The cruise ships dock in the center of Warnemunde and is only 300 meters from the train station and city center. From there on one can travel to Rostock (20 min) and Berlin (a 2 and a half hour trip). The terminal can accommodate 3 cruise liners at a time. If all occupied, ships dock at the main commercial piers of Rostock at Seehafen on the other side of the river.
Ships dock at both Warnemunde and Rostock, just up the river, and most ships run free shuttles between the two ports and Warnemunde town center. In Warnemunde, the docks are located right next to the train station and it’s an easy 10-15-minute walk into town. To travel to Berlin or Potsdam on a day trip, the only feasible option is to pre-book a shore excursion by chartered train or coach, as public transport links can take several hours.
Nearby Rostock still emanates some of its former glories as a major Hanseatic city. Its pedestrianised old town is full of narrow atmospheric streets, cutting between impressive centuries-old buildings. City Hall, in the New Market Place, is particularly impressive, but the 15th century St. Marien Church, with its astronomical clock, is Rostocks true focal point.
While Warnemunde has a handful of attractions dotted along its pretty seafront promenade, the real highlights are in Berlin and it’s easy to cover the principal sights on a day trip. Take a tour of Berlin’s many World War II and Cold War sights, checking off historic landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Quarter and Hitler’s Langemarck Halle, before soaking up the atmosphere of modern Berlin in Potsdamer Platz and checking out the award-winning exhibitions on Museum Island. Don’t forget to take in the views from one of Berlin’s iconic lookout points too – choose from the Olympic Stadium Bell Tower, the futuristic Reichstag observation deck or the 207-meter high TV Tower.
