Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is inviting guests to embark on voyages that span the Indian Ocean, Arctic North and Antarctica. The sailings will operate aboard the line’s luxury ships, EUROPA and EUROPA 2, and the expedition vessels, HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit. Guests can additionally expect special experiences to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in style.
Luxury Holidays
This winter, the EUROPA will sail through the Indian Ocean. With a maximum of 400 guests on board, this vessel will take travellers to the Seychelles, Madagascar, Zanzibar and Kenya. Highlights include a premiere performance by acclaimed Canadian dancer and choreographer Johnny McMillan, as well as the ship’s first call at Nosy Iranja, an island in Madagascar.
Subscribe to LATTE Cruise’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury cruise space.Meanwhile, EUROPA 2 will celebrate the holiday season with a voyage to New York City. Departing in mid-December, this cruise offers overnight stays at both the beginning and end of the trip, giving guests ample time to explore the “Big Apple’s” iconic holiday scenes. Experiences include perusing Fifth Avenue window displays and ice skating in Central Park. Other ports of call include Baltimore, Boston and Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard.
Expedition Adventures
Beyond the luxury sailings, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ three expedition ships this winter will offer voyages into the planet’s most remote corners.
For example, HANSEATIC inspiration will spend the Advent season exploring the Chilean fjords, sailing around glaciers, remote islands and wildlife-rich coastlines. This 15-day journey unveils the wilderness of Patagonia through expert-led hikes and Zodiac excursions to national parks such as Torres del Paine. The voyage then heads south to Antarctica.
Elsewhere, HANSEATIC spirit starts in the South Pacific, calling at places like Easter Island, before heading for Antarctica. Guests will celebrate Christmas among penguin colonies, with landings on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Come January, the ship will venture farther into the Weddell Sea than ever before on a new route that showcases drifting ice fields, pack ice edges and the vast Antarctic ice shelf.
Closer to the luxury German cruise line’s home, HANSEATIC nature will embark from Hamburg and sail deep into Norway and Lapland from November 2025 through March 2026. With stops in Bergen, Tromsø, Alesund and the Lofoten Islands, guests can enjoy seasonal activities like dog sledding, hiking and even visits to Santa Claus. Onboard, classical Christmas concerts and Nordic-inspired hospitality create an atmosphere of hygge and tranquillity.
