Hapag-LLoyd Europa 2.

[English Voyager]

Here is a review/blog on the Europa 2's cruise from New York last December.

 

 

http://www.cruisereport.com/crReview.aspx?id=2772

 

According to the review, the ship stocks 19000 bottles of wine covering 450 varieties, and ranging in price from 15 to 1030 Euros.

 

I was surprised to read that the Weltmeere restaurant was open for lunch.

Edited May 20, 2015 by English Voyager

[English Voyager]

This article from February 2015 details Hapag-Lloyd's progress in attracting English speaking guests to Europa 2.

 

http://jetairways.globallinker.com/bizforum/news/hapag-lloyd-cruises-increases-its-english-speaking-guest-numbers-sailing-on-board-europa-2-by-230-in-2014/55972575?indid=0

[English Voyager]

My TA has also arranged a small group of us to tour the ship in Portsmouth in June, so if there is anything anyone wants to know please ask and I will try and get the answer.:D

 

The Europa 2 is due in Portsmouth on the 2 June.

 

Have an enjoyable visit.

 

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the ship.

[mpfund]

I also read the article re increase in percentage of English speaking guests. Problem is that the article only states percentages, not solid figures, so we still don't know the actual numbers!

 

It's easy to mislead with statistics.

[wripro]

One of the things I treasure most about traveling is getting to meet people from different countries and cultures. Therefore to me the fact that a majority of Europa 2's passengers are German is a plus, not a minus. Plus the crew all speak English and I bet most of the passengers do as well, at least to some degree.

[mpfund]

I absolutely agree with you! My only concern is that we will be the only English speaking passengers (as happened twice on the Hanseatic). I know our cruise will be fab no matter what, but I do hope that there will be some English speakers. (And on our Hanseatic cruises we found all the crew spoke English, but few of the passengers did. Quite a few were more conversant in Russian, due to the Berlin Wall.)

[English Voyager]

I absolutely agree with you! My only concern is that we will be the only English speaking passengers (as happened twice on the Hanseatic). I know our cruise will be fab no matter what, but I do hope that there will be some English speakers. (And on our Hanseatic cruises we found all the crew spoke English, but few of the passengers did. Quite a few were more conversant in Russian, due to the Berlin Wall.)

 

I would not regard the Hanseatic as a fair comparison.

 

As I posted in the expeditions ships thread, Hapag-Lloyd have announced for the Hanseatic only eleven International cruises between November 2015 and May 2017.

 

On my cruise on the Europa 2 last July, only 10 English people boarded in Southampton, but I found all the Germans I met were friendly, and many spoke English.

[mpfund]

Fair enough! But I must point out that our 2 Hanseatic voyages were advertised as bi-lingual -- and we were it! Even so, we loved the trips, which is why we are embarking on Europa 2.

[machotspur]

The Europa 2 is due in Portsmouth on the 2 June.

 

Have an enjoyable visit.

 

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the ship.

 

Yes - we are looking forward to our tour of Europa 2 this coming Tuesday.

 

Our TA has also managed to get us aboard Hanseatic for a tour on 17th June, again in Portsmouth.

[wripro]

mpfund,

 

Remember that Europa 2 is making an active attempt to attract more English speaking passengers which the Hanseatic has not done. I think if we are outgoing and try to make friends we will be rewarded with the same attitude from other passengers.

[Catlover54]

Yes - we are looking forward to our tour of Europa 2 this coming Tuesday.

 

Our TA has also managed to get us aboard Hanseatic for a tour on 17th June, again in Portsmouth.

 

1. It is unclear to me from the pictures in the brochures and videos of the base "ocean suites" or the bigger "grand ocean suites" where you are supposed to be able to see the ocean from the bathtub , how you can do that when there are interrupted big separation bars, rather than a drapes or moveable divider, between the bed and couch areas. Can

those interrupted separation bars be moved aside, or is the ocean view from the bed and bathroom glass window just THROUGH the bars? If you could look at that, or if someone knows already, reply would be appreciated!

 

 

2. Also, is the base ocean suite which is listed at 300 square feet just the living area or does the 300 square feet include the balcony ( which would make the base suite living space smaller than on Regent or some SS ships)

 

3.

I had my TA call to price Capetown to Capetown on europa2 this xmas in a grand ocean suite for two and the price Hapag gave was $10,000 higher than I thought it should be based on the dollar conversion rate to Euro right now, having looked at the German catalogue euro pricing. When I saw this the TA called back and Hapag said they would be happy to accept our payment in Euros-- which would save use $10,000! So though they did not volunteer that you could pay in euros, on initial price quote given with invoice prepared, it turned out if you can figure out how to get them euros off an American credit card, they will accept euros, with the cheaper fare due to good exchange rate. Have to be proactive to make sure you get the price with the good exchange rate, as they apparently may not spontaneously tell you this.

[English Voyager]

Catlover54,

 

As far as I remember, the wooden, slatted room divider is fixed.

 

However, I would imagine that one can see the ocean uninterrupted through the other half of the sitting area.

 

The entry level Ocean Suites, and Veranda Suites are 301 sq. ft plus a 75 sq.ft veranda.

 

The poor rates of exchange used by Hapag-Lloyd in calculating the non Euro fares quoted either on-line, or in the brochure, has been discussed earlier in this thread.

 

The onus is upon either the prospective guest, or their TA, to raise the issue with Hapag-Lloyd when requesting a fare quote.

[English Voyager]

In respect of my cruise in September, today I received some preliminary documentation which included a JPM Pocket Guide to the Eastern Mediterranean.

[machotspur]

1. It is unclear to me from the pictures in the brochures and videos of the base "ocean suites" or the bigger "grand ocean suites" where you are supposed to be able to see the ocean from the bathtub , how you can do that when there are interrupted big separation bars, rather than a drapes or moveable divider, between the bed and couch areas. Can

those interrupted separation bars be moved aside, or is the ocean view from the bed and bathroom glass window just THROUGH the bars? If you could look at that, or if someone knows already, reply would be appreciated!

 

As previously advised my wife and I have enjoyed a tour of Europa 2 today in Portsmouth UK.

 

With regard to your concern about the 'separation bars' and to what degree they negatively impact on your view through the cabin to the sea.

 

My view is :-

 

- the slats are well spaced anyway and only reach horizontally across about 50% of the bathroom window.

 

- if one is standing up then the view is fine, albeit better in the section that doesn't have the wood slats.

 

- if one is laying in the bath then lay at the right end ! (the taps etc are on the side).

 

One point I will make is that the balconies are much deeper than most I have seen on standard cabins on any other ship. Whilst this is great, the distance the bathroom is from the balcony don't expect particularly great panoramic views of the sea while one is carrying out personal activities in the bathroom.

[English Voyager]

machotspur,

 

What were your overall impressions of the Europa 2?

[Catlover54]

We are now signed up for Capetown-Capetown this Xmas, but in order to be in a tub a bit closer to the ocean, ( smaller room, smaller balcony, less broad separation slats) I went for just the smaller Ocean Suite instead of the Grand Ocean Suite on the Europa2

 

Paying in Euros :), after my TA worked currency things out with Lauren in the NY office.

 

Now will start the struggle of finding appropriate flights to get us to and from SFO to Capetown ( quite a trip) without collapsing with fatigue and jetlag

 

I hope to report back more Europa2 details in a review after our trip. As it is holidays, ship should be full and with maximal effect of children and intercabin noise, so as to judge fairly when comparing with SS or Seabourn.

[machotspur]

machotspur,

 

What were your overall impressions of the Europa 2?

 

Our impression of the ship was that it was really terrific and simply stunning. I felt that some aspects were real 'game changers' and some of the designs were so different to other 'luxury' cruise lines we have been with.

We had a good feeling about English speaking guests being comfortable.

 

There was however one very significant 'red flag' that emerged - SMOKING !

 

When we made our first booking a few months ago we were very twitchy about the degree that smoking would be evident on the ship, as many Germans like a smoke.

Our Travel Agent did some research and communicated a more restrictive policy that supposedly went live back in March. It was still a little more than ideally we would like but we felt that at least they had reigned it in a bit.

 

Well - onboard Europa 2 yesterday we were all really shocked at how widespread the smoking areas were - significantly more so than the 'policy' that I have just mentioned.

 

Two key areas :-

- the pool/sun decks - up/down

- the stern deck of the Yacht Club Restaurant, where many people have lunch & breakfast.

These were completely unrestricted smoking, in fact the latter had ashtrays on each and every table - probably 50 in total.

 

I think even the Hapag Lloyd UK chap that was with us was surprised and our TA representative certainly was. Investigations are going on but if this is confirmed as the reality onboard then we will most certainly be cancelling.

 

Any personal experiences onboard that confirm or contradict what I witnessed yesterday ?

[English Voyager]

machotspur,

 

In the copy of the Europa 2 booklet 'On-Board ABC' I recently received, the section devoted to Smoking states:

 

'With the exception of the port side of the terrace of our Yacht Club Restaurant, all restaurants are non-smoking.'

 

Further on:

 

' All outside decks, with the exception of the pool area including the Pool Bar, are smoking zones.'

 

Given your observations, one should definitely seek clarification from Hapag-Lloyd as to whether the smoking policy has been relaxed or the number of tables set up for smoking that you observed was a one off mistake.

 

On my cruise the impact of smoking was minimal as I very rarely saw someone smoking.

 

However, one cannot forecast what, if any, impact smoking would have on a future cruise as that would be dependent on the number of passengers who were smokers, and the proportion of the total number they represent.

 

The reviews that have been posted on the Europa 2 will give an indication as to whether or not the Smoking Policy caused problems on the respective cruises.

[machotspur]

machotspur,

 

In the copy of the Europa 2 booklet 'On-Board ABC' I recently received, the section devoted to Smoking states:

 

'With the exception of the port side of the terrace of our Yacht Club Restaurant, all restaurants are non-smoking.'

 

Further on:

 

' All outside decks, with the exception of the pool area including the Pool Bar, are smoking zones.'

 

Given your observations, one should definitely seek clarification from Hapag-Lloyd as to whether the smoking policy has been relaxed or the number of tables set up for smoking that you observed was a one off mistake.

 

On my cruise the impact of smoking was minimal as I very rarely saw someone smoking.

 

However, one cannot forecast what, if any, impact smoking would have on a future cruise as that would be dependent on the number of passengers who were smokers, and the proportion of the total number they represent.

 

The reviews that have been posted on the Europa 2 will give an indication as to whether or not the Smoking Policy caused problems on the respective cruises.

 

That's really useful thank you English Voyager.

 

I am guessing that your ABC document predates the 'new' policy that my TA communicated in March ?

 

I didn't see any smoking during our tour yesterday but the ship was virtually empty as almost all passengers had gone off on trips to London.

 

It is so concerning the disconnect between the ABC guide you have, the supposed new policy, and what was explicitly communicated to us yesterday.

 

Our guide - the person who was communicating all of this with absolute certainty, was the Guest Relations Manager who surely should be the oracle on things like this !

 

I will advise if the investigation clarifies things at all.

[English Voyager]

It appears that my booklet does pre-date revisions to the Smoking Policy.

 

The only reference to an amendment in the Policy I have been able to find is an item ,dated 11 February 2015, on an Australian website:

 

http://www.cruiseweekly.com.au/news/updated-smoking-policy-on-europa-2/23019

 

It states:

 

 

Updated smoking policy on Europa 2

 

 

Wednesday 11th February 2015

 

 

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has updated its smoking policy on MS Europa 2 as follows:

 

With immediate effect smoking is NOT allowed anymore

 

•In the Jazz Club

•Inside of the Sansibar

•Around the Pool Deck

 

Smoking remains allowed

 

•At the Pool Bar and the two small tables next to it on starboard side

•In the Smoker Lounge “Herrenzimmer”

•On the outside decks of the Sansibar

•On the verandas

[machotspur]

It appears that my booklet does pre-date revisions to the Smoking Policy.

 

The only reference to an amendment in the Policy I have been able to find is an item ,dated 11 February 2015, on an Australian website:

 

http://www.cruiseweekly.com.au/news/updated-smoking-policy-on-europa-2/23019

 

It states:

 

 

Updated smoking policy on Europa 2

 

 

Wednesday 11th February 2015

 

 

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has updated its smoking policy on MS Europa 2 as follows:

 

With immediate effect smoking is NOT allowed anymore

 

•In the Jazz Club

•Inside of the Sansibar

•Around the Pool Deck

 

Smoking remains allowed

 

•At the Pool Bar and the two small tables next to it on starboard side

•In the Smoker Lounge “Herrenzimmer”

•On the outside decks of the Sansibar

•On the verandas

 

 

Thank you again.

 

Yes - I saw the 'press release' style lisiting in the Aussie version of Cruise Weekly earlier today, as you did. It is word for word what my Travel Agent communicated to me as the new/current policy.

 

So if we take the open deck of the Yacht Club restaurant as an example, we have three versions of the truth ! :-

 

- The original ABC book that was communicated by your good self states that smoking is permitted on the Port side.

 

- the new policy, as per my TA and Cruise Weekly states that smoking is not permitted at all in this area.

 

- what we witnessed yesterday and was confirmed by the Guest Relations Manager was that smoking is a free for all in this area !

 

I could run a similar comparison for say the pool area.

 

On certain other lines, Silversea to name one, it appears that the ship hotel managers can make few decisions outside of policy without referring to the decision makers in Fort Lauderdale.

 

I wonder if Hapag Lloyd, being a relatively small and developing cruise company, do not have much of a central support function, resulting in the onboard people making policy 'on the hoof'.

 

I am sure the very tenacious MD of my cruise agency will get to the bottom of this.

[English Voyager]

'I wonder if Hapag Lloyd, being a relatively small and developing cruise company, do not have much of a central support function, resulting in the onboard people making policy 'on the hoof'.'

 

 

The following may be of interest.

 

The cruise line segment of Hapag-Lloyd is small, but the overall Company, operating container shipping, has 190 vessels,10000 employees, and 600 sales offices in 113 countries.

 

Prior to their merger, Hapag cruise ships commenced operations in 1912, and North German Lloyd in 1856.

 

The two Companies merged in 1970 to form Hapag-Lloyd.

 

Their cruise ships from 1970 have been:

 

Present:

 

MS Europa

MS Hanseatic

MS Bremen

MS Europa 2

 

Former ships

 

MS Europa (1965) - 1970-1981.

MS Finnstar - chartered 1979-1980.

MS Europa (1981) - 1981-1999.

MS Columbus 2 - chartered 2012-2014.

 

Chartered ships

 

MS Columbus - 1997-2012

 

I would imagine that the Company HQ in Hamburg, excuse the pun, runs a very tight ship.

Edited June 3, 2015 by English Voyager

[Floridiana]

The MS Columbus has returned to parent Oceania, is being refurbished and will cruise as MS Sirena for Oceania.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Floridiana

[English Voyager]

Now available, the latest in the series of Experience.tv videos.

 

Episode 6: Europa 2- Shore Excursion Offerings:

 

[English Voyager]

machotspur,

 

Via my cruise agent, I have received an e-mail from Hapag-Lloyd which confirms the Smoking Policy for each of the four ships.

 

For the Europa 2 it is as follows:

 

 

MV EUROPA 2:

 

 

 

- Smoking is allowed on the Veranda of the Suite

 

- Port side outdoor area of the Yacht Club Restaurant

 

- Outdoor Smoking area of the Sansibar

 

- In the Herrenzimmer

 

- The outside area on deck except under the Magrodome

 

 

It would appear that what you were told on your recent visit regarding smoking in the outdoor area of the Yacht Club Restaurant was incorrect.

 

 

I hope the above helps to ease your concerns.