotel
EUR 75–210 / night
Port ~5 minAirport ~30 min
Modern hotels near the Elbphilharmonie and the HafenCity terminal.
Hotels here
- INNSiDE by Meliá Hamburg Hafen
- JUFA Hotel Hamburg HafenCity
- Holiday Inn Hamburg - Hafencity by IHG
City centre (Altstadt, Neustadt, St. Georg)
EUR 75–210 / night
Sightseeing and shopping
Typical hotel
EUR 75–210 / night
Port ~10 minAirport ~30 min
Central hotels near the Rathaus and Alster.
Hotels here
- Barceló Hamburg
- Hotel Senator
- Kleinhuis Hotel Baseler Hof Hamburg
St. Pauli and Landungsbrucken
EUR 95–210 / night
Harbour views and nightlife
Typical hotel
EUR 95–210 / night
Port ~10 minAirport ~30 min
Harbour-side hotels between the HafenCity and Altona terminals.
Hotels here
- Hotel Hafen Hamburg
- east Hotel Hamburg
- Hotel Stella Maris
Port times are measured to Cruise Center HafenCity. Hamburg charges a culture and tourism tax per night.
Eating in Hamburg
- Breakfast per person
- EUR 10–20
- per person
- Casual lunch per person
- EUR 10–60
- per person
- Restaurant dinner per person
- EUR 10–60
- per person
Prices are approximate. Service is included; rounding up 5–10% is customary.
Where to eat
Landungsbrucken and Fischmarkt
Fish-sandwich stands and harbour restaurants.
HafenCity – Uberseequartier
Restaurants and food court at Westfield, next to the terminal.
Westfield Hamburg-Uberseequartier
The shopping and dining complex built around Cruise Center HafenCity, so passengers can walk straight from the terminal to its restaurants.
St. Pauli Landungsbrucken
Harbour piers known for fish-sandwich stalls such as Brucke 10, at the start of harbour boat tours and the Old Elbe Tunnel.
Grosse Elbstrasse (Altona fish market quarter)
Waterfront street of fish restaurants such as Fischbeisl, between Cruise Center Altona and the St. Pauli Fischmarkt.
Destination
About Hamburg
Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and biggest seaport, about 100 km up the Elbe from the North Sea.
Its waterfront mixes container docks with the UNESCO-listed brick warehouses of the Speicherstadt and the modern HafenCity, crowned by the Elbphilharmonie. The Alster lakes and the Rathaus mark the centre, while St. Pauli is known for the Landungsbrucken piers, the Reeperbahn and the Sunday fish market.
Hamburg is a leading German cruise homeport for AIDA, TUI Cruises and MSC, with about 300 ship calls a year across three terminals.
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
Things to Do in Hamburg
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Elbphilharmonie Plaza
A public viewing platform 37 m up in the concert hall with views over the harbour and old town, open daily 10:00–24:00. It is about 20 minutes' walk from Cruise Center HafenCity; admission is EUR 5.
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Speicherstadt
The UNESCO-listed warehouse district, built from 1885 to 1927 on oak piles, with brick warehouse blocks along narrow canals. It lies between HafenCity and the old town and is easy to explore on foot.
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Miniatur Wunderland
A huge model railway and miniature world in a Speicherstadt warehouse on Kehrwieder, with themed areas from Hamburg to Scandinavia and the Americas. It is about a 20-minute walk from Cruise Center HafenCity; book a timed ticket on busy days.
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Harbour boat tour from the Landungsbrucken
Harbour tours and the hvv ferries (included in the Hamburg AB ticket) leave from the St. Pauli Landungsbrucken. They pass container terminals, docks and the Elbphilharmonie, which suits a short call or a pre-cruise afternoon.