About HAM to Cruise Center HafenCity
Cruise Center HafenCity is part of the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier and opened officially in September 2025. It has two berths with shore power and lies within walking distance of the Elbphilharmonie and the Speicherstadt.
The new terminal inside the Überseequartier
Cruise Center HafenCity is part of the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier on the Chicagokai, a short walk from the Elbphilharmonie and the Speicherstadt. It was officially opened in September 2025 and replaced the older temporary terminal nearby. Two berths of about 345 and 230 metres take mid-sized and large ships, and shore power is available. Calls listed for late 2026 include TUI Cruises with Mein Schiff, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Phoenix Reisen, Hurtigruten and P&O Cruises, with the berth assigned per call.
Baakenhöft, old terminal, new terminal: which address?
Search for a cruise terminal in HafenCity and you may still find the name Baakenhöft. That was a planned site at the eastern end of HafenCity, near the Baakenhafen. The terminal was never built there. The new Cruise Center HafenCity went into the southern Überseequartier instead, and the passenger address is on Überseeboulevard. If an older booking or travel blog mentions Baakenhöft, enter Cruise Center HafenCity in the booking form, and your driver heads for the Überseequartier.
From Fuhlsbüttel to the Elbe in about half an hour
The route runs roughly 12 to 15 kilometres south through Alsterdorf and Winterhude, along the Outer Alster and past the Hauptbahnhof or across the Deichtorplatz, then over Willy-Brandt-Straße into HafenCity. Plan 25 to 40 minutes. On weekday peaks, the Deichtorplatz junction and the crossing of Willy-Brandt-Straße are the usual bottlenecks and can add 15 minutes or more.
Saturdays bring a different kind of traffic, because the shopping centre above the terminal draws its own visitors to the same car park entrances.
Where the car stops: level -2
- Entrance Osakaallee – open around the clock and recommended for cruise passengers. The entrance on San Francisco Straße closes at night, on Sundays and on public holidays.
- Short-stop zone on level -2 – marked as the green zone, for dropping off and picking up. From here lifts lead up to the terminal.
- Your bags – large cases go to the luggage acceptance of your cruise line with the tags already attached; keep documents and medication in your hand luggage.
Your driver follows the current signage on the day. If you are picked up here after the cruise, the meeting spot is described in your booking confirmation.
Questions to settle before you book
- Does the luggage fit? – four adults with two cases each need a minivan, not a saloon.
- Is the flight number entered? – then a late landing simply shifts your pick-up.
- Do you know your meeting point at HAM? – see the meeting point page for Terminal 1 and 2.
- Arriving a day early? – compare hotels in HafenCity and Speicherstadt, many within walking distance of the ship.
Hours to spare before boarding?
No other Hamburg terminal is this close to the sights. With the cases checked in, you can walk to the Elbphilharmonie and its Plaza, or into the Speicherstadt. The U4 station Überseequartier is in the same complex, two stops from the Hauptbahnhof. More about the district is on the page HAM to HafenCity, and current terminal information is published by Cruise Gate Hamburg ↗.
Leaving the ship and flying home
For the return, book a ride from Cruise Center HafenCity to HAM and give the ship's name. Morning disembarkation and the shopping centre opening times overlap, so the underground level can be busy. A pick-up about 30 to 45 minutes after your disembarkation slot is a sensible start. All three terminals are compared in the cruise terminal overview.
