Being built at the STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and promising to set new luxury standards on the worldwide oceans, EUROPA 2 ill join the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet (currently 4 ships) in May 2013.
The 40,000 ton EUROPA 2 will be positioned as the modern, lifestyle-orientated sister ship of the world’s only 5-star-plus ship MS EUROPA and will cater to a sophisticated, international and cosmopolitan audience.
New standards will also be set with regards to environmental protection – the EUROPA 2 is the FIRST cruise ship equipped with catalysts (SCR = process of Selective Catalytic Reduction), which reduces the emission of nitrogen oxides by almost 95 per cent.
Julian Pfitzner, Director Product Management MS EUROPA 2 says: “ With EUROPA 2 we have broken new ground – she represents a casual and modern interpretation of luxury cruises in terms of her design, facilities and entertainment programme. The voyage routes are shorter and thus more flexible – mostly 7 nights – and will appeal to professional working people and families, who have very demanding lives and are looking for individuality, choice and an elegant yet informal atmosphere on board. The EUROPA 2 will offer an international atmosphere on board – all our cruises being conducted in German and English. The lecturers also speak English and in addition, English-language excursions will be offered on 10 – 12 selected cruises each year. As a matter of course, anyone interested can also enquire about individual excursion arrangements for all the other cruises. We have consciously increased the focus on wellness and fitness; and also decided to forgo some of the cruise traditions such as the Captain’s Dinner; and the on-board announcements generally will be reduced to a minimum and be made in German and English at all times .”
A total of 835 shipyard workers are involved in the project, dedicating an estimated 2.5 million hours of labour until its completion in the spring of 2013.
[mappress] World Maritime News Staff, September 19, 2012