New terminal for QM2

// Sorry, forgot to mention Hamburg in the subject //

Newspapers announced today that QM2 will be moored at the new Steinwerder terminal instead of the Hafen-City terminal in Hamburg for the next 3 visits this year.

The reason is that there's too much mud at the old pier and QM2 has a too deep draught. The mud can only been brought away in the time from November to March due to environmental issues.

The article in the newspaper stated that passengers will be informed (I hope this is true).

I attached a picture with the old and new location.

More information about the new terminal is available at http://www.cruisegate-hamburg.de/en/content/page-cruise-center-steinwerder

From the new location you have to use a shuttle or a taxi to the city as you have to cross the river Elbe.

If I get new information I will post it here.

Sorry, forgot to mention Hamburg in the subject Newspapers announced today that QM2 will be moored at the new Steinwerder terminal instead of the Hafen-City terminal in Hamburg for the next 3 visits this year. The reason is that there's too much mud at the old pier and QM2 has a too deep draught. The mud can only been brought away in the time from November to March due to environmental issues. The article in the newspaper stated that passengers will be informed (I hope this is true). I attached a picture with the old and new location. From the new location you have to use a shuttle or a taxi to the city as you have to cross the river Elbe. If I get new information I will post it here.

It is a pity as I enjoy the walk into the city centre... and back to QM2, and I know that the population of Hamburg really enjoy having QM2 at the Hafen-City Terminal, but what must be must be (I assume that cruise ships will still use Hafen-City?).

Thank you again.

Hi Peppern,

there will be other ships at the Hafencity-terminal. For the next arrival on Sept. 13 QM2 has exchanged the pier with MSC Splendida.

Maybe you can cross River Elbe through the old tunnel beneath the river, which is not too far away. The tunnel is open for pedestrians in both directions and for cars in one direction before noon and to be he other direction after noon. But I think it might be difficult to find the entrance of the tunnel.

I will be in Hamburg when QM2 arrives the next time and will have a look.

Thanks very much for this info - do you happen to know if it makes a difference to where P&O ships are likely to berth?

I don't really know. From the drought there's no problem for the P&O ships. Even Britannia has not such a deep drought as QM2.

But the Steinwerder terminal is new opened and maybe Hamburg tries to berth more ships there. The terminal is mainly build for Aida and especially for the Aidaprima, which will set sail from Hamburg weekly. But Cunard and P&O also belong to Carnival ...

//....

The article in the newspaper stated that passengers will be informed (I hope this is true).

 

....

I am leaving from Hamburg on a TA on Oct. 20th. Cunard has informed my agent who in turn informed me.

Do we expect that the QMII will be back at the old terminal in 2016? We are on a crossing that leaves Hamburg in late June, 2016.

I really hope that QM2 will be back to the Hafencity-terminal in 2016 as there is a better view to the ship. The article in the newspaper stated that the mud can only removed from November to March. I really hope that this will be done.

I can't post a link to the article, because the article is beyond a paywall.

I hope to wave at you leaving Hamburg from the right terminal.

the Hafen City terminal is kind of a dump ..... it is what looks like a pile of shipping containers

inside was just a long queue and cruise reps working off folding tables ....

it was not an impressive beginning to our first Cunard experience.

We saw the new terminal during a harbor tour and it is a nice modern cruise terminal. I'd suspect most traffic is going to shift there.

Do you know if there are restaurants or anything to see where the ship will now dock?? Going through the tunnel won't work as i'm claustrophobic.

Thanks,

Donna

Just read that there will be a shuttle boat from the new terminal to the fish market across River Elbe from 11 am to 6 pm. I don't know if there are any restaurants in- or outside the terminal, because this is a new developed area. I will go to there on Sept. 13th to have a look. After that I will post my impression.

It is planned to build a new terminal in the Hafencity in the next years. The plans are to build a huge terminal with a hotel and many parking space. I don' t know when the new terminal will be ready.

info about the new terminal

http://www.hamburgcruisecenter.eu/en

The Cruise Centre 3 is built in the port area of Steinwerder, right in the heart of the Port of Hamburg. The berth at Kronprinzkai will be able to accommodate modern cruise liners and since June 2015 the next generation of cruise ships can dock there.

Unlike the existing terminals in Altona and HafenCity the new terminal will have one building for arriving and one building for departing passengers. This is to ensure that the new class of cruise ships with higher passenger-carrying capacity can be serviced fast and efficiently.

A 35.000 m² large area right next to the embarkation and disembarkation buildings will offer sufficient long-term and short-term parking facilities. The plans provide for up to 1,500 parking spaces for private vehicles and more than 20 coach bays as well as taxi passenger drop-off and pick-up points.

The site say the public transportation links are still in planning stage . . . but existing bus stops are near by. It is approx 13km drive (all surface roads or bridges) from the Hafen Terminal.

Hamburg cruise ship schedule http://www.hamburgcruisecenter.eu/en/estimated-ships subject to change I'm sure

We've been on QM2 and arrived in Hamburg the 13th September.

According to Captain Wells, it was the first time that QM2 docked at the Steinwerder Terminal.

Cunard offers bus transfers to Hauptbahnhof (main train station) for US$ 10,-- each prebooked on board.

Though the terminal is good-looking and brand new, there are long ways to go and it's shameful how badly connected the terminal is to the public transportation system.

It seems that the only way to go by public transport is to walk for 1 km and then take the bus which then connects to the HADAG Ferry to Landungsbrücken and Veddel.

Problem is that the Ferry to Hamburg starts sundays at 11:00 which does not help when you leave the ship on a sunday morning at 8:00.

We took a Taxi to the Hafen City Terminal which set us back EUR 22,--.

Hamburg sells itself as bringing "the red carpet to cruising" - well there is a long way until they reach that goal :mad:

Thank you about your report about Steinwerder terminal. I think the big problem for the terminal is that it it was inaugurated not long before QM2 docked and that the infrastructure is not ready at the moment. To dock QM2 there was, because there is too much mud at the Hafencity terminal and the draft QM2 is too high. Due to environmental issues it is only allowed to remove the mud from November to March.

If the new terminal had not been ready the visit of QM2 had to be cancelled or diverted to Cuxhaven or Bremerhaven.

In my opinion QM2 will dock at Steinwerder this year and at Hafencity terminal next year.

There is a way beneath river Elbe not far away from Steinwerder, but as seen yesterday, there are no signs directing to the tunnel. Because of that this is only something for people who know the place.

The Steinwerder Terminal has been frequented by MSC and Aida ships recently - so even if QM2 docked at Hafencity, there would be the need of the Steinwerder location.

If Cunards passengers or other passengers suffer from this bad planning is relatively irrelevent and it is what it is: Bad Planning.

Using the old Elbtunnel would still be 3,6 km to Landungsbrücken and the ongoing renovation works there don't make it a real alternative.