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hypercafe
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Ii got interested in this because Oceania leased a ship to them. After looking at the pictures and the videos the Europa 2 looks really nice with a style similar to Oceania. Does anyone have any in site on the product they offer?

Edited by hypercafe
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there is a difference between Europa and Europa 2

Europa is formal and the language is German however there are bilingual cruises : German and English - and everybody on board does speak English and there is always an international hostess

evening gear on gala's is compulsary

Europa 2 is casual ( no tuxedos or ties ) and bilingual with many restaurants , MDR, Italian , French, Oriental, Sushi and Yacht club

the ticket for a cruise is not cheap and it is not all -in ( also mineral water coke juices are charged ) the wine list is superb and reasonable

the same for the barlist including some 30 gins

guests dor drink a lot of champagne , few martini's

to give you an idea : breakfast in the Yacht Club - some 22 different breads, 2 "bread" cheeses , 6 cold cuts , full display of speciality cheeses, home made preserves 4 fresh squeeze juices ...

in the MDR you can ask for steak tartare or gooseliver terrine with orange confit or white sausages with sweet mustard

all cabins - suites - are with balcony , drinks in minibar ( beer and soda's ) are included - all parties are with - real - French champagne

there is no casino and entertainment is very stylish ( during my cruise 3 great classical musiciens )

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Thank you for the info, I have the info from the line and the ship looks great. You are right it is not cheap however it does look to be the ultimate in cruise experience, so much space and a new ship. I was looking at a 14 day trip ending back in NY. Very convenient.

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i was considering that cruise as well however - as a single - i found it too expensive for Caribbean ( must add a business ticket as well )

some other details : late breakfast is served until 11.30 in Sansibar

every evening in Yacht Club there is cold lobster and crab

every day for dinner in the MDR a fresh sorbet topped with wodka or champagne

maybe for US passengers the steaks are not big enough...;)

bathroom amenities specially made for europa 2 with logo "2"

for lunch daily very special Italian and Spanish hams and salami's

i participated in a special dinner with 6 different champagnes - additional charge was 100 €

currency on board is euro

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I do not like to fly so living in NY it is very good. I do not speak much German at this point. My grandparents did in the home but that was 60 years ago, would that be a problem? It is great to hear from you as their is little info on this trip. Thanks

 

Tom

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i am lucky i do speak german - in belgium we are forced to learn up to 4 languages

as soon as you board the international hostess will meet you and then you can tell that you want all info - daily programm menu's etc in english

everybody does speak english

when the team on board is aware they will speak english to you

you are welcomed with french champagne

in the suite there - depending on the degree - is half a bottle ( or a full ) of champagne , strawberries some petits fours and fruit - in top degrees also canapes with caviar and gooseliver

embarkation is always at 4 PM on all Hapag ships

most of the time the company does organise a lounge in a "better" hotel where you can drop the luggage and sit with light refreshments - usually open as from 11 AM

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We just got back from a 14 day cruse around Thailand on Europa 2. We don't speak any German and managed pretty well. The lectures were done in both English and German. Most of the entertainment was fine - just one night there was a German comedian which we didn't attend.

Some of the tours were promised in English but ended up being in German, which was a little difficult. All the menus were all translated and the staff all spoke English.

We were disappointed that the cooking school was only conducted in German and not even mentioned in the English program.

There were only maybe 10-15 English speakers on the ship, but a lot of the German passengers would converse in English.

The ship is beautiful. The best thing about it is the open space everywhere. The food was very good and the wine list interesting. The drinks aren't included but the price for drinks and wines was very reasonable. We would definitely cruise on Europa 2 again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
it looks like we will be going on the NY to Miami December 6 to20. Is was much less than the reverse trip in the spring with the same ports.

 

i am going back to the "2" for Athens - Larnaca in Oktober despite Cyprus is a nightmare for flights to Belgium.

Despite i like Hapag extremely i found the Caribbean too much $$$

however i must confess that i am just back from Riviera and not so happy:(...but looking forward;) to the original Europa in May.

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After looking at the pictures and the videos the Europa 2 looks really nice with a style similar to Oceania. Does anyone have any in site on the product they offer?

 

There's a thread about this ship :

it's under heading "Special Interest Cruising", then in "Luxury Cruising".

(Odd that the CruiseCritic board organisers haven't given the top-rated cruise ship, for 14 years, (well .... Europa) an entry in the "Cruise Lines A-O" section :confused: ).

 

Perhaps you might find some useful info in that area also.

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she - "europa 2" really IS the ultimate in luxury

i saw so many changes on luxurious ships, remember Vistafjord and Sagaford , grill degree on QE2 , Royal Viking, SS, SB unfortunately also Crystal after all in ...

despite it is casual it is "cruising the good old style "

the original Europa is the older formal edition ;)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
My TA has been advised by Hapag-Lloyd that in 2015 there will be no 'International' cruises on the MS Europa.

 

Has anyone been on the MS Europa for the Ocean Sun Music Festival?

 

that is true : as from 2015 Europa will be one language operated and Europa 2 bilingual

i never was on that festival however the classical musicians are always very good on Hapag Lloyds ships

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that is true : as from 2015 Europa will be one language operated and Europa 2 bilingual

i never was on that festival however the classical musicians are always very good on Hapag Lloyds ships

 

I e-mailed Hapag-Lloyd to comment that due to the unique nature of the Stella Maris Singing Competition, and the Ocean Sun Music Festival, the relevant cruises should be made International.

 

The reply I received advised that in 2015 non German speaking passengers on the MS Europa would receive in English menu cards, the daily programme, and travel documents.

 

Announcements, and details of artists would be in German.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You are right the cost is VERY high. We booked a trip in December NY to Miami, the price was ok however other trips I have seen are high. We will see if it worth it. I wonder if the ship sales full? The problem they will have here in the US is it is not all inclusive. At their price point I would expect to have in the least all non booze drinks included. To pay 700+pp per day and then have to pay for a soda sounds strange. We will see.

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Hapag Lloyd has a daily Easter special at the moment. Today the prices for several Europa 2 cruises are reduced by nearly a third. You'll get a voucher so you don't have to decide right away whether to use the special.

 

I don't mind that HL does not include alcohol but free water would be nice (totally against German tradition though). But the minibar is free as are tea/coffee and ice tea. And prices for alcohol are very reasonable.

Edited by cathaana
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it is true the majority of passengers on Europa and Europa 2 are opposing an all inclusive however the free water seems to be a discussion as well...

with such a wine list at very friendly prices I simply not intend to drink an eventual free wine.

probably i will upset a few people but on Crystal a lot of niceties are sacrificed for the free drinks and wine - ranging from a chocolate in the evening over premium canapes on parties to a gala buffet on longer cruises ... on SS, Crystal and SB i left tables because other guests were making unkind comments about my choice from the list :rolleyes: - and for sure I was not buying the first growths...

contrarely to Crystal where a lot of cocktails and martini's are served the vast majority on the 2 Hapag ships does drink French Champagne or "hyper traditionals" whisky soda, gin tonic , vermouth on ice , dry sherry...

and on the drinks and wines on Hapag there is no 12 or 15 or 18 % gratuity as on most of the four starred lines ...

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