Is it really a new HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES?
by Earl of Cruise
by Earl of Cruise
The inventor of modern cruising HAPAG, by its then Director General, Albert Ballin, and the merged NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD, sailed since as HAPAG-LLOYD KREUZFAHRTEN across the oceans.
The new HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES houseflag and logo - Source: Wikipedia
In January 1891, 125 years ago, it started with the ss AUGUSTA VICTORIA as `Society Voyage´ (Gesellschaftsreise). The `Mediterranean and Orient Voyage´ was a tremendous success for the organizer Albert Ballin and HAPAG, who wanted in winter his vessels of the North Atlantic earning revenues too. The idea has been a pragmatic one, as the flagship of the line spent the winter in lay up.
With the rough weather on the North Atlantic the vessels of all competitors have been booked only half or less. Only the emigrants still crowded the vessels, but not the guests who brought the real money on the ships and in the accounts of the companies.
ss AUGUSTA VICTORIA started the international cruise industry when Albert Ballin send her on the first cruise in 1891
own collection
Various shipping lines offered special fares on their vessels when bookings had been low. They announced these trips onbord their ships as a "pleasure trip". As PENINSULAR & ORIENTAL on their Mediterranean routes. But these offers had been for ships on their regular routings. Even the inventor of group tours THOMAS COOK used the normal shipping lanes for his organized voyages.
John L. Clark send the recently bought ss CEYLON, 2,021t, out of Southamptonin 1881, and to a world tour, but never again after 1883.The ss CEYLON later was bought by the POLYTECHNIC TOURING ASSCIATION, which later became part of the LUNN POLY, and is now - ironically, somehow - part of THOMSON CRUISES, which is a subsidiary of TUI GROUP, who own HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES. Circles close ...
Only marketing genius Ballin took one of his Greyhounds, the new ss AUGUSTA VICTORIA , the epitome of Fin de Siècle luxury, and send her especially fitted out into the Mediterranean. And this in fact is the beginning of modern cruising. His HAPAG sales partners, general sales agents and own representation offices sold this tour nearly worldwide.
With 174 passengers on board, most gentlemen and only few ladies, the ss AUGUSTA VICTORIA set sail for this extraordinary journey. For us today the voyage did cost a furtune. For those who travelled, it was a "haha". Most of the guests have been from Germany, Great Britain and the USA. The gentlemen perhaps made the tour to get rid of their wifes at home ... or the wifes get rid of them. 245 crew member pampered, including Albert Ballin himself, the exclusive group of travellers, which had been full of praize after ...
In 1899 HAPAG went for the first time into the North, Norway. Kaiser Wilhelm II. went there and made Norway a most popular destination - till today.
The ss PRINCESSIN VICTORIA LUISE was lost 1906 on a rock, which raised by an earthquake in 1905. She was replaced by the UNION-CASTLE LINE´s ss OCEANA. This vessel was replaced in 1911 by the rebuild ss DEUTSCHLAND, which then sailed as ss VICTORIA LUISE. In 1905 HAPAG commissioned the ss METEOR, which was the second purpose built cruise vessel. She aimed at the upper middle class, which couldn´t afford the high end luxury prices for the PRINZESSIN.
The ss METEOR was purchased by the BERGEN LINE in 1921. In 1927 BERGEN LINE introduced its ss STELLA POLARIS, another purpose built cruise vessel - the third world wide.
The ss STELLA POLARIS got its gens from the ss METEOR and HAPAG. BERGEN LINE is now FRED. OLSEN CRUISE LINE, and was back in the 70ties one of the original founders of the ROYAL VIKING LINE.
The ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY send its ss CHIMBORAZO and ss GARONNE in 1889 on a cruise. Then a one off. But ORIENT LINES included 1893 the cruises its time schedule. ORIENT later became part of P&O.
After WWI the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD as well HAPAG offered cruises with different vessels. HAPAG did puchase the ss PEER GYNT, ex ss SIERRA SILVADA, and sent her after a further rebuilding on luxury cruises. But too the sister liners ss RELIANCE and ss RESOLUTE, which became internationally known as the "World Cruisers". The LLOYD took the one or the other liner for cruises. So ss BREMEN with RAYMOND WHITCOMB. But it has been the international well renowned ss COLUMBUS which made the LLOYD cruises popular. Especially the US American clientele loved to sail on ss COLUMBUS. The drew back then was caring and spoke English, flewently. And surprisingly American of Jewish believe went anoard after 1933, when Germany was under boycot because of its Nazi gouvernment ...
HAPAG and LLOYD had after WWI no purpose build cruise vessel, as any other line, except the ss STELLA POLARIS of BERGEN LINE.
After WWII the German lines had to rebuild their fleet and have been concentrating on the freight transport. The passenger business was no longer their focus, even if HAMBURG SÜD still carried a number of passengers in first class arrangement, or HAPAG built with LLOYD a series of six combi carriers with accomodation for 80 passengers in first class.
HAPAG´s passenger shipping engagement was reduced to agent duties for the ms ITALIA of HOME LINES. A half hearted cruise experiment was made with the purchase of the ss PATRIA. the vessel was massively rebuild and send on cruises as the ss ARIADNE. It was not a success as freight managers tried to play passenger shipping.
In the same time a new passenger line was established with the aid of Vernicos Eugenides, adopted son of Eugen Eugenides, owner of HOME LINES. Axel Bitsch Christensen formed with investors and state garanteed loans the HAMBURG ATALNTIK LINIE, which became the
The LLOYD remebered its passenger fleet tradition, especially on the prestigeous North Atlantic. They chartered first and then bought the ms GRIPSHOLM, which became the ms BERLIN. In 1957 the LLOYD bought the ss PASTEUR and rebuild her massively into the fith liner to carry the name ss BREMEN. Both liners went in winter on cruises and made again the renowned LLOYD Service popular. In 1966, after the decomission of ms BERLIN, it was the ms KUNGSHOLM which became the new ms EUROPA. Both liners went during the winter on cruising.
With the merger of LLOYD and HAPAG only the ms EUROPA was left. After the bancrupcy of DEUTSCHE ATLANTIK LINIE in 1973 only the ms EUROPA behold the German passenger shipping tradition. She was withdrawn, as prior ss HANSEATIC (2) and ss HAMBURG, from the North Atlantic trade, and was sent on cruises.
1982 saw a new ms EUROPA which hold up the traditional liner atmosphere in cruising. As her predessor she was aiming at the German speaking clientele in prior, but had its international guests. Beside the ms BERLIN, which became `DAS TRAUMSCHIFF´ she caried the German flag across the seas. The ms EUROPA aimed as her forerunner at the luxury clientele.
A task undertaken with the hospitality and food and beverage management by SEACHEF and their mainly non foreign tongue speaking crew.
Both vessels lack the international athmosphere and the LLOYD or HAPAG tradition of service and food quality, as the line is not offering its own product, but that of SEACHEF. They on the other hand claim to act in the grand tradition, but don´t know really about. This allways is the problem when a company is outsourcing parts of its business.
Both vessels fly flags of convinience - the Bahama tax haven. Who may think of Panama ...
Since January, as the owner, TUI GROUP decided to rename their luxury brand into HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES in an attempt to get the international clientele on board. At the same time a new house flag was introduced which was restyled more modern then the antique 70ties appearance and the beginning of cruising `1891´ added.
Karl J. Pojer, chief executive of HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES said: "This year we are very happy to be celebrating the significant anniversary of 125 years of passenger cruising and looking back with pride on the long history of our company. Today, HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES is a leading provider in the luxury and expedition segments in the German-speaking marketplace."
... so will it be then really an international and re-inventeted product then?
I guess not. It will be as allways since 1999, a German product, for German speaking people ...
But it could be a German product, with German ambiance and feeling, but for the international clientele!
When the merger took place, HAPAG dried out the Bremen/Bremerhaven offices and employees. In Hamburg were "reigning" container and freight experts, who did look at passengers, as a number others, as "screaming cargo".
After WWII at HAPAG they lost totally the passenger ambiance. When HAPAG-LLOYD finally became a part of TUI, it was some alien thing to them in Hannover, where they are focussed on the mass market and not the exclusive market. The EUROPA 2 is the idea of the late CEO Ahrens, who was no shipping nor a tourist man ... She is far under the possibilities ... no 5star! But claimed as! When Douglas says ...
If they would have looked from the passenger side into their product they would get rid of seachef, do it on their own, with their own philosophie. They should dig in their history, dust it over, make it it shine anew and contemporary, and not as "me-too". HAPAG-LLOYD could then have a fleet of excellent super 5star vessels sailing over the oceans and not these not even mediocre things ... HAPAG-LLOYD could be at the helm of the luxury cruise and not CRYSTAL ... They had or have it all, but aimless MBA managers. No vision, no idea.
In 1899 HAPAG went for the first time into the North, Norway. Kaiser Wilhelm II. went there and made Norway a most popular destination - till today.
ss PRINZESSIN VICTORIA LUISE, the first purpose built cruise vessel ever
© colouring Daryl LeBlanc
HAPAG´s success in cruising was that encouraging, that Albert Ballin contracted a cruise purpose built vessel. The first cruise vessel ss PRINZESSIN VICTORIA LUISE. 115 years ago HAPAG made the West Indies a cruise destination. The then in the West Indies pioneering QUEBEC STEAMSHIP COMPANY and the British ATLAS LINE have been purchased by HAPAG in 1901.The ss PRINCESSIN VICTORIA LUISE was lost 1906 on a rock, which raised by an earthquake in 1905. She was replaced by the UNION-CASTLE LINE´s ss OCEANA. This vessel was replaced in 1911 by the rebuild ss DEUTSCHLAND, which then sailed as ss VICTORIA LUISE. In 1905 HAPAG commissioned the ss METEOR, which was the second purpose built cruise vessel. She aimed at the upper middle class, which couldn´t afford the high end luxury prices for the PRINZESSIN.
The ss METEOR was purchased by the BERGEN LINE in 1921. In 1927 BERGEN LINE introduced its ss STELLA POLARIS, another purpose built cruise vessel - the third world wide.
The ss STELLA POLARIS got its gens from the ss METEOR and HAPAG. BERGEN LINE is now FRED. OLSEN CRUISE LINE, and was back in the 70ties one of the original founders of the ROYAL VIKING LINE.
The ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY send its ss CHIMBORAZO and ss GARONNE in 1889 on a cruise. Then a one off. But ORIENT LINES included 1893 the cruises its time schedule. ORIENT later became part of P&O.
After WWI the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD as well HAPAG offered cruises with different vessels. HAPAG did puchase the ss PEER GYNT, ex ss SIERRA SILVADA, and sent her after a further rebuilding on luxury cruises. But too the sister liners ss RELIANCE and ss RESOLUTE, which became internationally known as the "World Cruisers". The LLOYD took the one or the other liner for cruises. So ss BREMEN with RAYMOND WHITCOMB. But it has been the international well renowned ss COLUMBUS which made the LLOYD cruises popular. Especially the US American clientele loved to sail on ss COLUMBUS. The drew back then was caring and spoke English, flewently. And surprisingly American of Jewish believe went anoard after 1933, when Germany was under boycot because of its Nazi gouvernment ...
HAPAG and LLOYD had after WWI no purpose build cruise vessel, as any other line, except the ss STELLA POLARIS of BERGEN LINE.
HAPAG cruise poster of 1957, showinig a "restyled" ARIADNE, recalling a poster of the 30ties with ms MILWAUKY on display - Source: courtsey Helmut Cauer (Fernweh auf Schiffsplakaten)
In Hamburg rose a new competitor with the HAMBURG SÜD (Hamburg Südamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft) which offered cruises on their Monte Class vessels.After WWII the German lines had to rebuild their fleet and have been concentrating on the freight transport. The passenger business was no longer their focus, even if HAMBURG SÜD still carried a number of passengers in first class arrangement, or HAPAG built with LLOYD a series of six combi carriers with accomodation for 80 passengers in first class.
HAPAG´s passenger shipping engagement was reduced to agent duties for the ms ITALIA of HOME LINES. A half hearted cruise experiment was made with the purchase of the ss PATRIA. the vessel was massively rebuild and send on cruises as the ss ARIADNE. It was not a success as freight managers tried to play passenger shipping.
In the same time a new passenger line was established with the aid of Vernicos Eugenides, adopted son of Eugen Eugenides, owner of HOME LINES. Axel Bitsch Christensen formed with investors and state garanteed loans the HAMBURG ATALNTIK LINIE, which became the
The LLOYD remebered its passenger fleet tradition, especially on the prestigeous North Atlantic. They chartered first and then bought the ms GRIPSHOLM, which became the ms BERLIN. In 1957 the LLOYD bought the ss PASTEUR and rebuild her massively into the fith liner to carry the name ss BREMEN. Both liners went in winter on cruises and made again the renowned LLOYD Service popular. In 1966, after the decomission of ms BERLIN, it was the ms KUNGSHOLM which became the new ms EUROPA. Both liners went during the winter on cruising.
With the merger of LLOYD and HAPAG only the ms EUROPA was left. After the bancrupcy of DEUTSCHE ATLANTIK LINIE in 1973 only the ms EUROPA behold the German passenger shipping tradition. She was withdrawn, as prior ss HANSEATIC (2) and ss HAMBURG, from the North Atlantic trade, and was sent on cruises.
1982 saw a new ms EUROPA which hold up the traditional liner atmosphere in cruising. As her predessor she was aiming at the German speaking clientele in prior, but had its international guests. Beside the ms BERLIN, which became `DAS TRAUMSCHIFF´ she caried the German flag across the seas. The ms EUROPA aimed as her forerunner at the luxury clientele.
The 5th (ms) EUROPA, build in Germany and sailing under German flag, she then represented the liner oriented cruise experience - Source: Wikipedia
The WÄRTSILÄ build ms EUROPA, the 6th, inaugurated 1999 - Source: HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
When in 1999 the new ms EUROPA was inaugurated the German clientele was shocked by her yacht like appearance. So she was loss making for several years, till she found a new clientele of cruisers. As she was sold with bargains the clientele went from the traditional "old money" to the "new rich" and those "want to be" ... Still a German focussed product. And international bookings declined further. Those who sailed on her have been treated a bit rude as intruders in "a German world".
The STX build ms EUROPA 2 - source HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
When HAPAG-LLOYD introduced its new ms EUROPA 2 - how innovative a name - it was the same precedure as with the original EUROPA. She is sold by bargains to get her clientele. Offers in the international were and are not really fruitful, as the name EUROPA is clued to "a German world". But the new vessel was build for attracting an international clientele. Further a massive effort with naming HAPAG-LLOYD KREUZFAHRTEN ...A task undertaken with the hospitality and food and beverage management by SEACHEF and their mainly non foreign tongue speaking crew.
Both vessels lack the international athmosphere and the LLOYD or HAPAG tradition of service and food quality, as the line is not offering its own product, but that of SEACHEF. They on the other hand claim to act in the grand tradition, but don´t know really about. This allways is the problem when a company is outsourcing parts of its business.
Both vessels fly flags of convinience - the Bahama tax haven. Who may think of Panama ...
Since January, as the owner, TUI GROUP decided to rename their luxury brand into HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES in an attempt to get the international clientele on board. At the same time a new house flag was introduced which was restyled more modern then the antique 70ties appearance and the beginning of cruising `1891´ added.
Karl J. Pojer, chief executive of HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES said: "This year we are very happy to be celebrating the significant anniversary of 125 years of passenger cruising and looking back with pride on the long history of our company. Today, HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES is a leading provider in the luxury and expedition segments in the German-speaking marketplace."
... so will it be then really an international and re-inventeted product then?
I guess not. It will be as allways since 1999, a German product, for German speaking people ...
But it could be a German product, with German ambiance and feeling, but for the international clientele!
When the merger took place, HAPAG dried out the Bremen/Bremerhaven offices and employees. In Hamburg were "reigning" container and freight experts, who did look at passengers, as a number others, as "screaming cargo".
After WWII at HAPAG they lost totally the passenger ambiance. When HAPAG-LLOYD finally became a part of TUI, it was some alien thing to them in Hannover, where they are focussed on the mass market and not the exclusive market. The EUROPA 2 is the idea of the late CEO Ahrens, who was no shipping nor a tourist man ... She is far under the possibilities ... no 5star! But claimed as! When Douglas says ...
If they would have looked from the passenger side into their product they would get rid of seachef, do it on their own, with their own philosophie. They should dig in their history, dust it over, make it it shine anew and contemporary, and not as "me-too". HAPAG-LLOYD could then have a fleet of excellent super 5star vessels sailing over the oceans and not these not even mediocre things ... HAPAG-LLOYD could be at the helm of the luxury cruise and not CRYSTAL ... They had or have it all, but aimless MBA managers. No vision, no idea.
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