Together with the introduction of expedition cruise catalogs for the 2020-2021 season, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also announced that low-pollutant MGO (marine gas oil) will be exclusively used on all routes of its expedition ships - ms Bremen, Hanseatic Nature, and Hanseatic Inspiration from July 2020.
Joining the fleet in 2021, Hanseatic Spirit will also use the fuel.
The use of low-sulfur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for a number of years and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises already uses marine gas oil voluntarily in sensitive regions like the Arctic and Kamchatka. The low-pollutant fuel features a sulfur content of just 0.1%. In addition, the new expedition ships do not only feature an SCR catalytic converter reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95% but are also fitted out to use cold ironing.
The fleet of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is also equipped with seawater desalination technology producing clean water, and with biological sewage treatment plants. Ships' bow thrusters and stabilizers run on bio-petroleum which is environmentally-friendly.
Highlights from the routes of Hapag-Lloyd expedition fleet in 2020-2021 include:
- Hanseatic Inspiration sets sail for the Antarctic 10 times, including on a 23-day itinerary from Tierra del Fuego to South Africa through the Antarctic. The journey stretches from Cape to Cape (Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope).
- A change of travellers in Goose Bay, northern Canada is a first as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expeditions have never started and ended there before. It makes it possible to combine a couple of spectacular expedition destinations - the icy landscapes of Greenland and the remote region of Labrador.
- Travellers can enjoy the Arctic experience on a couple of cruises on Hanseatic Inspiration. The South Africa voyage is another first, in which Hanseatic Inspiration is due for the first time to circumnavigate “the cape of wild animals”, sailing from Cape Town to Walvis Bay.
- Hanseatic Inspiration also offers expeditions in Europe and passengers can explore the Azores, the British Isles, and the coastlines of the Baltic and North Seas.