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| Veranda Suite onboard ‘Europa 2’ |
Upscale clients will soon have a new luxury ship to consider for a cruise vacation. Next month, the 516-passenger, five-star MS Europa 2 will set sail as the newest flagship for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a European cruise line working to attract more English-speaking customers from the U.S., UK, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Nearing completion at the STX France shipyard in Saintt-Nazaire, the 42,830-ton Europa 2 will be christened May 10 in Hamburg, Germany. With a crew of 370, this ship’s passenger-crew ratio is a pampering 1.4 to one. Official languages spoken onboard are English and German.
Hapag-Lloyd’s strategy for growth is to focus solely on luxury and expedition cruising. Europa 2 and MS Europa operate in the five-star luxury arena, while MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen are the line’s expedition vessels. The company also operates Columbus 2, but does not sell that product within North America.
The Insider’s Viewpoint: Travel Agent interviewed Julian Pfitzner, director of product development for Europa 2. He’s the key Hapag-Lloyd point person handling the Europa 2 project.
“The idea of this vessel is classical luxury architecture, but you open the window and you let the fresh air in,” Pfitzner says. What he means is that this ship shakes things up a bit in its design. “Everything that was brass or copper is now stainless steel,” he adds. “Everything which was gold is now silver. Everything that had rounded shapes is now very straight and rectangular.”
Pfitzner also says you won’t find the widespread use of dark woods or marble that characterized luxury of the past, but rather limestone and fresh wall treatments, much as guests would expect to find in a new luxury hotel. More important, he says, guests will discover a significant amount of personal space—both in public areas and in their private accommodations.
On Deck 6, Deck 7 and Deck 8, agents will discover 19 Veranda Suites that can be connected to a neighboring suite for families or couples traveling together. All suites will have two permanently adjoined beds; the sofa can also be converted into a bed and used by a third person. Suites will have flat-screen TVs, portable telephones, a Nespresso machine, mini-bars, personal safe, Internet access via Wi-Fi (for an added fee) and tablet PCs for guest use. “I’m a big believer that people will more and more enjoy their privacy in their suites,” says Pfitzner. “You want to make sure that people really enjoy the architecture of their suites and that they enjoy being in there.”