SUPER-SIZE CRUISE SHIPS WILL BE ABLE TO SAIL INTO AMSTERDAM WITHOUT CONCERN FOR WIDTH OR TIDAL RESTRICTIONS WHEN THE WORLD’S LARGEST SEA LOCK IS BUILT, REPORTS LESLEY BELLEW

Amsterdam is a ‘must’ destination for many cruise passengers and its popularity has grown by more than 50% in the last five years, from 220,000 ocean cruise passengers in 2010 to 340,000 in 2015. To ensure the Port of Amsterdam can accommodate the increasing number of large cruise ships work is now starting on the Ijmuiden sea lock, at the mouth of the North Sea Canal. Once complete in 2019, it will enable super-size vessels to sail through what will be the world’s biggest sea lock measuring 500m long x 70m wide x18m deep.

At present, cruise companies can choose to use IJmuiden’s Felison Cruise Terminal, which is a 30-minute drive to the centre of Amsterdam, or the ships can go through the 45m-wide lock and sail along the North Sea Canal to the city centre Amsterdam Cruise Passenger Terminal.

Edward Wortman, river cruise project manager at Amsterdam Cruise Port, says the two ports and the river cruise team work ‘as brothers in arms’ when it comes to marketing and international focus. Wortman, 29, said: “Felison Cruise Terminal is popular for cruise ships going to the Baltic and the North Cape. Those without the luxury of time find it more convenient to use Felison, while ships with longer itineraries tend to use the downtown terminal; it is a very nice sailing of two and a half hours along the North Sea Canal but it would not leave much time for exploring the city if schedules are tight.”

Wortman believes the new lock will be of major importance to the cruise business. He said: “With the significant growth we are experiencing we will really need this new facility. “The cruise lines are building bigger and bigger new ships and we need to be able to accommodate them.”

The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam opened in 2000; it is rated in the top five cruise terminals in Northern Europe and received the 2015 Seatrade Cruise Award. The large, purpose-built terminal includes a covered bus station and it is next to the Movenpick Hotel (movenpick.com) so passengers requiring pre and post extension holidays are just a step from the ship. There is also a shuttle to the train station. Wortman said: “About 60 per cent of cruise passengers choose one to three night pre and post-extensions in the city so they have time to embrace the atmosphere of other cities such as Haarlem, Rotterdam, and The Hague.”

From May, the Passenger Terminal will become the home port for Holland America Line’s (HAL) new 2,650-passenger Pinnacle Class ship MS Koningsdam during summer 2016 and 2017. Wortman said: “We are very excited about this. The ship’s dedication will be in Rotterdam, where HAL has historic links and she will then sail here, to a huge reception.”