In short
Kiel suits a week in the Norwegian fjords without flying: about 6–7 hours by train from the Netherlands. Copenhagen gives you more choice — the Baltic, the fjords, Iceland, 10–14-night voyages — and is an hour and a half by air. Both are summer ports, with almost no sailings in winter.
Sailings by month
- Busiest months
- May, Jul, Aug
- Where ships go
- Norwegian fjords
- Usual length
- 6–9 nights
- Round trips
- almost all
Which port suits you
A fjords week, by train
You want a classic 7-night Norwegian fjords cruise, you would rather not fly, and 6–7 hours on the train via Hamburg is fine. Almost every sailing is a round trip, so you come back where you started.
Kiel port guide →More choice, plus a capital city
You are after the Baltic with Stockholm and Tallinn, Iceland or a 10–14-night voyage, and an hour and a half in the air from Amsterdam or Brussels does not put you off. Add a day or two in Copenhagen itself.
Copenhagen port guide →Point by point
| Compared | Kiel | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| From the Netherlands and Belgium | About 6–7 hours by train via Hamburg (8–9 from Belgium), or 6–7 hours by car. Or fly to Hamburg and allow about another 1¼ hours to Kiel | About 1½ hours by air from Amsterdam or Brussels. By train 11–12 hours with a change in Hamburg; by car about 800 km |
| Terminal to town | Ostseekai: about 15 minutes on foot from Kiel Hbf station. Ostuferhafen: across the fjord, 8 km away, by taxi | Oceankaj in Nordhavn: bus and M4 metro, about half an hour to Central Station. Langelinie and Nordre Toldbod are closer to the centre |
| Airport and rail | The nearest big airport is Hamburg: the Kielius bus to Kiel station takes about 1¼ hours. Trains from Hamburg to Kiel run often | The airport is 15 minutes from the centre by metro. Airport to Oceankaj is about 40 minutes by taxi, or metro plus bus |
| Season | April to October, with most sailings from May to September. Almost nothing from November to March | May to September, busiest in July and August, with a few sailings in April and October. Almost nothing in winter |
| Typical routes | Norwegian fjords, 7 nights, almost always round trips. The odd Baltic sailing; one-way voyages south in autumn | Fjords, Baltic, Iceland, Northern Europe — 7 to 14 nights. Some sailings end in a different port |
| Town before and after | A small maritime city: the Kiellinie waterfront, the ferry to Laboe, the Kiel Canal locks. Hamburg is just over an hour away | A capital: Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid, Amalienborg, Tivoli. Worth a day or two of its own |
| Where to stay | For Ostseekai, the centre by the station or Düsternbrook. Kiel Week fills hotels in the last week of June | Nordhavn and Østerbro for Oceankaj, the centre and Nyhavn for sightseeing, Vesterbro if you land late |
How the routes differ
Schedules change every year, but the difference between the two ports holds steady: Kiel is almost all about a week in the fjords, Copenhagen is about choice.
- Kiel: all in on the fjords. A week in western Norway, sometimes calling at Copenhagen or Oslo. Almost every sailing is a round trip — handy if you come by train or car and go home the same way.
- Copenhagen: a wider menu. Besides the fjords there is the Baltic with Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki, Iceland, North Sea ports and the occasional transatlantic crossing. Some sailings are one-way, so check where your cruise ends before you book the journey home.
- Sometimes it is the same route. Some fjords cruises from Kiel call at Copenhagen, and on some of these sailings you can board at either port. Check the embarkation ports for your specific sailing.
- Heading south in autumn. In September and October both ports have one-way voyages to the Mediterranean, and Kiel also to the Canary Islands.
- In winter, look at Hamburg. From November to March almost nothing leaves Kiel or Copenhagen, while Hamburg has week-long cruises all year round.
Even closer to home
Neither flying nor 6–7 hours on the train appeals? Week-long fjords cruises leave from Rotterdam, right in the Netherlands. See all the options in cruises without flying.
Frequently asked questions
Which is closer from the Netherlands, Kiel or Copenhagen?
By air, Copenhagen is quicker: about an hour and a half in the air, then around 40 minutes from the airport to the Oceankaj terminal. Without flying, Kiel is closer: about 6–7 hours by train via Hamburg, against 11–12 hours to Copenhagen.
Can I get to the port without flying?
Yes, and Kiel is the easiest: take the train to Kiel Hbf, and the Ostseekai terminal is about 15 minutes on foot from there. Copenhagen takes 11–12 hours by train with a change in Hamburg, which works best split over two days.
Which port has more choice of routes?
Copenhagen: the fjords, the Baltic, Iceland and North Sea ports, on sailings of 7 to 14 nights or longer. Kiel mainly offers week-long cruises to the Norwegian fjords.
Are there cruises from Kiel and Copenhagen in winter?
Hardly any: at both ports the season runs from spring to autumn, with most sailings in summer. In winter, look at Hamburg, which has week-long cruises to Northern European ports all year round.
How the club fits in
Cruises from Kiel and Copenhagen that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which dates from Kiel and Copenhagen are available in your month.
How booking with points works →
Seasons and destinations are summarised from cruise line schedules for 2026–2027 and may change; check the current itinerary and terminal information before you travel. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.