Riga Passenger Port

Riga Passenger Port.

Riga’s good reputation as the leading port in the Baltic States is most important to this proud city and the many terminals in the port of Riga, serving both passengers and cargo. The Riga Passenger Terminal is one of Riga port’s main service centres and is constantly improving its services.

At present RPP has three piers available for both passenger and Ro-Ro ships: JPS-1, length 132 m and depth 6,0 m; JPS-2, length 217 m and depth 8,0 m; and MK-3, length 240 m and depth 7,8 m. Piers JPS-2 and MK-3 have waiting ramps. RPP has plans to reconstruct the three existing piers and build a fourth one.

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‘Silja Line’ berthing at Riga Passenger Port.

The Passenger Port can accommodate 300-500 passengers at a time, and RPP offers parking space for 100 cargo trailers and 200 private cars.

At present three shipping lines use regular passenger/cargo routes from Riga Passenger Port. The routes are: Riga-Stockholm (Sweden)-Riga three times a week, Riga-Travemunde (Germany)-Riga two times a week, and Riga-Kiel (Germany)-Riga four times a week. RPP is negotiating with Scandinavian and Baltic shipping lines for possibilities of future cooperation and hope to open a route to Sarema Island (Estonia) in summer 1999.

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Riga from ‘bird’s eye view’.

The number of passengers served by Riga Passenger Terminal has increased through 1998 and is estimated to be one hundred thousand. In the first half of 1998 RPP served more passengers than in the entire year of 1997 and three times more than in 1996. Almost two thirds of the passengers are bound for Sweden and Germany by regular routes, the rest came with other cruise liners.

In June of 1998 Riga City Council ratified RPP Development Conception, the reconstruction of two piers, a larger parking lot and the building of a new passenger terminal together with reconstruction of the present one. The proposal also includes building piers for smaller vessels and private yachts. These constructions began in summer of 1998.

The most convenient location of Riga Passenger Port in the Riga Port area has attracted many cruising lines, among them the operators of cruisers such as ‘Kristina Regina’, ‘Delphin’, ‘Astor’ and others. The cruising season is from May till September each year and RPP works closely with the leading local Shipping Agencies, such as Lat-Finn Agency, Latshipagent, Riga Shipping Agency and Hanza Maritime Agency.

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Riga Passenger Port president Zigmars Priede presents the project of the new passenger terminal.

Riga Passenger Port works also with the tourist company Latvia Tours, which organises sightseeing trips for foreign passengers to the most famous tourist attractions in Riga. A considerable increase of cruising ships is estimated in 1999 as several lines have already announced their planned arrivals.

In 1998 Riga Passenger Port joined the international association Cruise Europe, which already has 66 members, and RPP is the first Baltic port to join this association. Information about all the other CE member’s ports is now available at Riga Passenger Port. RPP also recently joined the Latvian-German Trade Association.

Detailed information about Riga Passenger Port is available in international publications, such as the Cruise Industry News and Lloyds Cruise International.

RPP is concentrating its efforts on the realization of its development concept. Plans to develop the new project are progressing, with the ultimate aims of increasing the passenger stream, and providing high quality service.