Hapag-LLoyd Europa 2.

[Floridiana]

It certainly does not appear to be the custom to share a table with strangers, as on occasions I have been shown to a table for four from which the other place settings have been instantly removed.

 

In German restaurants on land, sharing table is done if there are no other open seats available. It doesn't mean that the strangers then start a conversation that goes beyond hello, guten Appetit, and good bye ;-)

[Catlover54]

If I may ask those who have cruised with HL willing to discuss, how did you handle the tipping policy?

 

The stated written tipping policy on the E2 when I was on Cape Town to Cape Town recently, was that service other than in the spas and on excursions was all included and tipping was not expected, but welcome. This is a bit different from the English language luxury lines SB, SS and Regent I have been on where it was stated that all service ( other than spa and excursions) is included and tipping is neither required nor expected ( i.e., no language about being welcomed)

 

We all know that talking about tipping on SB, SS or Regent forums brings out strong opinions on both sides, but they have different stated policies than HL.

 

I mentioned in my review that I liked the fun crew auction they had at the end of the cruise, to raise money for all the excellent crew, seen and unseen. But I also opted at the end of the cruise to leave extra what I thought were modest amounts in envelopes for our excellent butler and stewardesses ($300 for the butler and 50 each for the ladies on this 15 day cruise, as tips are "welcomed", though no one ever stood with hands out or hinted at tips. I was worried I had not left an appropriate amount but based on the butler's enthusiastic thanks when I was leaving, I thought maybe that most pax leave nothing and my tip was an outlier even though I was in a PH suite where you would think pax could afford a little extra. I have no regrets, but was surprised at the reaction to such a small per diem. Likely well-off cruising Germans do not tip extra if they do not have to anymore than they do in German restaurants where tax and service are pre-charged on your bills.

[English Voyager]

Although I have never noticed any indication from staff that they had an expectation of being tipped, I must admit that I have always tipped, in Euros, my stateroom stewardesses, and the wait staff, and wine stewardess, in the section of the Weltmeere in which I regularly sat.

 

Are the auctions for the crew a regular feature?

 

I don't recollect any being held during my European cruises.

[vistaman]

i always do give gratuities on the Europa and the Europa 2 for sure to the stewardess

on longer cruises you can buy a kind of " lottery" for 3 prices on ms Europa 2

 

on the ms Europa there are auctions for charities ( example to support medical care in Myanmar ) and you can contribute to the wellfare for the crew

 

actually in Germany in bars and resto's i did notice a lot of extra tipping

[cathaana]

There is absolutely no tipping required (or expected). But if you want to give something, they are not going to decline.

[ededmd]

Looking to go back on Europa 2.

I would like some information from people who have done a "golf cruise".

I am not a golfer but my husband and 2 sons are.

Is there a range of skill sets accommodated?

Must one have a certain handicap to participate?

Any other information - facts or opinions - welcome.

Thanks!

[English Voyager]

I don't know if you have seen the link I posted earlier in this thread, but Hapag-Lloyd produced a video devoted to golf on the Europa 2.

 

It may answer some of your questions.

 

[Catlover54]

SS, SB and Regent so far have had fairly flexible and reasonable cancellation policies within 90 days of trip onset, compared with HL, e.g., 20% down, balance due at 90 days, minor cancellation penalties before 90 days.

 

I looked at the details of the travel contract for HL in detail and noted that full payment is not due until 1 month before trip onset, which is nice. BUT the cancellation policy penalties in the preceding months are quite strict. You put 20% down if you book the cruise within 365 days of departure, which is fine and typical on other luxury lines. But if you are considering HL don't think you are then good to go without significant penalty until 90 days, as *significant cancellation penalties start accruing at 210 days, or 7 months before departure **:

 

1. Paragraph 11 of the contract describes cancellation penalties as follows:

 

-- up to day 210, just Euro 150 per person (so far, ok)

--day 209 to 150, you forfeit 10% of the entire trip's price

--day 149-90 days: the penalty is 20%

 

To me, the penalties between 90 and 209 days before departure seem pretty steep

 

and beyond that, as you would expect on the English language luxury lines, there are understandably even steeper penalties, which I think are ok:

-- day 89 to 45, 30%

--day 44 to 30, 50%

--day 29 to 10, 75%

-- day 9 to 1, 90%

 

2. Paragraph 12 , section 1, of the contract, also says that any changes to the number of pax, or duration of the trip, is construed as a cancellation of the contract subject to the usual penalties after day 210 and requires a new contract. Until day 210, you are good to make a change for just Euro 50 per person rebooking fee, fine. But beyond that, e.g., 209 days and sooner, you are subject to paragraph 11. So if you think you may be changing your mind about cruising at all, or are thinking about traveling solo in 2017 and want to get the booking reserved to get a suite saved, but might want to add a travel partner (husband, friend, whoever) at 5 months before the trip when his/her work schedule is clearer, you would have to pay a 20% penalty on the originally booked single rate, plus the 50 Euro (even though you'd be bringing HL more revenue by paying for 2 people instead of the discounted single rate!). It does not say that enforcement of this penalty is discretionary.

 

However, if you cancel completely, it is nice that Paragraph 12, section 3, does allow a substitute traveler to take over your contract for just Euro 50.

 

I typically get expensive travel insurance which includes coverage for cancellation for preexisting illness conditions, in case they flare, but that is a separate issue. If I just "change my mind" beyond 7 months, up to 3 months, e.g., due to some unexpected work developments or seeing a better cruise option come up, it would not be covered by illness insurance. With a HL booking, it appears I would also even be penalized for adding a second person, or transferring a booking to a more expensive one, or even extending it to a BTB.

 

None of this will matter to people who always travel as couples and won't likely be adding people to their bookings after 7 months, and plan and know they will stick with their trips, absent emergencies, no matter what. And the policy won't dissuade me from HL bookings, I just need to be cautious about how far in advance I book, and then set the iPhone to remind me at the 7-8 month mark (rather than the "balance due" 1 month mark the TA will remind me of) that it is time to be really sure about wanting to keep the booking as is, AND not adding anyone to it!

 

BTW the other thing to track, referenced in prior posts, is the Euro to dollar/pound exchange rate, to help you decide if you want to pay your deposit in your home country currency or in Euro (and when to choose to make the final payment, which must be in the same currency as the deposit). I saved several thousand dollars, thanks to alerting posts on CC, on my Africa trip on the Europa 2 by paying in Euro instead of US dollars, due to the high value of the dollar at the time.

[English Voyager]

Looking at the on-line Seabourn brochure, there are different cancellation penalties dependent on the length of the cruise.

 

Cruises of 25 days or less:

Days prior to departure:

120-91 days: 15% of full fare

 

90-46 days: 50% 0f full fare.

 

Cruises of 26 days or more:

Days prior to departure:

150-121 days: 15% of full fare.

 

120-91days: 50% of full fare

 

90-76 days: 75% of full fare.

 

One would need to investigate the cancellation charges of the other luxury Cruise Lines.

 

 

With regards to the rate of exchange, Sterling has dropped to £1= Euro 1.289 against the rate fixed by Hapag-Lloyd of £1= Euro 1.33, so it currently favours a Uk resident to opt for payment in the Sterling fare shown in Hapag-Lloyd's brochure/website.

Edited February 8, 2016 by English Voyager
amended wording.

[cathaana]

At least for travellers who live in the EU, HL includes travel insurance. In same circumstances they also allow you to book a more expensive cruise and credit what you have paid so far towards the new cruise.

[English Voyager]

For anyone who is visiting The London Cruise Show at Olympia on the 20 February, Hapag-Lloyd will be making a presentation on the MS Europa 2 between 14.15-14.45 in the ' Small Ship Cruising Theatre'.

[English Voyager]

The inability to post a direct link to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which one is permitted to do for certain other Cruise Lines, is rather annoying.

 

Anyway, not yet available on their English language website, but the German language website has the itineraries, and prices, for Europa 2 cruises up to EUX 1806 departing 12.03.18.

[vistaman]

and on all cruises cat 1-4 are announced as sold out for singles:eek:

[English Voyager]

and on all cruises cat 1-4 are announced as sold out for singles:eek:

 

It is rather weird that when looking at a given cruise ,although double occupancy is shown to be available, when one inputs an amendment to a single occupancy requirement the categories become sold out.

 

I asked my TA to contact Hapag-Lloyd to enquire on a particular 2018 cruise, and the response was that the German language website had only just been updated with the new cruises, and work to input data into the English language website was still on-going.

 

Until that work had been completed, no costing could be provided, notwithstanding the fact that the German language website contains the relevant prices.

 

In the interim, I have been placed on a wait list.

 

Yet another topic I hope to raise with Hapag-Lloyd on Saturday at the Cruise Show.

[Catlover54]

It is rather weird that when looking at a given cruise ,although double occupancy is shown to be available, when one inputs an amendment to a single occupancy requirement the categories become sold out.

 

I asked my TA to contact Hapag-Lloyd to enquire on a particular 2018 cruise, and the response was that the German language website had only just been updated with the new cruises, and work to input data into the English language website was still on-going.

 

Until that work had been completed, no costing could be provided, notwithstanding the fact that the German language website contains the relevant prices.

 

In the interim, I have been placed on a wait list.

 

Yet another topic I hope to raise with Hapag-Lloyd on Saturday at the Cruise Show.

 

May I ask what you are wait-listed on?

 

We have previously discussed the phenomenon that suites not available for singles are available for doubles, both on the E2 and the Europa, or, oddly, solo parents with young children who cruise free.I understand they need to maximize profits, so they only make a certain ( small) number of cabins available for singles, i.e., apparently the vigilant and motivated advance planners ( or people available short notice when a cruise is not selling out and sailing time is near) AND, apparently, preferably Germans.

 

I have also noted that I am getting mailings for things with deadlines sent to me from Germany late, past deadline. But the paper catalogues, in German and English, came the same time many weeks ago, even if the internet is oddly not as complete in English ( the side by side approach is a revealing test, same for the daily programmes on board).

 

I understand it is a lot of trouble for HL to court English people, and single people are a pain to all lines because they expect some discount for eating less even though they take up the same space as two people in their suites.

 

Maybe they are rethinking their initial courting of English countries, and singles discounts. There are also definitely some German pax who do not like that announcements on the E2 are in both German and English, ( reviews are posted in German on the internet, you can use google translator or ask a German speaking friend to see them) . Germans may be always polite, but they are not all happy to see English speakers intruding on their space, and after all, they are the primary target customer.

 

I want to get back on the E2 ( when I am stressed at work lately I envision and crave sitting in Serenissima or Elements at the window at lunch, watching the waves, relaxed, served on, and hypnotized) but I am passing on the internet offer they sent me in German for a March sailing that would include the Bahrain Grand Prix ( too short notice, as I work, am not keen on going to Arab countries as a woman, and there is not enough discount). Anyone else get that offer?

[English Voyager]

Catlover54,

 

I have been wait-listed partly to register my interest in a specific cruise, but primarily to await the publication on the English language website of the 2017/18 itineraries and fares.

 

I suspect that one reason may be that Hapag-Lloyd wishes to re-examine the Euro/£ exchange rate they have set for the 2017/18 cruises.

 

It has been set at £1= Euro 1.369, whereas the current rate is £1= Euro 1.288.

 

So, for the category on the Christmas 2017 cruise in which I am interested, the quoted Sterling fare is approximately £650 less than it would be using the current rate of exchange.

 

Additionally, the single supplement is only 25% which, for a Christmas/New Year cruise is very low.

 

With regard to Hapag-Lloyd courting English speaking countries, I doubt that there is any reduction in intent, certainly as far as the UK is concerned, given that they have gone to the trouble, and expense, of exhibiting at two London Cruise Shows within a period of six weeks.

[ededmd]

I am passing on the internet offer they sent me in German for a March sailing that would include the Bahrain Grand Prix ( too short notice, as I work, am not keen on going to Arab countries as a woman, and there is not enough discount). Anyone else get that offer?

 

I received this email in English.

 

Catlover54,

 

I have been wait-listed partly to register my interest in a specific cruise, but primarily to await the publication on the English language website of the 2017/18 itineraries and fares.

 

I suspect that one reason may be that Hapag-Lloyd wishes to re-examine the Euro/£ exchange rate they have set for the 2017/18 cruises.

 

It has been set at £1= Euro 1.369, whereas the current rate is £1= Euro 1.288.

 

Did you complete a pre-booking form? I did and have a full quote / suite assignment and an option held until 07 Mar because of the pre-booking status.

 

The next catalogue conversion rate for US dollars is $1.20 to €1,00.

The € has not been > 1.20 since Jan 2, 2015 so it all depends on whether one believes the currency market will stay stable / the € will stay depressed relative to the $ until the time one is ready to make final payment whether one chooses to continue to pay in Euros from the US.

 

Oh, and congratulations on that 25% SS. On a Christmas cruise that is just fantastic!

Edited February 19, 2016 by ededmd

[English Voyager]

Did you complete a pre-booking form? I did and have a full quote / suite assignment and an option held until 07 Mar because of the pre-booking status.

 

The next catalogue conversion rate for US dollars is $1.20 to €1,00.

The € has not been > 1.20 since Jan 2, 2015 so it all depends on whether one believes the currency market will stay stable / the € will stay depressed relative to the $ until the time one is ready to make final payment whether one chooses to continue to pay in Euros from the US.

 

Oh, and congratulations on that 25% SS. On a Christmas cruise that is just fantastic!

 

I did not complete a pre-booking form, partly because I did not anticipate any problems with regard to a 2017 cruise.

Plus I wanted to see a fuller description of itineraries, and firm fares for a solo traveller.

 

As soon as the information became available on the German language website, I asked my TA to obtain a quote from Hapag-Lloyd with the result that my TA was informed that one could not be given at the present time.

 

With regard to the Euro/£ exchange rate, the current fall in the value of Sterling is partly due to fears about the underlying strength of the UK economy, and partly the uncertainty of the UK remaining in the EU.

 

With regard to the 25% single supplement on the Christmas /New Year cruise, it so near, and yet so far, in that single occupancy on all cruises is being shown as sold out.

[English Voyager]

Yesterday I met Hapag-Lloyd's International Sales Manager Michael Steffl.

 

With regard to the March 2017- March 2018 Cruises displayed on Hapag-Lloyd's German language website, we discussed the topic of suites in Categories 1-4 that are indicated as available for double occupancy which then appear sold out if one amends the requirement to single occupancy.

 

The reason is that within these categories only 10 suites are set aside for single occupancy.

 

The release of the Preview Brochure some weeks ago was accompanied by the facility to register an option which if exercised extends to early March.

 

Thus where suites for single occupancy in Categories 1-4 are shown as sold out, it is because the 10 suites have either actually been sold or they have options registered against them, or it may be a combination of both reasons.

 

So if in due course exercised options for single occupancy are allowed to lapse, then those suites will become available.

 

Hence the reason I have been placed on a wait list in respect of the cruise in which I am interested.

 

So perhaps any solo traveller interested in a 2017-2018 cruise for which Categories 1-4 are at present shown as sold out should request to be placed on a wait list.

 

 

With regard to the publication of the March 2017- March 2018 Cruises on the English language website, it is anticipated that this will be by the middle of next month.

[vistaman]

i requested to be put on a waitlist for 5 cruises , hoping to catch 1 or 2

[English Voyager]

i requested to be put on a waitlist for 5 cruises , hoping to catch 1 or 2

 

At least one should have an indication by early March when any held single occupancy options have to be either taken up or released.

 

I wish you luck.

[Catlover54]

Late January after I finished my Cape Town-Cape Town cruise I had posted on that thread:

 

". . .

2. Oddly,

what I did receive two days ago is a form letter, in German, from HL, soliciting information regarding whether or not I like their website, and if so, why, and if not why not, and what kind of future cruises I might be interested in. The letter also asked for information about what magazines and newspapers I read (listing many German publications). So, it was a marketing survey. The letter was dated January 13, and said that people who complete and mail in the survey by December 31, 2015 would be entered into a lottery to win a free cruise (kind of hard to complete by 12/31/15 when it is not mailed until 1/13/16, but I sent it in anyway!) . . . . ."

 

Follow-up: today I got a follow-up to that marketing letter (again in German, and written many weeks ago, sent regular mail which would be by ship, from Germany), indicating a correction to the first letter about the lottery, i.e., that there was a typo: people who complete the marketing survey *BY 12/31/16* (as opposed to 12/31/15) will be entered into the free cruise lottery, so I am glad I completed it (and am of course holding my breath to see if I win :))

The way things are going with trying future bookings, winning a cruise lottery might be the only way to get on the ship in the near future at a reasonable price! :(

 

BTW DH also got a generic form letter this week from HL addressed to him thanking him for having filled out the feedback review at the end of our cruise, and for having given overall positive feedback. It was a little weird that the letter was addressed to him, because I am the one who did the booking in my name through my TA, DH listed as a co-pax, and I am the one who filled out the review and signed it, but at least they are reading (at some level) the on-board reviews.

 

It would be nice to get on board the E2 again soon, e.g., for its late September 2016 cruise originating in Montreal and heading south, which is easier access for me than Europe, but everything is sold out, and a waiting list would not help me much as I have to make advance commitments. I suppose all these "sold out" cruises indicate the E2 is doing very well, and to get on, especially solo for a good price, one has to plan way, way ahead of time, or be superflexible trying to catch a couple off a waitlist, like Vistaman is trying to go.

[tgh]

I am also planning to ask my ta to follow up with hl about the waiting list for this cruise.

I have no idea how the hl "system" works so we shall see.

[English Voyager]

Re the topic of a waitlist for a Hapag-Lloyd cruise.

 

My TA was advised this morning by Hapag-Lloyd that there are in fact two types of waitlists.

 

One is a general waitlist under which one retains the option to accept or decline the offer of an available suite.

 

The other is a 'Priority' waitlist for which one must sign an agreement that one will accept a suite that may become available.

 

Apparently I am sixth on the non priority waitlist for the cruise which follows the June 2017 Istanbul-Venice cruise for which I have a Category 2 suite on offer.

Edited February 25, 2016 by English Voyager

[English Voyager]

Itineraries, and fares, for cruises up to 27.03.2018 are now available on Hapag-Lloyd's English language website.