The cruise ship Vasco da Gama is calling at Copenhagen today with approximately 350 fully vaccinated passengers, who will therefore have the opportunity to disembark in Copenhagen as the first guests since 2019. 

2020 was a low point for cruise tourism, as the extensive travel restrictions due to the corona pandemic resulted in the port of Copenhagen being empty of cruise ships and therefore of guests going ashore. Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) received just under 935,000 cruise guests in Copenhagen in 2019, a figure that was set to zero last year. This year, Copenhagen has been visited by so-called blue cruises, where passengers have only been able to see the city from the water – that is, without going ashore. 

Therefore, there is great excitement when the Vasco da Gama from the shipping company Mystic Cruises calls at Langelinie today, with only fully vaccinated passengers on board, which makes it possible for guests to go ashore. The ship comes from Kiel in Germany and travels on tomorrow, July 15. The police are conducting an inspection of the ship to ensure that the current guidelines are followed, including the requirement for fully vaccinated passengers. 

”"We have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Even though it is a smaller ship with a limited number of passengers compared to the regular summer calls, I am very pleased that the first cruise guests will have the opportunity to disembark again at Langelinie. We are well prepared and will, in close cooperation with the Police and the industry, ensure a safe implementation of the call. Hopefully, Vasco da Gama will be the first of many ships where passengers can disembark, to the benefit of tourism in Copenhagen," says Henrik Ahlqvist, Sales Director Cruise, Copenhagen Malmö Port.