HAPAG-LLOYD
CRUISES recently has announced plans for two new expedition ships.
by Earl of Cruise
by Earl of Cruise
The new vessels,
which will launch in spring and autumn 2019, will expand the TUI-owned lxury line’s
fleet to a total of five ships.
The new HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES expedition
cruise vessels, above and below © HAPAG-LLOYD
CRUISES
GT/BRZ
Length/Länge
Width/Breite
Draught/Tiefgang
Decks/Passagierdecks
Cabins/Kabinen + Suites/n
Max Passengercapacity/Maximale Passagierkapazität
Crew/Besatzung
high balcony ratio/Hoher Anteil Balkonkabinen
Restaurants
modern fitness and wellness area/Moderner Fitness und Wellnessbereich
Interior Design/Innendesign - Architektenbüro
Oceanarchitects
|
16.100
138 Meter
22 Meter
5,4 Meter
7
120
240 Personen
up to/bis zu 170
3
|
At
present HAPAPG-LLOYD CRUISES has two expedition cruise vessels, the aging BREMEN
1993, ex FRONTIER SPIRIT 1990 and HANSEATIC 1993, ex SOCIETY EXPLORER 1991 (laid
up till ´93), which soon will leave the fleet. Besides the TUI owned cruise
operator is offering the EUROPA and the EUROPA 2. The new ships show quite a
family resemblence, similar as in the automobile industry ...
ms HANSEATIC
1993, ex SOCIETY EXPLORER 1991, owned by billionaire from Hamburg © HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
ms BREMEN
1993, ex FRONTIER SPIRIT 1990, only by HAPAG-LLOYD owned vessel © HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
Both will
have the highest Polar Class designation. Both will be build in Norway at VARD WERFT of VARD HOLDINGS Ltd. a portfolio company of the Italian FINCANTIERI GROUP. This means they can cruise in polar regions,
in the Arctic and Antarctica. One of the ships will serve especially the German
speaking markets only, and the other will be for intenational for German
speaking markets and also the UK, US, Netherlands, and Belgium.
Onboard
zodiacs and a water sports marina will also be a feature on both ships. But a
Marina at the stern, can be critical if a wave is running under vessel and
rising the stern, and then diving back ... Side Marinas would have been a
better solution.
Sebastian
Ebel, member of the executive board of Tui Group in charge of cruises:
“The cruise
business is one of the key elements of Tui’s growth strategy. Our ambitions are
underpinned by our investment in the two new ships for HAPAG-LLOYD
CRUISES. HAPAG-LLOYD
CRUISES’ luxury and expedition cruise segments serve as world-class
benchmarks.”
Karl Pojer,
chief executive of HAPAG-LLOYD
CRUISES:
“HAPAG-Director
Albert Ballin did invent 125 years ago the modern. With our EUROPA and EUROPA 2
we are at best positioned in the luxury market. We are charting the course for
the future. We already operate successfully in our expedition segment, which
offers growth potential for five-star cruises. Our newbuilds will help us to
further develop the expedition segment and offer a modern interpretation. They
will also serve to strengthen our leading position in this market, in
particular at the international level.”
ms
EUROPA, 1999, one of the first mega yacht cruise vessels, when inaugurated a
real benchmark © HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
The
"international level" is the critical point in the HAPAG-LLOYD offer
as it is seen abroad of Germany. For UK customers HAPAPG-LLOYD is seen as
"the German" offer ... It will a challenge getting this prejudice out
of the minds. But elsewhere the HAPAG-LLOYD cruises are seen as this
"German offer" ... If the vessels are still crewed by members which
hardly can speak English, the challenge will be a real big one.
The
real 5star complement of passengers is ending to me at a max of 400 to 420 passengers,
and deserves min a crew/pax ratio of 1:1. Further the cabins should start at a
certain minimum of sqm or sqf. As for the EUROPA and EUROPA 2 it is 27m²/29m²
... And these big staterooms are sold all over the cruise industry as suites,
only for the better service. But a suite is consisting of more than one room -
simple definition. Anything other is a fake created by marketing departments.
ms
EUROPA 2, 2013 © HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES
Compared
to the expedition newbuilds of SCENIC CRUISES and CRYSTAL CRUISES with less or
quite equal passenger numbers, but on bigger ships, the new HAPAG-LLOYD
expedition cruisers with their 240 passengers, to my opinion, are aiming for
the top end of the mass market, but are not 5star.
The days when passenger vessels,
the Tranatlantic liners and "Ships of State" in the golden Era, had
been at the peak are gone. today the 5star offers don´t even meet the land
based hotels in their 5star level.
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