New itineraries around the world: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises presents premiere routes for its 2027/28 season

Every year, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises develops new routes around the globe for its five small luxury and expedition ships. With more than 500 different ports of call each year, extraordinary first-time visits and exceptional routes off the beaten track, the company offers cruises that continually offer even seasoned guests fresh perspectives of the world. The 2027/28 season is all about new experiences – from a first-ever winter season in the Indian Ocean to the unique combination of all five Great Lakes in North America with the St Lawrence River as well as in-depth cruises in the Philippines or along the American West Coast. Guests can find an overview of all the premiere cruises at www.hl-cruises.com/premiere-routes.

For more than 135 years, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has been defined by its pioneering spirit. With its premiere routes for the 2027/28 season, the leading provider of luxury and expedition cruises in the German-speaking market is underlining its expertise in route planning as well as its commitment to offering discerning and well-travelled guests new cruise experiences year after year. Whether exclusive first-time calls at ports, extraordinary route combinations or in-depth focus on specific destinations – the cruises of the five small ships combine a spirit of discovery, comfort and thrilling experiences across all seven continents.

New horizons for the luxury fleet

The luxury ships EUROPA and EUROPA 2 will continue to offer exceptional itineraries in the 2027/28 season, combining culture, nature and culinary indulgence at the very highest level. Thanks to their manageable size, both ships will call at ports that are often inaccessible to larger cruise ships – thus continually opening up new perspectives for their guests of both well-known and lesser-known destinations.

Sailing along the American West Coast, the EUROPA will, in February 2027, combine South, Central and North American for the first time on a 29-day cruise with a unique itinerary. The cruise will sail through eight countries – from Valparaiso via Peru and Costa Rica to the spectacular passage under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco – and combine cultural diversity, breathtaking natural beauty and iconic cities in a route combination that is unique to date.

In 2028, guests will be able to explore the Philippines in depth for the first time on two carefully coordinated cruises. A total of 13 calls at ten different ports offer multifaceted insights into the island nation – from the vibrant metropolis of Manila to small islands and bays that invite guests to while away some time and relax, some of which can only be accessed by small ships such as the EUROPA. Combining both cruises allows for a particularly extended exploration of the archipelago’s diversity and also includes a premiere call at Mantigue Island for the EUROPA.

The EUROPA 2 focuses on exceptional destinations as well. A new route through the South Seas takes guests to remote island worlds of Papua New Guinea and Palau for the first time, offering in-depth insights into regions that even seasoned travellers seldom visit. This special itinerary features remote islands, unspoilt cultures and spectacular natural scenery.

With a new route along the coasts of Costa Rica in early 2028, the EUROPA 2 will focus on the extraordinary biodiversity of this Central American country, revealing its scenic and biological diversity in a more diverse way than ever before. Numerous first-time calls – including at Isla Tortuga and Puerto Jimenez – offer a wide range of nature experiences and excursion opportunities, from rainforests and national parks to mangroves and beaches on the Pacific. Rather than merely discovering small areas of Costa Rico, guests will experience the country’s breathtaking diversity in all intensity – from walks on suspension bridges through the rainforest to wildlife spotting in Manuel Antonio National Park, with howler monkeys, iguanas and sloths, to relaxing hours on exotic beaches in an idyllic setting.

Sample cruises

• From Valparaiso to San Francisco, from 17 Feb to 18 Mar 2027 (29 days). Bookable in the SILVER fare from € 12,792 per person, double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/EUR2703 
• From Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong, from 14 Feb to 1 Mar 2028 (16 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 8,220 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 28 Feb 2027), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/EUR2804 
• From Lautoka (Viti Levu/Fiji) to Hong Kong, from 7 Apr to 29 Apr 2027 (22 days). Bookable in the SILVER fare from € 9,990 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 31 Oct 2026), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/EUX2708  
• From/to Panama City, from 7 Jan to 20 Jan 2028 (13 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 9,770 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 28 Feb 2027), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/EUX2801  

Expedition cruises on new discovery routes

The HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit also have exceptional premieres and new route combinations beyond the typical tourist routes in their 2027/28 programme. With a maximum of 230 guests on board, these three state-of-the-art expedition vessels offer in-depth nature experiences and expeditions – made possible only by small ships – thanks to flexible route planning and Zodiac landings.

The 2027/28 winter season marks a special premiere for the HANSEATIC nature. For the first time, it will not be spending the cold months in the polar regions, but will instead set sail for Madagascar, the Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Only small vessels with shallow draughts, such as the HANSEATIC nature, can reach remote islands with strict visitor limits and allow landings on uninhabited atolls. Alongside turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and colourful coral reefs, guests will experience the region’s unique flora and fauna from a wide variety of perspectives – thanks to the guidance of renowned experts during beach visits, guided walks, Zodiac rides and snorkelling tours in small groups.

The polar regions remain at the heart of the expedition programme and are continuously developed in terms of itinerary. For early 2028, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has therefore designed three new compact 14-day cruises that focus entirely on the wildlife paradise of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. These allow for thrilling nature observations in one of the most fascinating regions on Earth, even for guests with limited time.

When the HANSEATIC inspiration heads to the Great Lakes in early summer 2027, it will set new standards with an exceptional itinerary. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is the only cruise operator to combine all five of Great Lakes in North America with a passage through the St Lawrence River in a single cruise. Thanks to its special design featuring retractable bridge wings, the HANSEATIC inspiration can pass through the waterway’s numerous locks, linking major cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Quebec with charming coastal towns and islands. 

In May 2028, the HANSEATIC spirit will embark on another premiere route to the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, where red sandstone coastlines, ancient rock formations, deep gorges and imposing waterfalls such as King George Falls characterise one of the world’s most spectacular yet remote landscapes. Significant rock art created by the Indigenous people and diverse wildlife sightings from the spacious open decks or during Zodiac rides make this hard-to-reach wilderness one of the most extraordinary expedition destinations in the world.

Sample cruises

• From Mauritius to Mahe (Seychelles), from 3 Jan to 15 Jan 2028 (12 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 7,970 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 28 Feb 2027), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/NAT2801 and www.hl-cruises.com/indian-ocean   
• From/to Ushuaia, from 11 Feb to 25 Feb 2028 (14 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 14,220 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 28 Feb 2027), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/INS2803 
• From Halifax to Milwaukee, from 10 Sep to 1 Oct 2027 (21 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 15,490 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 31 Oct 2026), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/INS2731 
• From/to Darwin, from 4 May to 22 May 2028 (18 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 13,240 per person (including early booking discount, valid until 31 May 2027), double occupancy, excluding travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.com/SPI2807