REANDA-NEWS. October 01, 2009. Cruise liner BRAEMAR which came to Klaipeda port for the first time, closed Klaipeda port cruise season which had started in May 12, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda port.
 
BRAEMAR. On the 24th of September 2009 at about 7 o`clock in the morning the cruise liner BRAEMAR which came to Klaipeda port for the first time, closed Klaipeda port cruise season. BRAEMAR (built in June 1993 in Valencia, Spain) is195,01 m of length, 22,52 m beam, 5,41 m draft and is able to take 970 tourists.

The agent of a ship flying Bahamas flag was AB Klaipedos laivu remontas. The tourists from a ship were served by a tourism agency UAB Klaipedos Meja. 909 passengers came to Klaipeda port on this ship.  383 tourists had ordered excursions: 50 tourists – to the Curonian spit, to Palanga and Klaipeda old city – 84 tourists and 170 tourists to Klaipeda old city and 79 tourists visited Lapiai village. 
 
CRUISE STATISTICS. In total 50 cruise vessel calls were registered in the port and we anticipated to receive about 34 000 cruise passengers. The result is especially good taking into consideration the impact of economic recession and cruise season data of 2008, when 46 cruise ships and 32 461 passenger visited Klaipeda port. This year big cruise vessels (longer than 175 m) intended to visit the port – there were 22 calls of such vessels. Besides, 6 cruise ships dropped anchor in our port for the first time in 2009 (including cruise vessel BRAEMAR).

Port dues, collected in 2009 in Klaipeda port from the cruise ships preliminary made 1,8 million Litas. In 2008 1,8 million Litas were collected from cruise ship calls.

Measures of inducement of cruise shipping in Klaipeda port
Events.
2009 were rich of cruise events, propagating Klaipeda as a cruise port, we took part in exhibitions and conferences, in the activities of international associations.

In April 22-24 2009 in Vigo (Spain) we participated in XVIII annual general assembly of the association of European cruises Cruise Europe.

In May 7-8 2009 at the international conference organizewd by Klaipeda University Perspectives of seaside tourism: challenges for sceince and businessi Klaipeda port maritime tourism potential, perspectives and challenges that we face when developing maritime tourism – cruise and passenger shipping were presented. In May 18-19 2009 in Rostock (Germany) there took place the conference „Cruise and Ferry Passenger Shipping on the Baltic Sea 2009“ dedicated for the discussion of problems and matters connected with cruise and ferry passengers in the Baltic Sea, Klaipeda port cruise shipping development strategy was presented Drivers for cruise shipping development in medium size ports – strategy in Klaipeda.

When cruise season of 2009 is over, in October the Port Authority plans to organize a forum for republican tourism institutions and companies working with cruise shipping where the participants might share experience concerning the inducement of cruise shipping, coordinated actions program, discuss of making cooperation more effective, facing problems and the ways of solution of them. During the forum we also intend to discuss on the cruise business exhibition and conference that took place for the fourth time in Hamburg (Germany) on 15-17 September 2009 „Seatrade Europe 2009“ as it usually takes place every two years. 
 
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On the 19th of May 2009 (after the conference Cruise and passenger shipping in the Baltic Sea) the representatives of delegation of Klaipeda port and Lithuanian economic development agency met with the representatives of cruise shipping line AIDA. The ships of this shipping line have never visited Klaipeda port. During the meeting the possibility to include Klaipeda port into their routes in 2011 was discussed. 
 
Participation in exhibitions and conferences
In March 16-19 2009 we participated in the conference and exhibition „Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention 2009“ in Miami (USA).

In May 15-17 2009 we participated in exhibition and conference „Seatrade Europe 2009“ in Hamburg (Germany).
 
Promo events and festivities
Opening and closing ceremonies of cruise seasons.
Handing of port coat – of - arms for cruise ships calling Klaipeda port for the first time.
Organization of fairs for cruise vessels (longer than 200 m).
 
Membership in associations
Since 2001 Port Authority is a member of the association Cruise Europe. 
 
Making cruise shipping more effective – port dues for cruise ships are being reduced
In order to make cruise shipping more effective in the only Lithuanian port since the 1st of July 2008 by the Oder No 3-246 of the Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania of 30-05-2008 Concerning the application of Klaipeda State Seaport dues rules there were reduced port dues for cruise ships: for the fourth – eighth calls during the calendar year - by 20 percent, from the ninth call during the same calendar year – by 50 percent.

Responding to cruise market changes in Klaipeda port, the question concerning reducing of Klaipeda port dues for cruise ships was discussed at the meeting of the Government of Lithuania. Item 9 of Klaipeda State Seaport types of dues, their maximum rates and application principles that came into force after the proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and approval of the Government of Lithuania, foresees that respective maximum rate of port dues for a concrete ship can be reduced taking into consideration the number of cruise ships calls during a calendar year (not less than 2 times) – up to 20 percent and taking into consideration GT of a cruise ship (calculating port ship, navigation, quay, sanitary and aquatory dues for a cruise ship with bigger than 50000 GT, maximum GT rate 50000 is applied).

2 cruise ships have already enjoyed the above rebates in port dues this year – Costa Magica and Albatros.
 
2010 Klaipeda port cruise season (preliminary data)
 Totally 39 cruise ships calls are registered for the next year, including even 18 big ships (longer than 175 m), and it makes almost 50 percent of all registered cruise ships calls. Besides, following the latest data there will moor for the first time in Klaipeda port cruise ship Kristina Regina.