The first cruise ship of the season has arrived at the Port of Riga

Foto: Valdis Skudre | Autors: Liene Ozola | 2025.02.20

This morning, the “Ambience”, a vessel of the British cruise company Ambassador Cruise Line, has arrived at the port of Riga, marking an unusually early start to this year's cruise tourism season.

The cruise ship carrying 1292 passengers, mostly British tourists, arrived in Riga as part of the Baltic Sea winter cruise “Nordic City Escapes”, a 12-day voyage inviting to explore five Scandinavian and Northern European port cities - Skagen, Stockholm, Riga, Klaipeda and Copenhagen.

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The “Ambience” is 245 metres long and 36 metres wide vessel, with 10 decks and 789 passenger cabins with a maximum capacity of 1400 passengers. Her guests can enjoy venues for every mood –restaurants, bars, swimming pools, a spa and fitness centre, as well as a wide range of nightlife and entertainment options. For an authentic British experience, there is a bridge and card room, a crafters studio and Brontë's Library.

Ambassador Cruise Line's flagship has started its “Nordic City Escapes” voyage in London and will finish its route in the UK capital. Having arrived at the Port of Riga from Stockholm she will sail on to Klaipeda tonight. “Ambience” passengers will be provided with a special winter season excursion program to explore Riga.

Until now, it has been customary for cruise ships to be in Riga during the warmer months of the year. Yet, in recent years a new trend has emerged - the active cruise season in the Baltic Sea region is getting longer and, according to industry experts, the most active players in this niche are British cruise companies.

As you might know, 5 cruise ships called Riga last December – it is the highest number of cruise ships to have visited our port over the Christmas period to date. This year's cruise tourism season has started earlier than usual and is expected to close at the end of December 2025. 

“The fact that cruise ships are more often seen in Riga in the so-called low season is the result of our targeted activities. Riga, together with other ports in the region, is actively working to promote the Baltic Sea as a cruise-friendly and attractive destination also during the winter season”, said Ansis Zeltiņš, the Freeport of Riga CEO. He noted that the Port of Riga is an active member of cruise associations, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by participation in international forums and developments. Last year introductory visits to Latvian capital were organized for representatives of leading cruise companies to showcase Riga as an excellent cruise destination, including niche and off-season cruises.

In 2024, the Port of Riga welcomed 66 cruise ships, 4 more than the previous year, and greeted more than 80,000 passengers. For 2025, 81 cruise ship calls to the Port of Riga are being scheduled, 15 more than last year. This season, the expected vessels are larger in both size and passenger capacity, and that means that Riga is probably going to welcome more cruise tourists.