Tallinn cafes tailor staffing to rising cruise traffic

Cruise passenger numbers in Tallinn have risen by more than a quarter year on year, and the increase is boosting business for cafes in the city’s Old Town. The figures come from the Port of Tallinn, according to ERR.

The port expects 145 cruise ship calls this year, compared with 100 last year. Port marketing manager Sirle Arro said the growth was driven mainly by American cruise companies returning to the Baltic Sea, alongside an increase in visits by German ships and tourists.

A day alongside for a large cruise ship can bring the port up to 50,000 euros in revenue. Arro said the port charges more for a ship’s first visit, with the fee decreasing as the number of visits increases.

Many cruise passengers have limited time in Tallinn and focus on the Old Town. Hotels see little benefit from their visits, but cafes report a significant boost in turnover.

Kehrwieder cafe owner Vello Leitham said he uses the port’s cruise schedules to plan staff shifts, taking into account ships’ arrival and departure times and their size. A 300-metre ship brings more potential customers than a 100-metre one, he said.

Mai, a salesperson at an Estonian handicrafts shop on Viru Street, said staff also check the publicly available schedules to estimate how many visitors to expect. Leitham said he can identify from the cafe’s hourly sales records when a ship arrived and even when it departed.

Despite the recent growth, Tallinn still receives considerably fewer cruise ships than before the crises, ERR reported.