Four months after the laying down of the keel, the EUROPA 2 left the drydock of the shipyard STX France in Saint-Nazaire on 6 July. In the context of a festive ceremony, the dock was flooded and the new addition to the fleet of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises took to the water for the first time.
Now that the EUROPA 2 has left the drydock, the next construction stage is due to begin – the completion of the interior at the outfitting pier.
251 all-balcony suites, eight restaurants, a modern theatre as well as bars, lounges and public areas will be featured on board the EUROPA 2. A total of 835 shipyard workers are involved in the construction of the new ship – until the delivery of the latter in the spring of 2013. They will dedicate around 2.5 million hours of labour to the project, and 10,000 tonnes of steel have already been used in the process of building the EUROPA 2. The ship is expected to be delivered to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises at the end of April 2013 – her 14-day maiden voyage from Hamburg to Lisbon will take place from 11 until 25 May 2013.
The sister ship of the EUROPA will be positioned in the luxury segment as a lifestyle-oriented, casual alternative. The EUROPA 2 will offer a maximum of 516 guests more space per passenger than any other cruise liner, for example with 251 all-balcony suites. All the ship suites have a veranda and a minimum size of 28 square metres. Eight restaurants as well as six bars offer culinary diversity, and a large spa and fitness area takes into account the trend towards health and well-being on voyages.
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Source: hl-cruises, July 12, 2012