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Ostseekai Cruise Terminal (Terminals 27 and 28)
Kiel's main terminal on the city-centre waterfront, with boarding bridges, shore power and capacity for up to 11,000 passengers a day. Generally used by TUI Cruises and AIDA.
Kiel, Germany
Kiel is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, at the head of the Kiel Fjord on Germany's Baltic coast and at the eastern entrance of the Kiel Canal. More about Kiel →
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Ship schedule by month
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Central European Time)
ShipDateArrivalDeparture
Showing 4 of 4 calls in October
Cruise Ships in Kiel
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Central European Time)
Today · Fri 23 OctNo ships
0 people in port
No cruise ships today
Next 7 days
Quietest: Sun 25 Oct · busiest: Sat 24 Oct- Fri23 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Sat24 Oct6.8kBusy1 ship
- Sun25 Oct2.6kLight1 ship
- Mon26 Oct5.4kTypical1 ship
- Tue27 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Wed28 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Thu29 Oct–No ships0 ships
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Kiel day.
Planning a day in Kiel?
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 Kiel cruise port?
Most ships dock at Ostseekai (Terminals 27 and 28) on the west bank, next to the Altstadt and the start of the Kiellinie. The station and centre are about 2 km away, roughly 15–30 minutes on foot.
MSC and Costa ships use Ostuferhafen Berth 1 on the east bank, about 7 km (15 minutes) by road from Kiel Hauptbahnhof and not practical on foot.
Ships dock alongside at both terminals; check which one your ship uses.
Terminal
Getting to the Kiel cruise port
Hamburg Airport (HAM) → Kiel cruise terminals (Ostseekai / Ostuferhafen)
92–97 km · 65–75 min by car
Hamburg Airport is the main airport for Kiel cruises, about 90 km south via the A7/A215. Most independent travellers take the KIELIUS airport bus to Kiel ZOB (beside the Hauptbahnhof) or the train via Hamburg Hbf, then continue to the terminal on foot, by taxi or by cruise-line shuttle.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
KIELIUS airport bus
EUR 26–27per person
~95 min
Roughly hourly from Hamburg Airport to Kiel ZOB, not the terminals; EUR 26 online or EUR 27 on board.
Train via Hamburg Hbf
EUR 30.20per person
Varies
S1 to Hamburg Hbf, then the hourly regional express to Kiel Hbf; one SH-Tarif single covers both.
Cruise-line transfer
Variesper person
Varies
Varies by line and sailing; book through your cruise line.
Taxi
Variesper vehicle
65–75 min
No published fare found for this 90 km trip; agree the price in advance.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Driving to the port
Both terminals are signposted: follow 'Fahre' then 'Ostseekai', or 'Ostufer' then 'Ostuferhafen'. Rail is the most common way to arrive; check your terminal before choosing walk, bus or taxi.
Kiel Cruise Terminals
2 terminals
Ostuferhafen Cruise Terminal (Berth 1)
Cruise berth at the east-bank freight and ferry harbour, with a passenger pavilion and shore power. Generally used by MSC and Costa; about 7 km by road from Kiel Hauptbahnhof.
Parking at the Kiel cruise port
Port of Kiel runs cruise parking, booked online only; prices include VAT. Ostseekai (for TUI Cruises and AIDA): EUR 114 for 3 days, 134 for 4, 174 for 5–8, 194 for 9–12, 225 for 13–14 and 235 for 15–18 days. It is open only on call days, takes cars up to 5 m (no motorhomes), and is a 2–5 minute walk to T27/T28. AIDA guests book Ostseekai through AIDA. Ostuferhafen (Costa and MSC): EUR 149 for 8 days, 175 for 15. The Kiel Airport shuttle lot (AIDA) runs from EUR 110 for 3–5 days.
Parking facilities
FacilityServesRatesReservationRate notes
Ostseekai terminal car parkPort of Kiel (Port Parking)
Ostseekai Cruise Terminal (Terminals 27 and 28)
EUR 114–235/cruise
Required
Serves Ostseekai Cruise Terminal (Terminals 27 and 28) · Reservation: Required
2 nights / 3 days (TUI Cruises list price). · 4–7 nights / 5–8 days. · 14–17 nights / 15–18 days.
Ostuferhafen car parkPort of Kiel (Port Parking)
Ostuferhafen Cruise Terminal (Berth 1)
EUR 149–175/cruise
Required
Serves Ostuferhafen Cruise Terminal (Berth 1) · Reservation: Required
7 nights / 8 days (Costa and MSC). · 14 nights / 15 days.
Kiel Airport shuttle car parkPort of Kiel (Port Parking)
Ostseekai Cruise Terminal (Terminals 27 and 28)
EUR 110–129/cruise
Required
Serves Ostseekai Cruise Terminal (Terminals 27 and 28) · Reservation: Required
2–4 nights (AIDA). · 5–8 nights.
Where to Stay Before Your Cruise
Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.
Kiel city centre (Altstadt / Hauptbahnhof)
EUR 75–200 / night
Walking to Ostseekai
Typical hotel
EUR 75–200 / night
Port ~5 minAirport ~75 min
City-centre hotels near the station and the Ostseekai terminal.
Hotels here
- ATLANTIC Hotel Kiel
- Romantik Hotel Kieler Kaufmann
- Hotel Birke Kiel
Hamburg Airport is about 75 minutes away by road.
Eating in Kiel
- Soft drink per item
- EUR 1.85
- per item
- Bottled water per item
- EUR 1.40
- per item
- Casual lunch per person
- EUR 10–40
- per person
- Restaurant dinner per person
- EUR 10–40
- per person
Prices are approximate. Soft drink and water at KüstenKost, Kiel: Fritz-Kola 0.33 l EUR 1.85, water 0.75 l EUR 1.40.
Where to eat
Altstadt and Holstenstraße
Cafés and restaurants in the pedestrian centre near Ostseekai.
Kiellinie
Waterfront promenade starting beside Ostseekai, with fish-sandwich stands, food trucks and restaurants with fjord views.
Blucherbrucke
Pier on the Kiellinie known for casual food, including fish sandwiches, burgers and ice cream, a short walk north of the cruise terminal.
Destination
About Kiel
Kiel is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, at the head of the Kiel Fjord on Germany's Baltic coast and at the eastern entrance of the Kiel Canal.
The city is defined by its waterfront: the Kiellinie promenade, shipyards and naval history, ferries to Scandinavia and the Kiel Week regatta each summer. Day trips lead along the fjord to Laboe and its naval memorial, or to the Holtenau canal locks.
Kiel is one of Germany's leading cruise homeports for Baltic and Norwegian itineraries, with around a million passengers a year.
- Climate
- Mild, maritime Baltic climate: cool summers with frequent wind and changeable weather, and cold, grey, damp winters with occasional frost. Rain is spread through the year.
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
Things to Do in Kiel
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Kiellinie waterfront promenade
Kiel's fjord-side promenade starts at Ostseekai and runs past the marina, the state parliament and the Gorch Fock sail training ship. It is the easiest outing before boarding.
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Laboe Naval Memorial and submarine U 995
The Naval Memorial tower and WWII submarine U 995 at Laboe, about 25–30 minutes by road or an hour by the F1 fjord ferry. A combined ticket costs EUR 14; allow about two hours.
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Kiel Canal locks at Holtenau
From the viewing platform above the Holtenau locks you can watch ships enter and leave the Kiel Canal, about 6 km (15 min by car) north of Ostseekai. Open sunrise to sunset; entry EUR 1.50.
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Kiel Maritime Museum (Schifffahrtsmuseum Fischhalle)
A free museum in the former fish market hall on the waterfront covering Kiel's shipping, shipbuilding, naval and sailing history, a few minutes' walk from Ostseekai. Closed 19 October–4 December 2026 for modernisation.