Early morning February 10th, the cruise vessel AIDAprima made fast in the Port of Gdynia, marking the ceremonial commencement of the 2026 cruise season and inaugurating celebrations of the city’s centenary. The unit, arriving from Kiel, berthed at the French Quay in the vicinity of the Emigration Museum, housed in the historic Marine Terminal building. The 300-metre flagship was clearly visible from the waterfront and the Pilot Breakwater (Ostroga Pilotowa) before casting off later the same day and proceeding on passage to Denmark. Her next scheduled call at Gdynia is set for 24 February.

Launched in 2016 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the 124,100 GT cruise liner serves as the flagship of AIDA Cruises, the Rostock-based operator. Measuring 300 metres LOA with a draught of 8.1 metres, the vessel accommodates up to 3,286 passengers attended by a crew of approximately 900. She offers 1,643 staterooms, 12 dining venues, 6 swimming pools, 18 bars and clubs, 4 lounge zones, 4,484 m² of open deck space and 3,100 m² of spa facilities, distributed across 18 decks. Propulsion is provided by diesel engines with electric assist, delivering 46,800 kW and a service speed of up to 21.5 knots. Her sister ship is AIDAPerla.

Notably, on 6 December 2025 the same vessel concluded the previous cruise season in Gdynia. Severe Baltic weather conditions prevented her scheduled departure sequence to Tallinn and Stockholm, compelling a return call to the Polish port on 18 January.

According to Ewelina Ziajka of the Port of Gdynia Strategy Office, 10 February 2026 represents the earliest seasonal opening of cruise calls in the port’s history. Although the call results from carrier scheduling, the date coincides symbolically with two major anniversaries: the 106th anniversary of Poland’s Wedding to the Sea and the 100th anniversary of Gdynia being granted municipal rights. The arrival of AIDAprima thus formally inaugurates what is expected to be an extended cruise season, projected to run until 21 December with 85 confirmed cruise calls.

The previous season yielded solid results: 14 cruise vessels executed a total of 52 port calls, delivering approximately 130,000 passengers to Gdynia. Following AIDAprima’s February call, the next cruise call is scheduled for 9 April by AIDADiva.

Currently deployed in the Baltic, North and Norwegian Seas, AIDAprima links Gdynia with ports in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, operating from her homeport of Kiel. In previous seasons she was homeported in Palma de Mallorca in the Balearics, sailing weekly Mediterranean itineraries. The vessel was christened in 2018 in Hamburg during the 827th anniversary celebrations of that port and has since called at ports in France, England and the Netherlands.

Passengers disembarking in Gdynia were welcomed by municipal tourist information officers and invited to participate in centennial celebrations, including a commemorative concert. Jubilee information is also broadcast onboard the vessel.

100 Years of Gdynia

Granted city rights in 1926, Gdynia has transformed within a century from a modest Kashubian fishing settlement into one of the most modern Baltic ports of the interwar period—serving as the maritime gateway of the reborn Polish Republic and a principal naval base. A key advocate of the port and city’s rapid expansion was Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, interwar minister of industry and trade and later deputy prime minister.

Today, Gdynia counts over 240,000 residents and remains Poland’s largest non-voivodeship city. Its maritime identity is reflected in its modernist downtown architecture and its enduring economic and naval functions.

Within the Port of Gdynia operate major shipbuilding and repair facilities, including PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, CRIST, and the Nauta Repair Yard, alongside the Polish Navy’s naval base and dedicated ferry and cruise terminals.

In 2025, the port recorded a historic milestone, surpassing 1 million TEU in container throughput for the first time. Total cargo throughput reached 25.7 million tonnes, down 4.4% year-on-year (26.9 million tonnes in 2024 and 29.4 million tonnes in 2023). The decline was primarily attributed to reduced coal and coke volumes, reflecting broader market and geopolitical conditions rather than infrastructural or operational constraints. Despite lower aggregate tonnage, net profit increased by 2.5% to PLN 142 million.

As in its formative years, Gdynia continues to embody Poland’s maritime and commercial ambitions, with the 2026 cruise season opening symbolically under the centennial banner of a city intrinsically tied to the sea.