Hapag-Lloyd turns to gas for expedition ships

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced that low-pollutant marine gas oil (MGO) will be used exclusively on all routes sailed by its expedition ships HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and BREMEN from July 2020. Joining the fleet in 2021, HANSEATIC spirit will also use this fuel. “With our many years of experience in expedition cruising, we have always set the standard for this segment with our ships, our routes and our mission to deliver quality and service. Acting responsibly towards nature and the environment is always, therefore, a top priority for us. The decision to change fuels gradually and use marine gas oil all year round on all expedition fleet routes in future is, for us, a step in the right direction, towards achieving this important objective,” says Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The use of low-sulphur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for several years, and already Hapag-Lloyd Cruises uses marine gas oil voluntarily in other sensitive regions, such as the Arctic or Kamchatka. This low-pollutant fuel has a sulphur content of just 0.1%. In addition, the new expedition ships are not only equipped with an SCR catalytic converter that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95% but also fitted out to use cold ironing. The routes will be planned and carried out with an average speed that is environmentally friendly, cutting fuel consumption by around one third. The Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet is also equipped with seawater desalination technology to produce clean water, as well as with biological sewage treatment plants. The bow thrusters and stabilisers run on environmentally friendly bio-petroleum. “The sensitive cruising areas that make up our expedition itineraries should be particularly protected. There are strict regulations in place for these regions that we adhere to, of course. We also set ourselves strict regulations to abide by when our ships cruise through the more remote regions,” adds Karl J. Pojer. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has also released its new expedition cruise catalogues for the 2020–2021 season. Selected highlights from the routes of the expedition fleet include:

• HANSEATIC inspiration will set sail for the Antarctic 10 times in total, including on a 23-day tour from Tierra del Fuego to South Africa via the Antarctic (INS2104). The voyage stretches from Cape to Cape: from Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope. The change of passengers in Goose Bay in northern Canada is a first; a Hapag-Lloyd Cruises expedition has never started and ended here before. This makes it possible to combine two spectacular expedition destinations, namely the remote region of Labrador and the icy landscapes of Greenland. Guests can enjoy this Arctic experience on two cruises on HANSEATIC inspiration (INS2115 and INS2116). The South Africa cruise is another first, in which HANSEATIC inspiration circumnavigates “the cape of wild animals” for the first time, sailing from Cape Town to Walvis Bay in Namibia (INS2105).
• HANSEATIC inspiration also embarks on expeditions in Europe. Passengers can explore the British Isles, the Azores and the coastlines of the North and Baltic Seas, often on cruises shorter in duration.

Smoke-free ship

With the new catalogue, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also announced HANSEATIC inspiration will be a smoke-free ship starting in October 2020 (from cruise INS2020 onwards). This policy applies to all interior public areas as well as on deck, including the private balconies and verandahs.

Other sample itineraries for 2020-2021

Expedition from cape to cape (Antarctica): A legendary route from seafaring history (INS2104): From Ushuaia to Cape Town, 15 February to 7 March 2021 (20 days), from €14,459 per person, cruise only, including charter flight. More information online here.

Wild South Africa: The cape of wild animals (INS2105): From Cape Town to Walvis Bay, 7 March 2021 to 22 March 2021 (15 days), from €8,541 per person, cruise only, incl. charter flight. More info here.

Expedition Wild Scotland and Iceland: Journey through time and with highlands and fjords (INS2112): From Bremerhaven to Reykjavik, 17 May 2021 to 29 May 2021 (12 days), from €6,080 per person, cruise only. More information online here.

Expedition Greenland with Disko Bay and Labrador: Where the north wind tells of adventure (INS2115): From Kangerlussuaq to Goose Bay, 22 June 2021 to 06 July 2021 (14 days), from €11,070 per person, cruise-only, including charter flight. More details here.

Expedition Labrador, Hudson Strait and Greenland with Disko Bay: Arctic highlights in the polar summer (INS2116): From Goose Bay to Kangerlussuaq (14 days), 06 July 2021 to 20 July 2021 from €10,940 per person, cruise only, incl. charter flight. Click here for more details.

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