Hanseatic Spirit

The 2021-built MS Hanseatic Spirit cruise ship is the third and currently last of Hapag-Lloyd's new expedition vessels, with sisterships Hanseatic Inspiration (October 2019) and Hanseatic Nature (April 2019). All three ships share the same design.

The vessel (IMO number 9857640) is Malta-flagged (MMSI 215973000) and registered in Valletta.

Hanseatic Spirit was delivered by VARD on June 29, 2021. Like all Hapag-Lloyd ships, she primarily serves German-speaking travelers. However, unlike her fleetmates Inspiration and Nature, Spirit is marketed as an adults-only vessel.

History - construction and ownership

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Kreuzfahrten) is a Hamburg-based premium cruise 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 (a German-Chilean shipping company, one of the world’s oldest), currently ranked as the world’s 5th largest container shipping line by capacity.

The shipowner TUI AG (based in Hanover, Germany) is a British-German multinational, ranked as the world’s largest leisure and travel company. Founded in 1923 and known as "Preussag AG" until 2002, TUI Group specializes in global hospitality and tourism, with a portfolio including airlines, cruise lines, package vacations, hotels, resorts, and travel agencies.

The 230-passenger Hanseatic Spirit was built by VARD Holdings Ltd (the Norwegian subsidiary of Fincantieri). The hull was constructed at the Tulcea shipyard (Romania), with final assembly at VARD’s Langsten yard (Norway). The ship has ice-class PC6 (the highest for passenger ships) and offers 5-star luxury service, fine dining, spacious staterooms, and elegant public areas.

Her design features an ice-strengthened hull and advanced technologies developed specifically for polar navigation. Among these is the long-range 3D sonar "FarSounder 1000", installed in the bow and integrated into the navigation system. It allows detection and mapping of hazards such as icebergs and shallow reefs. Other innovations include two extendible glass-bottomed balconies and a retractable navigation bridge wing for passing through narrow locks and rivers.

The ship is equipped with environmentally friendly technologies. Her hull shape is optimized for reduced fuel consumption, and she has an SCR catalytic converter cutting NOx emissions by 95%. Propulsion features a PROMAS rudder with a specially designed propeller, improving efficiency and lowering emissions. Polar equipment includes thermal imaging ice detectors with infrared cameras. She also has cold ironing (shore power) capability.

Decks and Cabins

MS Hanseatic Spirit staterooms (120 total, in 10 categories) accommodate up to 230 passengers (199 on Antarctic voyages).

Categories include Panorama (22 m²/235 ft²), French Balcony (21-23 m²/225-250 ft²), and Balcony (28 m²/300 ft²) with 6 m²/65 ft² verandas. Standard amenities include separable beds, Nordic walking poles, binoculars, rain shower, complimentary minibar, coffee machine, and heated bathroom walls for drying towels and parkas.

Junior Suites (43 m²/465 ft²) feature step-out balconies (6 m²/65 ft²), butler service, separate living/dining areas with panoramic views and HDTVs, steam sauna, and premium bathroom amenities.

Grand Suites (71 m²/765 ft²) feature a 16 m²/170 ft² private terrace with heaters, butler service, exclusive privileges, free-standing bath, steam sauna, daylight bathroom with balcony access, and a separate toilet.

Children under 11 travel free, while teens (ages 12-15) pay a fixed rate of EUR 60 per night.

The vessel has 9 decks, 7 of which are passenger-accessible, with cabins on 4 decks.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Meals are offered with open seating. Dinner is served in the main dining room (aft, Deck 4). Dining venues include 3 restaurants: Main Restaurant (178 seats), Speciality Restaurant (44 seats), and Bistro Restaurant (84 indoor and ~100 outdoor seats). There are also 2 bars.

In 2025, the ship introduced the Le Petit Poisson, a new pop-up seafood restaurant. The dining venue is available only on longer voyages (14+ days) and operates for four nights. Seating 35 guests, its seafood menu lists dishes like Lobster Surf and Turf (lobster and steak), Turbot a la Marseille (turbot fish traditionally cooked as part of a bouillabaisse/fish stew), and King Crab.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Hanseatic Spirit offers an elegant atmosphere, expert-led lectures, wellness and fitness areas, and an aft marina for water sports. She carries 16 Zodiacs and E-Zodiacs (electric-powered) for landings in remote regions.

• Main Lounge (Deck 4) with advanced presentation technology, full bar, and separate Smoking Lounge.
• Observation Lounge (Deck 8).
• Fitness area (100 m²/1076 ft²) with modern equipment and a separate course room.
• Spa (215 m²/2314 ft²) with ocean views.
• Pool deck with swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and Pool Bar.
• Sun Deck with flexible canopy and shaded seating.
• Ocean Academy (Knowledge Studio) – interactive research and learning facility.

In February 2019, Hapag-Lloyd introduced an interactive digital concept for onboard learning, the "Study Wall," available on all three Hanseatic ships. This 6x1.8 m (20x6 ft) touchscreen wall allows passengers to explore digital content related to the voyage, developed in partnership with Hamburg-based companies Intermediate Engineering GmbH and mpg ErlebnisRaumDesign GmbH. Content is provided mainly by GEOMAR (Kiel, Germany), along with scientists, journalists, and experts.

The Knowledge Studio (Deck 8) also features study seats with touchscreens, study posters, and microscope stations for passenger use.

Itineraries

Hanseatic Spirit’s itineraries focus on expedition voyages to polar regions (Arctic and Antarctica) as well as tropical and remote destinations such as the South Seas, the Amazon River, and the Mediterranean.

Other routes include the Amazon, Chilean Fjords, Azores, and Cape Verde. Itineraries range from 4-day cruises around the Frisian Islands to 20+ day expeditions to Antarctica, the South Shetlands, South Orkneys, and the Falklands, departing from homeport Ushuaia, Argentina.

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 materials. In addition to the ship's cabins and balconies, NIT Design was responsible for the Spa, the a la carte restaurant, staircases, and outdoor deck areas. The keel consists of two steel blocks, each 9 m long, 11 m wide, 1.5 m high, and weighing 33 tons.

In November 2017, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises announced that hull design modifications were projected to reduce annual fuel consumption by over 10% for the new expedition vessels. After initial assessments, hull efficiency was optimized using a DNV GL-developed process that involved 10,000 hull design analyses to confirm the results. The main changes were made to the stern, optimized for passenger comfort by minimizing slamming impacts.

On July 3, 2018, VARD signed the shipbuilding contract for Hanseatic Spirit. Hapag-Lloyd announced that the ship would be marketed as adults-only. TUI Group revealed plans for a third vessel in the Expedition series in May 2018.

The hull (weighing 6500 tons) was constructed in Romania, while the remainder of the vessel was completed at VARD’s shipyard in Langsten, Norway (near Alesund). The 4000 mi (6450 km) tow from Romania to Norway took about five weeks.

The physical construction/assembly started with the keel-laying ceremony on July 16, 2019, held at VARD’s Tulcea shipyard. The vessel was launched/floated out from drydock on July 14, 2020, and officially delivered to Hapag-Lloyd on June 29, 2021.

Bookings for Hanseatic Spirit cruises opened on July 23, 2019.

The Inaugural Cruise was scheduled for September 4, 2021.

(MAIDEN VOYAGE 2021) A 6-day "German Bight" itinerary (prices from USD 3750 pp / EUR 3150 pp with double occupancy)

During the winter, the ship is usually deployed in South America for voyages to Antarctica.

(Inaugural Antarctica Cruise 2021) 21-day voyage from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia (from USD 23,185 / EUR 19,485 pp)

Godspeed!

Hanseatic Spirit refurbishments review

Drydock 2026

The ship's first drydoick refurbishment was in June 2026, conducted by Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH (Bremerhaven).

The 10-day project resulted in refurbished public spaces (extensive renovations within the hotel and passenger areas), and routine (5-year scheduled) maintenance works - machinery overhaul, safety inspections, classification works, hull cleaning/repainting.

The spa facilities received aesthetic upgrades, including refurbishment of mosaic wall features and the installation of a new stove in the Finnish sauna.

Carpets and floor tiles throughout the ship were replaced.

The HANSEATIC Restaurant, the Reception area, the Observation Lounge, and the l’esprit restaurant received new flooring and refreshed decor.

Selected stateroom bathrooms underwent renovation works.