Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas isn’t the only new cruise ship making headlines lately. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises just announced the name of its new expedition ships, and Viking River Cruises just launched two vessels of its own.
The new Hapag-Lloyd expedition ships will be named Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration. Built with an identical design, the new ships will have the highest ice class for passenger vessels, as well as two extendible glass balconies and a marina for water sports. The ships will incorporate a number of environmentally friendly features, too, including SCR catalytic converters, hulls optimized for fuel efficiency, electric Zodiacs and cold ironing.
Each ship will accommodate up to 230 passengers, or 199 passengers on Antarctic expeditions. Onboard guess will also be able to enjoy three restaurants, as well as a large wellness and fitness area. The Hanseatic Nature is slated to serve German-speaking markets, while the Hanseatic Inspiration will serve both German-speaking and international markets. The new ships will launch in April and October 2019, respectively.
In river cruise news, Viking River Cruises just launched two new Viking Longships, the Viking Hild and Viking Herja, at a celebration at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Koblenz, Germany.
Bringing Viking’s total fleet of river ships to more than 60, the Viking Hild will sail the Rhine River this spring on the new Paris to the Swiss Alps itinerary. Later this year, both new ships will sail the Danube Waltz and Rhine Getaway itineraries.
The move follows the recent launch of Viking’s third ocean ship, Viking Sky, in February. The company’s fourth ocean ship, Viking Sun, is scheduled to debut in November.