We caught a cab here from the airport because we weren't really sure about public transportation…read moreand it seemed a lot more complicated. Our cab driver knew exactly where to go when we showed him the address and port, so I would suggest just taking a taxi if you are able. We arrived a bit earlier than planned, and we were glad, as there wasn't a large crowd or line at the front entrance. Had we not gotten information from our cruise line, MSC, it may have been a bit confusing. There was one attendant who couldn't really answer any of our questions and only pointed us to bag drop-off. Some of the other passengers spoke English and were able to help us out. Once we checked in our luggage, we headed inside. It's a very large and open area, cold and without much of an atmosphere or view, other than staring straight at the side of the cruise ship. There are washrooms and a small café with minimal snacks for purchase. We weren't really sure what to do from here, so we asked one of the attendants at the counter, who told us they would call our number when it was our turn to board. Other than that, it's really just a waiting game. I would suggest bringing your own water, snacks, a sweater, and something to keep yourself occupied, as well as sitting close to where you get in line. The seats can get pretty uncomfortable after awhile, and you have to pay attention to when they call for boarding, since they weren't using any kind of PA system while we were there.

Not sure what the other reviews say since they're in German, but we had a very pleasant embarkation…read moreand disembarkation at this cruise center. The location is rather difficult to get to via public transportation, but your cruise line probably provides transportation from the airport or the Hamburg Central Train Station for a fee (we paid €10 per cabin to get to the MSC ship but the return trip at end of the cruise was free.)

The best worst-kept secret in Hamburg. Great inexpensive way to get a lovely ride down the Elbe,…read moresights, fresh air, and views of those big beautiful container ships that I love looking at. Even though I mainly froze, I imagine it must be super gorgeous and packed during the summer. Would love to come back and see it all then.

"Hadag" means "The Fish" in Hebrew, but I don't think they had this in mind for these ferries, as…read moresuitable as it might seem. The Hadag ferries take you from place to place along the Hamburg area of the Elbe river, from Landungsbrücken to Ottensen and a little further than that. These ferries are a wonderful way to see some of the harbor for on-a-budget tourists, as they essentially are bus-ships - they cost nothing more than a standard bus ride and make stops up and down the river at stations which are identical to bus stations. Great for sightseeing, but also a wonderfully efficient way to get from place to place along the elbe.

Flixbus, not just cheap prices, cheap everything. I've…read moreridden with them almost half a dozen times now and feel comfortable saying that from the comfort level on bus, to the service desk, you get what you pay for with these guys. It's honestly been a hard call traditionally between these guys and the Bahn, but the bahn has at least tried to make some improvements whereas these guys have only gotten stingier with time.

We were debating whether to take the train or the bus to go from Berlin to Hamburg, the bullet…read moretrain would have cost up yo 115 euros for. 90 min ride Or the bus for 9 euros but it would take 3 hours, it was an easy choice for us. After getting robbed of my Iphone 6, i was very apprehensive about going to the huge hauptbahnhof, a cab ride to the ZBO bus station was quick and dropped right at where the bus was that i needed to take, since my iphone was stolen, I'm on the hotel free iPad, i can't upload any picture, im making n effort to write this review so anybody needing to go from Berlin to Hamburg to take the Cunard transatlantic cruise could benefit from my experience. We took the 10:20 am bus, the rush hours fare would have been much more, like 50 euros? Go figure. I don't speak enough German but my husband did, the bus limited you to 30 kilos, that included 2 suitcases and a handbag, they could charge a lot for overweight. I highly recommended Flixbus for the cheap fare and convenience, w 30 kilos , its almost impossible to take the train, the station has many levels and no porters, nobody to help you. I will upload some pictures when i get back home.