While ships evolve constantly, berthing velocity curves developed during the 1970s are still embedded in the design of marine structures and associated safety factors have not been verified and validated by measurement campaigns. In this study, field observations of modern seagoing vessels during berthing manoeuvres in Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Wilhelmshaven were used to evaluate safety factors for berthing energy and berthing impact loads. Berthing velocities of several types and categories of vessels at various berths and under different operational conditions were examined, resulting in an increased understanding of the factors influencing berthing energy. Navigation conditions were accounted for by differentiating factors such as vessel characteristics, environmental conditions and the berthing policy. The results show that characteristic values of berthing velocity with a return period of 50 years are in line with design recommendations in the relevant literature. Design values of berthing velocity are quite sensitive to the number of berthing operations during the service life of a marine structure. The measured berthing velocities largely depend on the general berthing policy and local experience of pilots and navigational aids. Due to newly acquired insights, some historically embedded hypotheses will need to be reconsidered. For instance, the assumption that berthing velocities are correlated to the size of large seagoing vessels could not be confirmed. The key findings of this study are useful for the design of new and assessment of existing marine structures. It is highly recommended to update the PIANC 2002 guideline titled ‘Berthing velocities and fender design’ in the upcoming years.