Hanseatic Inspiration

Hapag-Lloyd entered the expedition travel market with three ultra-luxury cruise ships - Hanseatic Inspiration (2019), Hanseatic Nature (2019) and Hanseatic Spirit (2021). All boats are of the same design.

History - construction and ownership

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Kreuzfahrten) is a Hamburg-based passenger shipping company and premium travel brand owned by TUI AG (shipowner) and managed by its subsidiary TUI Cruises. Between 2017-2020, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises was fully owned by Hapag-Lloyd AG (German-Chilean shipping company, one of the world's oldest), currently ranked the world's 5th largest container shipping line in terms of fleet capacity.

The shipowner TUI AG (Hanover Germany-based) is a British-German multinational currently ranked the world's largest leisure and travel company. It was founded in 1923 and until 2002 was named "Preussag AG". TUI Group's companies specialize in hospitality and tourism services worldwide, with a portfolio including passenger airlines, cruise shipping, package vacations, hotels and resorts, travel agencies, retail shops.

The 230-passenger ship Hanseatic Inspiration was built by Norwegian company VARD Holdings Ltd (a subsidiary of Fincantieri) at Tulcea shipyard (Romania). The vessel has ice-class PC6 (highest for passenger ships) and offers 5-star premium hotel service and amenities, gourmet cuisine, large staterooms, and public spaces.

Hapag-Lloyd's new cruise ship design is based on an ice-strengthened hull and implemented top-notch marine technologies developed specifically for a polar vessel. Among those is the long-range 3D sonar "FarSounder 1000". The device is forward-looking (installed in the ship's bow) and integrated into the vessel's bridge navigation system. The sonar allows it to maneuver through icy waters, showing and mapping approaching hazards, such as icebergs or shallow coral reefs.

The ship design features 2 extendible glass balconies (glass-bottomed and glass-walled) providing passengers with the unique feeling of floating over the water. The vessel has a retractable Navigation Bridge wing allowing it to pass through the narrow river and canal locks.

Hanseatic Inspiration is fitted with modern environmental-friendly technologies and equipment. Vessel's hull shape is optimized to reduce fuel consumption and the overall bunker consumption. The ship has an SCR catalytic converter, reducing NOx emissions by nearly 95%. The ship's propulsion features a PROMAS rudder with a specially-designed propeller that helps reducing fuel consumption and lowers emissions. Special polar equipment is the ice detectors - thermal imaging technology with infrared cameras. Cold ironing (shore-to-ship power capabilities) are also available.

Cruise itinerary program

MS Hanseatic Inspiration itinerary program is based on Polar cruise expeditions (Arctic and Antarctic destinations), as well as seasonal tropical destinations - like the South Seas and Amazon.

In addition to polar itineraries, the ship also operates on voyages visiting Amazon River, Chilean Fjords, Azores Islands, Cape Verde Islands. Itinerary durations range between 4-day Frisian Islands (aka the Wadden Islands, in North Sea, Europe) to 20-day Antarctica.

During the inaugural cruise season, the ship will also visit the Great Lakes.

Decks and Cabins

MS Hanseatic Inspiration staterooms (120 total, in 10 cabin categories) allow max passenger capacity 230 (max 199 on Antarctic cruises).

Cabins categories are Panorama (22 m2/235 ft2), French Balcony (21-23 m2/225-250 ft2), and Balcony (28 m2/300 ft2) with private balcony (6 m2/65 ft2). Amenities include separable beds, Nordic walking poles, binoculars, rain shower, free minibar, coffee machine, a heated wall in the bathrooms for wet parkas and towels.

Junior Suites (43 m2/465 ft2) are with step-out balcony (6 m2/65 ft2) and as amenities offer butler service, separate living and sleeping areas (with panoramic views and HDTVs), separate dining area, separable beds, Nordic walking poles, binoculars, free minibar, coffee machine, bathroom with rain shower and two sinks, steam sauna in the shower area, a heated wall in the bathrooms for wet parkas and towels.

Grand Suites (71 m2/765 ft2) are with private terrace (16 m2/170 ft2) featuring space heaters. Amenities include exclusive service privileges, butler service, separate living and sleeping areas (with panoramic views and HDTVs), separate dining area, separable beds, Nordic walking poles, binoculars, free minibar, coffee machine, daylight bathroom with balcony access, free-standing bath, rain shower and two sinks, steam sauna in the shower area, separate toilet, a heated wall in the bathrooms for wet parkas and towels.

Kids under 11 years old travel for free. Teens (ages 12-15) travel at a fixed rate EUR 60 per night.

The boat has 9 decks, of which 7 passenger-accessible and 4 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Meals are offered within open-seating during the day. Dinner is served in the ship's main dining room restaurant (aft on deck 4). The ship has 2 bars and 3 restaurants: Main Restaurant (178 seats), Speciality Restaurant (44 seats) and Bistro Restaurant (Lido Buffet) with 84 indoor seats plus around 100 outdoor seats.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MS Hanseatic Inspiration offers a sophisticated atmosphere and the chance to visit exotic ports. Each voyage is accompanied by lectors. There are extensive wellness and fitness areas, as well as an aft marina platform for water sports. 16 onboard Zodiacs (inflatable boats) and E-Zodiacs (with electric-powered engines) make possible landings in remote expedition areas, regardless of their vicinity to a port.

• Main Lounge (deck 4) with cutting-edge technology suitable for media presentations, precaps, and recaps, full Bar, separate Smoking Lounge.
• Observation Lounge (deck 8)
• Fitness area (100 m2 / 1076 ft2) with modern exercise equipment, separate Course Room (for classes).
• Spa area (215 m2 / 2314 ft2) with ocean view.
• Pool deck area with swimming pool, jacuzzi, Pool Bar
• Spacious top-deck Sun Deck with flexible canopy (shaded seating area).
• (Ocean Academy) Interactive Knowledge Studio - enables passengers to do their own research whenever they wish by viewing the information.

In late-February 2019, Hapag-Lloyd announced a user-friendly digital concept for onboard learning never seen before on expedition vessels. The new "study wall" is available on the fleet's three new Hanseatic ships (Inspiration, Nature, Spirit).

The innovative touchscreen technology (screen size 6x1,8 m / 20x6 ft) allows passengers to research information and various topics related to the ship's current cruise itinerary destinations. The digital Study Wall was developed over a 2,5-year period via a partnership with two German (Hamburg-based) companies - Intermediate Engineering GmbH, and mpg ErlebnisRaumDesign GmbH.

Digital content (articles, biographies, photos, videos) is divided into 5 categories. Most of the information is provided by GEOMAR (Kiel Germany), also by journalists, scientists, and experts. The Study Wall is located in Knowledge Studio (Wissens Atelier / Deck 8). The research facility also has four Study Seats (with touchscreens to explore the content), Study Poster (visual scientific explanations), a dedicated area for microscope research.

Cruise ship cabins were prefabricated by the shipbuilder's sister company VARD Accommodation. Staterooms were designed by the Finnish company NIT Design, which also supplied all the materials. Besides the ship's cabins and their balconies, NIT Design also made the Spa, the a la carte restaurant, all staircases and outdoor deck areas.

On October 9, 2017, was the vessel's steel-cutting ceremony held at the VARD shipyard in Tulcea Romania. The keel-laying ceremony was on October 18, during which a special coin was traditionally placed under the first steel block (part of the hull) for good luck. In Romania was constructed only the hull (weight 6500 tons), while the rest of the ship was built at the VARD shipyard in Langsten Norway (near Alesund). The 4000 ml (6450 km) long towing of the hull from Romania to Norway takes around 5 weeks. The voyage (through Istanbul Turkey and Gibraltar) of the 6500-ton hull started on February 16, 2019. Ship's delivery was on October 2, 2019. It was launched with Hapag-Lloyd's new livery (on the blue hull).

In November 2017, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises announced that hull design changes resulted in projected over 10% annual fuel savings for the new expedition vessels. After an initial assessment, the hull's efficiency was optimized using DNV GL developed form optimization process that included 10,000 hull design analysis to confirm the hull model optimization results. The main changes were done to the hull's stern - optimized for passenger comfort by minimizing the impact of slamming.

Hapag-Lloyd opened bookings for both new Hanseatic ships (Inspiration and Nature) on January 23, 2018.

Initially, the cruise ship's christening ceremony was scheduled for October 13, 2019 (in Antwerp Belgium). However, the vessel's naming was later rescheduled for October 11, and held in Port Hamburg (at Uberseebrucke Terminal). Ship's godmother is Laura Dekker - 1995-born Dutch sailor. In 2010-2012, she successfully completed a full world circumnavigation (518-day voyage) on a 40-foot ketch (2-masted sailboat). The onboard christening ceremony will be hosted by Ranga Yogeshwar - 1959-born (in Luxembourg City) physicist and natural science journalist.

Ship's builder is Vard Holdings Ltd (VARD) - subsidiary of Fincantieri (Italy). Ship's Captain (Master) is Ulf Wolter.

Inaugural itineraries 2019-2020

The Inaugural Cruise (scheduled for April 2019) was a 13-day itinerary from Hamburg (Germany) to Lisbon (Portugal). Next were planned itineraries in the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.Follows a list of the rescheduled maiden voyages with ports of call.

• 15-day "Western Europe" (October 14-29, 2019) from Antwerp Belgium to Tenerife, Canaries, visiting Honfleur, Guernsey (Channel Islands), La Coruna, Lisbon (overnight), Portimao, Casablanca (Morocco), Porto Santo Island (Madeira), Funchal (Madeira, overnight).
• 17-day "Amazon River" (March 25-April 11, 2020) from Belem Brazil to Iquitos (Peru) (via Manaus Brazil).
• 14-day "Great Lakes" (June 3-17, 2020) cruising on Detroit River, Lake Huron (visiting Mackinac Island), Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario, Canada), Lake Superior (visiting Thunder Bay), Lake Michigan.

15-day Inaugural Cruise

16-day inaugural Transatlantic repositioning crossing from Europe to Caribbean

14-day inaugural Caribbean and Panama Canal cruise

18-day inaugural Antarctica cruise

Godspeed to the new ship!