What’s the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises difference? It’s the perfect mix of past and future: 130+ years of experience in luxury and expedition cruising, paired with “the creation of unique itineraries over carefully gathered insider tips, outstanding service excellence, and sustainable expedition planning,” says Jan Viebrock, Senior International Sales Manager, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in this edition of Take 5.
1. For any Canadian travel advisors unfamiliar with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, what do you want them to know?
“Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is the only cruise line in the world awarded with the highest rating of five stars for all ships in its fleet by Insight Guides 2025 (formerly Berlitz Cruise Guide). Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is considered one of the leading cruise brands in the luxury and expedition sector.
“The ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises are small, individual and outstanding in their class: the luxury ships EUROPA and EUROPA 2 are complemented by the state-of-the-art expedition class consisting of HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit. Both the EUROPA 2 and the HANSEATIC inspiration are bilingual vessels. Both English and German are spoken onboard.
“We cruise to destinations unknown to many, unreachable to others with service levels second to none. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises stands for unforgettable experiences with all the senses!”
2. What makes Hapag-Lloyd special? What’s the ‘Hapag-Lloyd Cruises difference’?
“Over 130 years of experience in luxury and expedition cruising with modern impulses make the difference. This experience is reflected in everything we do: from the creation of unique itineraries over carefully gathered insider tips to outstanding service excellence and sustainable expedition planning.
“This, added to the size of our vessels and the specialization in ultra luxury and expedition cruising, has allowed us to reach most ports in the world, among them quite a few destinations most cruise lines can’t reach. Deep in the Antarctic or far up the Amazon, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises caters to the most discerning travellers’ needs. Unique discoveries in destination, highest culinary levels on board, paired with unrivalled experience in cruising and service alike.”
3. What can you tell us about Hapag-Lloyd Cruises‘ fleet?
“All five ships have been awarded the highest five-star ranking. Our luxury fleet with MS EUROPA 2 and MS EUROPA is ranked as the top of the industry (Insight Guides 2025). The MS EUROPA 2 is a bilingual ship (English / German) catering to the international traveller and travelling to the most exquisite destinations while maintaining the highest culinary standards in a suites-only approach (all sea view) with the highest deck space per passenger of any cruise ship worldwide. The three expedition ships HANSEATIC inspiration, HANSEATIC spirit and HANSEATIC nature take adventurers deep into nature’s wonders.
“Our expedition fleet comes with decades of experience in expedition cruising, offering once in a lifetime experience for modern explorers and adventurers alike.”
4. What should Canadian travel advisors know about the cruise line’s routes?
“Be it cruising from Ushuaia to Auckland semi-circling the Antarctic, travelling from Belem to Iquitos deep into the Brazilian jungle, docking at one of the small local Japanese ports or stopping alongside a deserted tropical island for a beach barbeque, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ routing offers access to those bucket list destinations many others can never reach.
“We visit every continent, dock in the most prominent spots and access areas inaccessible for larger ships. From classic luxury in the Mediterranean, expeditions at the poles, navigating the big lakes in North America or cruising the legendary North-West Passage and many other unique destinations, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises stands for a unique choice of destinations. Our itineraries have been awarded on several occasions, e.g. as ‘Expedition Cruise Initiative of the Year’ for the innovative route to Swedish and Finnish Lapland at the Seatrade Cruise Med awards in 2022.”
5. Is the North American market an important one for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, and what’s your strategy / approach for the Canadian market specifically?
“The North American market is one of the most important international markets for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
“With a rapid growth in demand, both from customer and retail side we put strong emphasis on nourishing our existing partner network while continuing to grow new partnerships.
“Ship visits are being planned for main ports and we do reach out to selected travel agents to participate in fam trips to experience our brand.
“If you focus on luxury and or expedition cruising, please do reach out to us – we would love to get to know you and discuss a joint approach on how to make your customers live the unforgettable Hapag-Lloyd Cruises experience first hand!”
More information about Hapag-Lloyd Cruises can be found here
