Hapag-Lloyd Cruise Review
Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd operates five ships, including its flagship Europa, often cited as the world’s highest-ranked luxury cruise ship, and the newer Europa 2. In addition, Hapag-Lloyd operates the Hanseatic, Bremen and Columbus 2.
I’ve cruised both Europa and Europa 2. Both ships represent the highest standards in luxury cruising. For North Americans and English-speaking travelers, Europa 2 is likely to be the better choice due to itineraries spanning as few as seven days and a casual on-board ambience that will appeal to many travelers. The itineraries can be combined with no repeating ports for those who want to do longer cruises on Europa 2.
Families are welcomed on Europa 2, and kids have plenty of quality care to keep them busy and happy on their voyages. The older Europa has a stronger German — and formal — ambience than Europa 2, as well as guests who may have less tolerance for children than do guests on Europa 2, many of whom travel on this vessel with their families.
Both ships command among the industry’s highest per diems (as much as 600 euros per person — about $1,600 per day per couple). Alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water and more are not included in the fare, unlike on all other luxury cruise lines. Hapag-Lloyd’s luxury vessels are pricey products, right up there with barge cruises (which can run as much as $2,000 per day per couple – read more about barge cruises on French Country Waterways and European Waterways).
I’ve not cruised Hapag-Lloyd’s expedition vessels, the Hanseatic and Bremen, or the premium ship, Columbus 2, which ceases service for Hapag-Lloyd in April 2014.
My take-away on Europa and Europa 2
I enjoyed the attractiveness of both vessels but especially of Europa 2. It is, along with Seabourn’s Sojourn-class ships, one of the most beautiful vessels afloat and with a higher space-ratio than any other cruise ship.
Staterooms, which Hapag-Lloyd calls suites, are spacious, well-thought out, functional and gorgeous. The use of light woods, attractive fabrics, stylish furniture and thoughtful lighting makes for a pleasant living space. The large balcony with comfortable lounge chairs add to the joy of cruising on Europa 2.
Europa 2 features six restaurants, all without surcharges (unlike a few other luxury lines). Europeans staff the dining rooms (with few exceptions) and most public rooms. Service standards are impeccable.
The spa and fitness centers are among the most attractive — and varied — at sea. Spa services are reasonably priced, and neither it nor the fitness center were ever overly crowded during my two voyages on Europa 2.
Europa 2 does a good job at catering to North American and English-speaking guests. Language and culture should seldom be a problem for anyone cruising this vessel. Shore excursions are handled well and reasonably priced, with plenty of variety. Internet, including WiFi, performed well and was reasonably priced at 19 euro cents per minute. Most would be hard-pressed to exceed 50 euros for internet charges, which would give you just over four hours of connectivity.
Potential drawbacks for some cruises: 1) the cost of the cruise (you could do two luxury cruises for the price on one Hapag-Lloyd cruise); 2) the non-inclusion of soft drinks and bottled water in restaurants (and perhaps the non-inclusion of wine, spirits and beer as well); 3) some small pet peeves such as laundry service requiring two days, even on seven-day cruises; and 4) the European/German ambience for those who don’t mix well with other cultures. Read more in the ship reviews listed below.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Reviews
To read a review of a particular ship, click the link under "Read the Review." If applicable, our Live Voyage Reports offer a day-by-day overview of an actual cruise onboard. In some cases, there may be more than one report, to be sure to see if your favorite destination is represented.Ship Review | Live Voyage Report |
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Europa Review | |
Europa 2 Review | • Greece to Malta • Istanbul to Kusadasi |
Articles About Hapag Lloyd
- Antarctica Cruises: 14 Days & Longer, Our Per Diems Chart (Updated December 2018)
- Expedition Cruising: What Does Ponant Do Differently?
- Antarctica Cruises 2019: What’s Included?
- Antarctica Cruises: The Cost Of Cruising The White Continent, Our Per Diems Chart (Updated October 2018)
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Choose Antwerp For The Naming Of Hanseatic Inspiration
- Getting Inspired By Nature, With The Two New Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Expedition Ships
- The Evolution of Small Ship Luxury Cruising
- New Expedition Ships Coming to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Still Time To Bid Farewell to Hanseatic
- The Bright Future of Expedition Cruising
- The Most Beautiful Accommodations At Sea? Check Out Our New Video Featuring Europa 2’s Suites
- The Avid Cruiser’s Europa 2 Video Review
- Stunning Photos From Sicily: Photographing Europa 2 At Sunset
- A Gin Tasting On Day 4 Of Our Cruise On Europa 2
- A Favorite Of Mine: A Sea Day On Europa 2
- Golden Sunset In Greece On Europa 2
- On ms Europa 2: Day 1, After A Great Night In Athens, We Set Sail From Piraeus
- An Action-Packed Week: New ms Europa 2 Video, Live Voyage Reports From Silver Discoverer Down Under & A New Podcast
- From Australia To Athens To Alaska, Three Live Voyage Reports In May From Silver Discoverer, Europa 2 & Star Princess
- ‘Now For Something Completely Different,’ Five Aspirational Cruises From Berlitz Guide Author Douglas Ward
- Featherweights: Best Small Ships Carrying 600 Or Fewer Passengers
- Is Silversea Becoming An Expedition Company? Plus Windstar’s New Tack & Designed In 2008? Regent’s New Ship
- Europa 2 2014/2015 Brochure Introduces Four-Day Cruises, New Cruising Regions, Themed & Family Cruises
- Worth The Cost? Our Opinion In A New Europa 2 Review
- Updated: Our Luxury Cruise Reviews
- Photo Slideshow: Europa 2 Staterooms & Suites
- Photo Slideshow: Europa 2 Exterior Decks
- Concluding Thoughts About Europa 2, The Newest Ship In The Luxury Segment
- 5 Reasons Why You May Want To Cruise Europa 2, Bonus Europa 2 Video
- Photo Slideshow: Europa 2 Spa & Fitness
- Photo Slideshow: Europa 2’s Inner Beauty
- Five New Photo Slideshows Featuring Europa 2
- Photo Slideshow: Europa 2 Dining & Lounges
- Coming Your Way, Europa 2
- Photo Tour & Five Things I Like About Europa 2
- Seven Reasons Why Europa 2 Can Command The Luxury Cruise Segment’s Highest Prices — For Now
- Photo Tour: EUROPA 2 Restaurants
- Good Morning London! Boarding EUROPA 2, Your Questions Answered
- Boarding Next Week: Hapag-Lloyd’s New EUROPA 2
- The Avid Cruiser’s Top 5 Arctic Cruises
- Avid Cruiser Voyages: Expedition Arctic
- South Sea Expedition with Hapag-Lloyd
- Micronesia: the Next Cruise Discovery?
- Five Reasons Why I Prefer Cruising On Small Ships
- The Caribbean’s Most Up and Coming Cruise Ports
- Who Operates The World’s Best Luxury Cruise Line?
- Update On Hapag-Lloyd’s New Europa 2
- Hapag-Lloyd Cruises To Get A New Europa & Oceania’s Insignia
- The Verdict: Is Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa The World’s Best?
- Snapshots of ms Europa
- Das Boot
- Is Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa The World’s Best Cruise Ship?
- Leaving Helsinki on Hapag Lloyd’s Europa
- Cruise Review: Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa
[…] is also the rarest: an expedition that traverses the Northwest Passage. A few lines (notably, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Quark Expeditions) offer one or two journeys each year, but these trips come with a gigantic […]