Brussels port activity on the rise

The port of Brussels has seen an uptick in traffic this year, with 59 cruise ships having already docked at the Brussels Cruise Terminal, carrying almost 12,000 passengers in total.

This represents an increase of 12% compared to last year, Bruzz reports, and by the end of the year, the number of cruise ship moorings is expected to reach 93.

The Port of Brussels has had a fully-fledged passenger terminal with a 240-metre-long quay on the left bank of the canal since 2018. Passenger ships can moor at the quay for a day or longer.

This year’s increase comes on the heels of last year’s. More than 73,000 people visited Brussels via the canal in 2024, 43% more than in 2023.

About a third of these visitors were on multi-day cruises in Brussels, with the other two thirds arriving for a day trip, for example with the Waterbus.

The number of day-trippers is, however, down on last year.

“This difference can be partly explained by a fire that broke out on one of the Waterbus ships – as a result, there have been fewer Waterbus departures,” said Ben Dragon, spokesperson for the Port of Brussels, adding that the Waterbus service was also limited for some time due to the financing concerns caused by the absence of a Brussels government.

But the Port of Brussels is seeing an increase in the number of multi-day river cruises again this year. Around this time last year, the total was almost 10,500 passengers on 54 ships. This year, five more ships have already docked in Brussels, representing a total 11,762 passengers.

“At least 93 cruise ships will have docked by the end of this year,” Dragon said.

“We’re seeing more and more cruise ship passengers visiting Brussels. The estimates for 2026 also look good. Almost 100 ships have already been booked for next year.”