Hamburg, 10 September 2019

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to hold naming ceremony for the HANSEATIC inspiration in Hamburg

  • The second new ship of the new expedition class will be named in the Port of Hamburg on 11 October 2019
  • Exceptional naming ceremony in true expedition style
  • TUI Group is highlighting growth strategy in cruise business with the three new expedition ships

The HANSEATIC inspiration, which is the second of the three new expedition ships from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, will be named on Friday 11 October 2019 with an exceptional ceremony in true expedition style at Uberseebrucke in the Port of Hamburg. The invited guests will watch the naming ceremony of the small expedition ship from the water.

The new expedition class, which consists of three structurally identical ships designed for a maximum of 230 passengers, is being financed by an investment from the parent TUI Group. The entire Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet is therefore the property of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and the TUI Group. The investment highlights the strategy of the global TUI Group, which is focused on its cruise business. The Group is investing in its cruise portfolio and is expanding, modernising and rejuvenating the fleet. Additional new ships will be added to the overall fleet in the coming years.

“Our ships may travel all over the world, but Hamburg is and will remain our home port. It is therefore a very special occasion for us to be naming the HANSEATIC inspiration against the fantastic backdrop of the Port of Hamburg,” said Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has organised a special ceremony for the naming of the HANSEATIC inspiration. The invited guests will watch the naming ceremony live from Zodiacs. Launches will be available for those who find the expedition rubber boats a little on the adventurous side. Further details of the naming ceremony are being kept as a surprise for the invited guests. “Of course, we want to surprise our guests. But one thing they can be sure of is that it will be a very special ceremony and we are looking forward to enjoying it with our evening guests and the crew,” added Karl J. Pojer.

On 14 October, HANSEATIC inspiration Captain Ulf Wolter will welcome guests aboard the sold-out maiden voyage in Antwerp and set sail with them on a 15-day sailing: The Channel Island of Guernsey, Islas Cies in Spain, Portimao in the Algarve, Casablanca and Madeira are just some of the nine ports of call on this cruise, which ends in Tenerife.

The HANSEATIC inspiration offers 5-star service with around 175 crew members looking after a maximum of 230 guests – or just 199 guests on Antarctic cruises and circumnavigations of Spitsbergen. The ship has the highest ice class for passenger ships and is fitted with cutting-edge equipment and environmental technology such as cold ironing and an SCR catalytic converter. From July 2020, the entire Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expedition fleet will use low-pollutant marine gas oil fuel on all routes. You can find more information about Hapag-Lloyd Cruises at www.hl-cruises.com – New press releases and image material are available at www.hl-cruises.com/press – EXPERIENCE.tv at www.hl-cruises.com/experiencetv – Hapag-Lloyd Cruises blog at www.hl-cruises.de/blog.

For more information on Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ exciting destinations and itineraries, visit www.hl-cruises.com. All press releases and a picture gallery can be found at www.hl-cruises.com/press.

About Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

In the German-speaking area, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is known to be the leading cruise brand in the luxury and expedition sector. Small, individual, and outstanding in their class: the fleet includes the world's best luxury ships. the EUROPA and the EUROPA 2, which are the only ships to be awarded the top rating of 5-star plus by the Berlitz Cruise Guide, as well as the HANSEATIC nature and the HANSEATIC inspiration, the first two of the new expedition class which consists of three ships. The new HANSEATIC spirit completed the fleet, when she joined in summer 2021, and continues the modernization process of the expedition fleet. The adventure trips on the luxurious ALBERT BALLIN private jet, a particularly exclusive type of travel, complements the portfolio.