Premiere ports and new destinations
Africa will appear for the first time on the route plan for the EUROPA 2 as a new cruise destination for the coming season. In December 2015 and January 2016, five cruises will sail to East and South Africa. As well as ports such as Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Walvis Bay and Durban, the ship will also call at the beautiful island of Mauritius. In the coming year, the EUROPA 2 will also call at new ports on routes to destinations the ship has visited before: In northern Europe, there will be a visit to Riga, in the Mediterranean, the ship will call at Port Grimaud and Piran for the first time and in Indonesia, guests can look forward to some unforgettable days on Bali. Of course, the EUROPA 2 will also be welcomed once again to her home port in Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city: Five ports of call in the Hanseatic city are planned for spring 2015.
Flexible route planning and attractive combination options
In summer 2015, the EUROPA 2 will cruise on two different routes in the Mediterranean, which can also be combined, however, guests choose. When combining both routes to make a 14-day cruise, guests will not only experience twelve unique Mediterranean ports including Monte Carlo, Bonifacio and Capri, they will also benefit from an attractive reduction of €790 per person (USD1.030/ GBP680). A special combination also makes it possible on Mediterranean cruises to extend one-week cruises by three or four days and to start, or end the cruise in Monte Carlo. In Spring 2015, two and four-day short cruises in Western Europe will act as a 'taster' for guests to get to know the EUROPA 2. Six to twelve-day, or 15 to 20-day cruises are available in the new EUROPA 2 brochure, offering flexible cruise lengths to suit every taste.
Renaming of the Spa and Grand Suites
To coincide with the launch of the new brochure, two types of suite have been given a new name and the inclusive services in these categories have been adapted accordingly. The 52 m² (560 ft²) Spa Suites will now be known as "Grand Ocean Suites". In this category, there will no longer be the privilege of a personal butler, which means that the cruise price will be reduced accordingly. The Grand Suites on decks 8 and 10 will be renamed as "Penthouse Suites" to reflect their location on the upper decks. The cruise price for the Penthouse Suites on deck 10 will increase slightly to reflect this.
One year in operation: the EUROPA 2 - all the promises of a yacht and the serenity of a small resort:
The EUROPA 2, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' latest addition to its fleet of luxury and expedition ships, was launched in May of 2013. A total of 70,000 nautical miles travelled; 30,000 bottles of champagne consumed; a 97% recommendation rate; and 5-stars-plus awarded by Berlitz Cruise Guide 2014 - these are just some of the highlights of the first year with EUROPA 2.
The EUROPA 2 is a modern and casual luxury ship, which does away with cruise traditions such as the captain's dinner, and for the first time has received the highest distinction of a 5-stars-plus ranking from the 2014 "Berlitz Cruise Guide". With up to 500 guests, the EUROPA 2 provides the greatest space per passenger on a cruise ship anywhere in the world. The ship features exclusively suites with verandas and a minimum area of 28 m² (301 ft²) Seven restaurants and six bars are dedicated to serving up culinary diversity and a large spa and fitness area accommodates the well-being trend on cruises. Its flexible route concept will appeal to professionals and families in the luxury sector in particular.
Hamburg, June 2014