Inauguration of cruise terminal
First cruise ship docks at the new Warnemünde Cruise Center

In Rostock-Warnemünde, one of the most important locations for cruise tourism in the Baltic Sea region, the construction of the new Warnemünde Cruise Center was completed in 2020, but commissioning was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the visit of the MSC Seaview in mid-July 2021, the first ship with passenger changes at the new terminal was welcomed by the port operator and client, Rostock Port GmbH. The cruise ship starts from here on a seven-day Baltic Sea route and comes back the following Friday to Warnemünde, the second port of embarkation and disembarkation besides Kiel.

Inros Lackner, working together with Bastmann + Zavracky BDA Architekten GmbH, was responsible for the demanding new construction project. The terminal is located at cruise berth no. 8, at the distinctive bend in the port’s quay wall where it has become a new landmark of Rostock Port, visible from afar. The desired imposing character of the building, combined with the demanding foundation conditions, resulted in an extraordinary steel structure that presented special challenges for the design team. Due to the exposed location, the wind loads in the immediate vicinity of the coast and due to the position of the ships in relation to the building had to be determined with the aid of tests.

The building houses the terminal’s three main functions of passenger control, baggage handling and office. Outside the cruise season, the terminal building can also be used as a meeting or event location for up to 1,000 people.