Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is today one of Germany’s foremost providers of premium, luxury and expedition cruises. It is a company where progress is something traditional. After all it was Hapag director Albert Ballin who “invented“ the cruise in 1890. He was the first person to have the idea of despatching a passenger ship on “excursion” to sunny climes during the winter months when the transatlantic liner service was slack. A sea voyage as sheer pleasure? Ballin’s idea gained acceptance. The first vessel that was despatched on a “pleasure voyage” to the Mediterranean and the Orient in January 1901 was the “Auguste Victoria”. Her interior was celebrated as being “Rococo afloat”. Even if the ambience on board has changed decisively over the past century, the principle has remained the same, to use a ship as a “floating hotel” to convey clients to the loveliest places on earth.

Today, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers four ships with their own unique character, hundreds of destinations, on-board and on land programs, attractive travel combinations, short trips to get a feel for what’s offered and long passages for travel enthusiasts.
The EUROPA, the only cruise ship to be awarded for the tenth consecutive year a rating of 5-stars plus by the Berlitz Cruise Guide from 2001 to 2010, offers pure luxury, while the HANSEATIC and the BREMEN set off on a course of discovery to explore the secrets of nature and culture. A voyage on the COLUMBUS concentrates on relaxation and enjoyment.
 

Cruise Destinations

Worldwide destinations
Destinations for 2010/11/12 will be:
Asia (Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Cambodia), Great Britain, Persian Gulf, Australia, New Zealand/New Caledonia/Fiji, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Arctic (Greenland, Canada, Iceland, Spitsbergen, Norway, Alaska/Chukotka Peninsula), Newfoundland/Kamchatka, Antarctica, Amazon, Northwest Passage, Indian Ocean, South Seas, Java/Borneo, Azores, Great Lakes/USA
 

Cruise Season

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises cruises year-round the whole world with world tours (EUROPA November - April, COLUMBUS November - May) and special seasonal Arctic (June - September) and Antarctic (December - March) departures with MS HANSEATIC and MS BREMEN.

Cruise Fleet

Cruise Fleet
4 ships – 2 classical cruise ships (408 and 420 guests), 2 expedition ships (184 and 184 guests)
MS EUROPA – 5-star-plus, awarded world’s best cruise ship by Berlitz Cruise Guide 2010
MS COLUMBUS – 3-star-plus
MS HANSEATIC – 5-star, the only Berlitz Cruise Guide 2010 rated 5-star expedition ship
MS BREMEN – 4-star
MS EUROPA: 5-stars-plus
 

The EUROPA, the flagship of the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet, is considered by many to be the world’s finest yacht. In 2010, for the tenth year running, it is again placed top by the prestigious Berlitz Cruise Guide. On it, a maximum of 408 passengers travel in exclusive comfort. Spaciously laid out, the service is first-class. There are four restaurants, a fitness loft with sea view, a large swimming pool and a practice area for golfers. The four exclusive SPA suites are new. They offer exclusive and quite private wellness oases on the high seas including an illuminated whirl tub with ocean view, a rain shower with lateral jets and scent lamps filled with essential oils. This gives guests a spa holiday within their own four walls. In the adjoining OCEAN SPA, a new lighting concept, Asian designs and wall mosaics now exude a relaxing atmosphere. Prominent experts accompany theme cruises to talk on culinary delights, music, gardening and culture.
 

MS HANSEATIC: 5-stars
The HANSEATIC, according to Berlitz Cruise Guide, is the world’s only 5-star expedition ship. It combines the adventure of global expedition and study cruises with first-class comfort: spacious cabins with Internet connection, gourmet cuisine and fitness area offer relaxation and enjoyment. The highest ice class gives the maximum of 184 passengers the opportunity to travel to remote destinations in polar waters or in the South Seas. Its shallow draft means it can also sail on rivers like the Amazon. Trips with the ship’s own Zodiac inflatables, talks and recaps about the destinations by lecturers are among the highlights of the programme. Those top-flight experts accompany the cruises to deliver spellbinding background information.
 

MS BREMEN: 4-stars
The BREMEN, too, is all about expedition cruises. Bearing the highest ice class, it travels through polar waters and exotic regions, offering excursions with a study character. Its shallow draft means it can visit the smallest ports, bays and rivers. Destinations range from the Polar Regions, Kamchatka, island paradises in the South Seas and Micronesia as well as the Amazon. Guests travel in a select group of a maximum of 164 passengers. The service on board is attentive and friendly, the atmosphere is informal and cosy. Experts accompanying the cruises and the zodiac excursions provide in-depth knowledge about the spectacular natural phenomena along the way.
 

MS COLUMBUS: 3-stars-plus
With the relaxed atmosphere and sporty dress code on board the COLUMBUS is the ideal ship for those embarking on their first cruise. The on-board programme features the latest equipment - Internet and free e-mail access, top-quality fitness equipment, sauna and swimming pool – and an active programme and musical entertainment till late at night. Whether the à la carte menu or the buffet – the cuisine in the two restaurants is consistently excellent and is varied by the addition of a never-ending succession of local specialties. The 3-stars-plus ship in the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet, built in 1997, has room for 420 passengers. It sails to more than 200 ports on five continents every year