My Hapag Lloyd adventure – overview of Europa 2
Europa 2 is the fifth ship in Hapag Lloyds fleet and the first one they have sold to the international market, with the exception of about 6 cruises per year on their expedition ships. She is 40,000 tonnes, carries 516 passengers and is reputed to be ‘the most luxurious ship in the world’.
The ship itself offers understated luxury, she offers subtlety and class, and is stunning in all the right places. She is a ship on which you can relax as she never feels crowded.
The ship itself offers understated luxury, she offers subtlety and class, and is stunning in all the right places. She is a ship on which you can relax as she never feels crowded.
The attention to detail is second to none – so much thought has gone into this ship, its design and its features that she just blows you away, but does so very gently. I quote from one of my posts from the ship – “when quality speaks this loudly, it does not need to shout”.
Europa 2 has six restaurants – a main dining room, Italian, French, Sushi, buffet style, and Asian. She has wonderful bars, from the Jazz Club to Sansibar situated at the rear of the ship and leading onto the open deck, she has a cigar lounge, a cinema, a theatre, a gym, a spa, a pool, jaquzzis, a piano bar, and a pool bar. She has fabulous kids facilities too.
There is ample deck space for everyone, and more. There are enough sun loungers for at least one per guest! The pool bar stewards will bring round ‘temptations’ while you are relaxing around the pool and there is also the waffle station for those requiring extra sustenance! Time spent around the pool is very tranquil as there is no background music. The only time is it busier is between 4 – 5pm when there is kids pool time but it is not an issue really. You could always retire to a day bed on the upper deck at this point. Referring to the quality again – the deck, the pillar and the bar stools are all solid wood.
Cabins are spacious, all have balconies, the ‘smallest’ being the Ocean Suite or Verandah Suite at 35 sq m, Grand Suites and Spa Suites are 52 sq m, the Penthouse is 88 sq m and the Owners Suite is 114 sq m. In addition, there are Adapted Cabins at 42 sq m and family friendly suites which are two linked cabins each measuring 27 sq m. Penthouses and above have butler service.
Dining times are open, buffet style in Yacht Club, which like Sansibar opens into the open air at the rear of the ship – a fantastic setting! Reservations can be made for the speciality restaurants for which there is no charge.
Dress code is casual and relaxed during the day and elegant casual in the evening – not a dickie bow in sight! Some of the ladies had their lovely cocktail dresses on, some chose something more casual but not shorts and t-shirts. On the final night of the cruise I would say everyone wore their ‘best’ elegant casual.
Being small, the ship is very easy to find your way around, even I did not get lost! There are forward and aft lifts, and it takes no time at all to get from A to B. The only time you have to climb the stairs is to get onto the very upper sun deck.
Food is of the highest quality in all restaurants, probably the best I have ever eaten at sea. A nice touch in Yacht Club is the ‘grill’ which serves as an egg station at breakfast and for the remainder of the day will freshly cook a selection of meats and fish to order.
Now for the service, something that I know is important to those of you who enjoy 6* cruising. You may find it a little different on Europa 2 as it is slightly less formal than on the traditional 6* cruise lines. It is more informal and friendly, and just very occasionally little things that you expect may be do not happen. They do not necessarily serve the ladies first, they may not always serve from the right, in the buffet restaurant while you are getting you next course they will clear your used crockery and cutlery but not replace your cutlery – little things that you would normally expect. To be honest, none of this was an issue for me but I thought it worth a mention as it might be more important to some of you.
As well as branching out into the international market, Hapag Lloyd have gone for the double whammy on this ship as she is family friendly, a first for them. As I mentioned, the kids clubs are extremely well equipped and the kids well looked after. When I was on board, of the 300+ guests 65 were under the age of 15 and to be honest you would not have noticed. Kids travel free up to the age of 15 at peak holiday times, and at other times they are free up to the age of 11 and just 50 euro per day for the older ones.
At the moment Europa 2 is not all inclusive, gratuities are not expected at all, but you will need to pay for drinks and excursions. This certainly makes her more expensive than the likes of Crystal, Regent and Silversea. This is the way Hapag Lloyd have always worked, however, they are listening to feedback and are aware that to succeed in the international market they need to be competitive so watch this space. Just a point of note – drinks are not expensive, a glass of white wine cost me 3.10 euro.
Announcements are kept to a minimum so as not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, and are made in German and English. From 2014 all excursions will also be in both languages, and menus etc are already in both languages.
My honest opinion? I absolutely loved her and would sail again with her without hesitation. She truly deserves the tag ‘most luxurious ship in the world’. She is German, not British or American, so you will not get the ‘traditional’ British feel you might be used to on board, but hey, “when in Rome”!
Hapag Lloyd certainly know how to ‘do’ quality while maintaining elegance and good taste – no garish bling! Their quiet confidence tells us that they know they have achieved this with Europa 2 and I am right there with them.
If I have missed anything or there is something specific you would like to know, please ask by calling me on 0800 408 6084 or email me at [email protected]
About Me
I've been a Cruise Consultant for a number of years now and I can honestly say that it is just the best job ever. No two days are the same. I have got to know some fantastic people through the course of my job, both in the industry and clients,…
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