Expeditions with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have always entailed more than just ice, snow and the Northern Lights. For decades, the expedition fleet has been exploring not only the Arctic and the Antarctic, but also tropical and subtropical regions – from the South Seas to the Amazon. New for winter 2027/28, for the first time, is the strategic focus: in addition to its classic Antarctic expeditions, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is specifically focusing on discovery routes in warmer climates in the Indian Ocean, where one of its three expedition ships will sail – with Madagascar and the Seychelles as new expedition highlights (https://www.hl-cruises.com/indian-ocean).
While two ships of the expedition class continue to explore the Antarctic, the HANSEATIC nature will embark on intensive expedition cruises to remote islands, atolls and coasts in the western Indian Ocean during winter 2027/28. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is thus expanding its winter portfolio in the ice with an equivalent expedition domain in warmer climates.
“For us, expeditions are not a question of temperature, but an attitude,” says Isolde Susset, Managing Director Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “For more than 30 years, we have been exploring not only the Earth’s poles, but also tropical regions with our ships in true expedition style. What is new is that we are deliberately positioning these cruises as our own winter focus for the first time. Madagascar and the Seychelles offer ideal conditions for this: great biodiversity, remote regions, strict conservation areas – and exactly the kind of space for discovery for which our expedition fleet is made.”
Polar and tropical: redefining winter expeditions
With the new routing, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is deliberately expanding its winter offering to include another expedition focus. In future, guests will be able to choose between classic Antarctic expeditions and tropical discovery cruises in the Indian Ocean – both with identical expedition standards.
“Many guests have always automatically associated winter expeditions with ice and cold,” says Clas Eckholt, Vice President Commercial TUI Cruises. “This creates an exciting new opportunity for our travel agency partners: we are expanding our offering and enabling our guests to choose between polar and tropic expedition adventures in winter – both challenging, nature-intensive and characterised by our high standards. This significantly expands our winter portfolio and appeals to additional target groups – in line with our DNA and our brand essence.”
Expeditions in warmer climates: experience and new perspectives
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has already gained extensive experience in warm expedition regions during the winter season with the predecessor ships of the current expedition fleet. The HANSEATIC spirit already sailed three winter expeditions to Madagascar in 2022, with two more planned for this year. This experience forms the basis for the new winter focus.
In winter 2027/28, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will bundle this expertise into a clear focus in terms of routes for the very first time: between October 2027 and March 2028, the HANSEATIC nature will set off on a total of ten cruises along the coasts of West Africa, to South Africa, the Seychelles and around Madagascar. The focus will be on expeditions beyond the usual routes and on seeing and learning about the diversity behind the familiar and idyllic dream beach motifs – with Zodiac landings in small groups and in-depth guidance from interdisciplinary teams of experts.
Madagascar and the Seychelles: tropical diversity as an expedition area
The new routes open up two of the world’s most species-rich regions for expedition-style travel. In Madagascar, guests can discover endemic animal species such as lemurs and chameleons, hike in national parks and, accompanied and guided by experts, venture deep into regions that are seldom explored. In the Seychelles, the focus is on remote atolls, UNESCO World Heritage Sites with restricted access such as Aldabra, and untouched lagoons and coral reefs that can only be reached on Zodiac landings. The state-of-the-art HANSEATIC nature with its shallow draught can thus reach islands and coasts that are only accessible with small ships like this. The ship’s own Zodiac fleet on board makes landings in small groups possible, without relying on any local logistical infrastructure. This flexibility in route planning and planning the activities of the day as well as the small number of guests in line with the strict access rules of many destinations enable in-depth experiences of nature while showing the utmost respect for sensitive ecosystems.
“What makes this region special is its sheer diversity – in landscapes, fauna and cultures,” says Susset. “And at the same time, its sensitivity. Our cruises are designed so that we travel in small groups, with plenty of time and great care. For us, that’s the essence of expeditions, in the ice as well as in warmer regions.”
Cruises that can already be booked
The new expeditions in warmer climates are part of the advertised 2027/28 season and are currently available for booking. Highlights include:
- Sample cruise, NAT2725 (8 Dec to 20 Dec 2027): Expedition Seychelles: premiere – a warm winter on tropical islands. Pre-Christmas cruise from Mahe (Seychelles) to Mauritius, with the Inner Islands, St. Francois Atoll and the Aldabra Islands and Farquhar Atoll. Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 9,480 per person, double occupancy, including early booking discount, valid until 31 Jan 2027, and travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: https://www.hl-cruises.com/cruisefinder/nat2725
- Sample cruise, NAT2802 (15 Jan to 30 Jan 2028): Expedition Madagascar: one of evolution’s most beautiful gifts. From Mahe (Seychelles) to Mauritius via Madagascar’s east and north coast, Mayotte and Reunion. Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 11,890 per person, double occupancy, including early booking discount, valid until 28 Feb 2027, and travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: https://www.hl-cruises.com/cruisefinder/nat2802
Further combined routes will sail between Cape Town, the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius until March 2028 (NAT2723 – NAT2725 and NAT2800 – NAT2806).
Those who would like to get a taste of the tropical expedition spirit this winter will have the opportunity to do so in autumn. Two expeditions with the HANSEATIC spirit between November and December 2026 will set the tone for the warm winter focus in the following season and deepen local expertise in the region.
Sample cruise, SPI2623 (15 Nov to 3 December 2026) and SPI2624 (3 Dec to 21 Dec 2026): Expedition Madagascar and South Africa: two wonderful wildernesses. from Cape Town to Mauritius via the west, north and east coast of Madagascar (SPI2624 in reverse order).
- SPI2623: Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 14,500 per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: https://www.hl-cruises.com/cruisefinder/SPI2623
- SPI2624: Bookable in the SILVER fare from € 12,360 per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: https://www.hl-cruises.com/cruisefinder/SPI2624
Small ships – new access to new experiences of nature and culture
The three structurally identical expedition ships HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit are among the most modern of their kind worldwide. With a maximum of 230 guests, the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC6) and exceptionally large open deck areas, they enable intensive observations of the surrounding nature – often even closer to the action than from the bridge. Retractable glass balconies, the deck tour at the bow and plenty of individual space create ideal conditions for experiencing landscapes, wildlife and varying moods of light at first hand.
The “Inspired by nature” design concept also carries the expedition theme into the ship interiors: colours, materials and lines reflect the shapes and structures of the regions visited, creating a conscious connection between the outside world and life on board.
The HanseAtrium and the Ocean Academy are the centres of knowledge transfer. Here, experts prepare content on geology, wildlife, oceanography and culture before the landings and then deepen the experiences in briefings, presentations and personal conversations. Up to 16 interdisciplinary experts accompany each cruise. A total of 17 on-board Zodiacs, a marina at the stern and free snorkelling equipment enable flexible landings and discoveries directly from the ship – even in places where there are no ports.
