The Europa 2, the latest addition to the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet, will take to both new and familiar waters in its second season of operation. In addition to two cruises across the Atlantic with arrivals in New York and Hamburg, the schedule will include new cruising areas in the Caribbean and South America. The new brochure, illustrated with high-resolution photographs of the modern cruise ship, will be available in travel agencies from September 2013 and will offer cruises from April 2014 until April 2015.
An all-round route concept with numerous maiden calls: The new ship, christened in Hamburg in May 2013, will set sail on its second season bound for 167 ports in five regions. These include the eastern and western Mediterranean and Western Europe with Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, North America as well as the Caribbean and South America. The Mediterranean routes are distinguished by their shorter seven-day cruise duration. This route concept unlocks numerous possible combinations – one-week cruises can be combined into one longer, several-week stay on board. Selected cruises with identical or similar routes are offered on a range of dates to allow guests flexibility when planning their holidays. The new four-day short cruises are ideal for people embarking on their first-ever cruise, or who are only looking to indulge in a short break. Four of these cruises sail from Hamburg and Kiel to the Scandinavian capitals of Oslo and Copenhagen, or to Wismar, Bornholm and Usedom.
The Europa 2 in home waters – arrivals in Germany: Since its launch the Europa 2 is expected to return to its home city of Hamburg for the first time on June 7, 2014. The cruise ship will call at this Hanseatic city twice in total.
The Caribbean and South America: Three cruises are offered in the Caribbean and five in South America. The Caribbean lures guests on board the Europa 2 with, destinations including Pink Beach (Barbuda), Grand Turk and Jost Van Dyke (British Virgin Islands). Alternatively, cruisers can circumnavigate South America in 76 days in the luxury ship. The South America combination is especially attractive for anyone wanting to do this. Booking all five cruises and guests receive a free bonus of $6,000 plus an excursion voucher to the value of $2,377. An additional extra: Free use of full laundry service (laundry, dry-cleaning, ironing) during the entire cruise.
Themed cruises: Coordinated to match the school holidays, these cruises offer on-shore and on-board programs – the Steiff bear Captain Knopf will also come along as a mascot. Parent-free children and teens’ excursions are on offer alongside family trips with the parents. Children of all age groups will find their own favorite spot on the Europa 2, be it in the Knopf Club (2-3 years), the Kids’ Club (4-10 years) or the Teens' Club (11-15 years). The 12 family cruises in the 2014/2015 program will sail, for example, from Malta to Piraeus, from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Barcelona and from Miami to Miami.
The Golf & Cruise voyages are suited either to experienced golfers and golfers in the making. Four visits will be organized to the golf courses of Bilbao, Malaga, Casablanca and many more. Each cruise will be accompanied by an experienced golf professional from the Professional Golfers Association of Germany (PGA) who, on request, can train sports enthusiasts both on land and on board. Another PGA golf pro will be on the cruise ship 365 days each year and can also train guests between golf trips. The Europa 2 has two golf simulators where guests can perfect their technique using the integrated video analysis.
The Europa 2 Visits New York and Miami: In Winter 2014 the Europa 2 will be making her first visit to New York City and Miami. She will be docked in NYC on Dec. 4-6, 2014. From New York the Europa 2 will head to the Caribbean, making stops in St. Barts, St. John, Antigua, Antilles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Curacao, and the Bahamas. From the Bahamas, the Europa 2 will make a stop in Miami on Dec. 20 and then head back to the Caribbean for a Christmas cruise.
For more information on Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ exciting destinations and itineraries visit www.hl-cruises.com.