Hanseatic Inspiration

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

History - construction and ownership

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Kreuzfahrten) is Hamburg-based cruise company, subsidiary of Hapag-Lloyd AG (shipowner) - currently ranked world's 5th largest container shipping line in terms of fleet capacity. Until 2017, HL Cruises was a fully-owned subsidiary of Europe's leading travel group TUI AG.

The 230-passenger cruise 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 cruise expeditions to Polar destinations (Arctic and Antarctica), as well as tropical destinations like the South Seas and Amazon remaining on the itinerary.

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.

Cabins

MS Hanseatic Inspiration accommodates up to 230 passengers (up to 199 on Antarctic expeditions) in a total of 120 cabins in 10 categories.

• Cabins: Panorama (22 m2/237 ft2), French Balcony 21/23 m2 (226/248 ft2), and Balcony (28 m2/301 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 m2/463 ft2) with step-out balcony (6 m2/65 ft2). Amenities include butler service, separate living and sleeping areas (with panoramic views and TVs), 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, heated wall in the bathrooms for wet parkas and towels.
• Grand Suites (71 m2/764 ft2) with private veranda (16 m2/172 ft2) featuring space heaters. Amenities include exclusive service privileges, butler service, separate living and sleeping areas (with panoramic views and TVs), 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, 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.

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 fleet's three new Hanseatic ships Inspiration, Nature, and Spirit.

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