There is a great deal going on in the Cruise Baltic network reports Claus Bødker, director of network Cruise Baltic, the voice of the Baltic Sea Ports:
At Bornholm, in Denmark, a new food culture house has opened offering workshops for up to 120 guests to cook historic dishes and local produce supervised by the local staff. Better still, the guests can enjoy eating the dishes they have prepared.
A Home Visit Concept has been introduced for cruise passengers in Kristiansand, Norway. Guests will have the opportunity to visit a typical Norwegian home to see what it looks like, talk to the local people and perhaps try some home cooking. Kristiansand is introducing an education programme for new cruise guides to make the city even more attractive to the increasing number of cruise guests.
In Oslo, Norway, the Fram Museum has undergone some exciting changes so visitors can enjoy a more interactive way to understand Norway’s polar history.
Investment into a new cruise quay for Helsinki in Finland has been agreed and it should be ready in 2018-2019.  In Kemi, Finland, the cruise pier will be extended so it can accommodate larger vessels and the depth will be improved to 8.7 metres.
Fredericia in Denmark is the newest member of Cruise Baltic and ship calls are rising. The cruise pier’s welcome centre is being upgraded and there will be an improved information centre.  Close to Fredericia is Christiansfeld, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 so we are expecting many passengers to enjoy visits here.
The Port of Skagen, also in Denmark, is investing in new waste handling facilities and it will be able to take all waste from cruise ships via pipes that go directly to a sewage treatment plant.
2016 will be the first full year using our new website and the cruisebaltictraining.com platform. More than 600 travel agents worldwide have passed the training and we are very excited to see the results.