MS EUROPA

Classic drinks and dance music in a modern atmosphere

Gatsby's welcomes you with the bar culture of the German golden twenties era and first-class mixed drinks. A real highlight is the original Wurlitzer jukebox, encouraging you to choose your own favourite hits to play. The on-board band also ensures a wonderful ambience.

• Inspired by the style of the 1920s
• Drinks and dance music
• From aperitifs before dinner and late into the night

Bar above the sea for chatting, laughing and dancing

The famous bar on Sylt also welcomes you on board the EUROPA. As the sun sinks slowly into the sea, the atmosphere starts to liven up, providing a great place for chatting late into the night. There is also live music here on some evenings.

• Laid-back bar with outdoor area over the sea
• Drinks and midnight snacks
• From early evening until late at night

The club for women, men and cigars

A refined and cosy club atmosphere awaits you in the Havana Bar. Take a seat, choose a first-class cigar from the well-stocked humidor and order a drink to go with it. A place to indulge.

• Club atmosphere
• Drinks, cigars and good conversation
• From early evening into the night

Tea and coffee specialities with live piano music

The cosy Belvedere club offers impressive sea views, gentle piano music and an excellent selection of cakes and macaroons, as well as tea and coffee specialities. On some evenings, there are also interesting readings and other entertainment.

• Quiet lounge with library
• Perfect for teatime
• Afternoons and selected evenings

Relaxing music for a few agreeable hours

Start your evening with an aperitif, accompanied by some gentle melodies. The Piano Bar is also open in the daytime and is a great place for an afternoon coffee, reading the paper or enjoying some musical relaxation.

• Cosy, open design in the Atrium
• Coffee and cake, champagne and drinks accompanied by pleasant piano music
• From the morning until the evening

Hot waffles and cold drinks on the sunlounger

We will treat you to light snacks and cold drinks at the pool bar. Enjoy fresh waffles in the afternoon as a delicious snack to see you through - served to your sunlounger on request.

• Open-air bar with new lounge area
• Refreshing drinks, light snacks and waffles in the afternoons
• All day until early evening

Experience the atmosphere of vibrant clubs, where award-winning musicians pay tribute to great legends and young artists lead you into new worlds of sound. With powerful voices, fantastic instrumentalists and a good portion of soul!

Close your eyes and allow yourself to be pampered: the OCEAN SPA is devoted to your own personal satisfaction and harmony. With luxurious beauty treatments, deep-tissue massages and thalasso, energy from the sea. We would be happy to put together a wellness package tailored to your own specific requirements.

We have recently completed an extensive renovation programme in the OCEAN SPA so that we can provide you with an even wider variety of relaxation possibilities. You can now enjoy six new treatment rooms, infrared chairs and our Tea Lounge. The hairdressing salon and themanicure and pedicure area have been extensively modernised, as has the relaxation room, which is a wonderful place to enjoy some peace and quiet between visits to the sauna. BABOR has joined our range of cosmetics partners, with its own Beauty Lounge on board.

Cosmetics and beauty

BABOR facials guarantee luxurious moments of indulgence and optimal results to suit your own personal needs.

THALGO facials protect, boost and refine the skin with powerful active marine ingredients.

BEWEI is an innovative beauty concept, which enhances all the contours of your body and face, helping you to achieve a new feeling of vitality.

BEAUTY ANGEL is a light treatment, which stimulates the production of collagen and activates metabolism. An improved complexion and skin that feels better are immediately noticeable.

Body and soul

Thalasso works with effective natural ingredients from the sea. Metabolism is stimulated, the immune system boosted and circulation enhanced – for renewed energy and clear, smooth skin. All thalasso treatments use THALGO products. Immerse yourself in a world of well-being and enjoy:

• Relaxing thalasso baths, float packages and body scrubs
• Other thalasso treatments such as toning body treatments, gentle purifying massages, refreshing intensive treatments and full-body massages
• Thalasso introductory packages

Massage has been used for hundreds of years to heal the body and soul, release knots and relax the muscles. Benefit from the power of these treatments and enjoy:

• Classic massages such as aromatherapy oil massages, or partial- or full-body massages
• Massage treatments from all over the world, such as a lomi lomi massage, hot stone or shiatsu, or a Thai massage

Fitness, health, relaxation: our EUROPA refresh programme offers a combination of all aspects of a sustainable lifestyle to make the perfect programme for your well-being. Would you like to try some innovative fitness trends or discover new strength? What kinds of foods are good for you? What do you need to feel well? Mental well-being coaching and meditation may also help you to find peace and serenity in a fast-moving world.

Our experts on board, including personal trainers, SPA therapists and PGA golf professionals, are accompanied on selected cruises by well-known sports personalities. They will inspire you at sea with some special courses and presentations on new perspectives or hobbies. 

Fitness

Start your day on the EUROPA jogging lane. Do you prefer yoga or cardio? Make the most of a varied programme of classes, our fitness studio and the EMS full-body training with miha bodytec. Our personal trainer will advise regarding support with an individual training plan. As an additional highlight, on selected cruises there are special offers such as boxing or t’ai chi on board.

Fitness with LES MILLS

LES MILLS appeals to millions of people every week – with a sports programme you can now also experience on board the EUROPA.

LES MILLS BODYBALANCE is inspired by yoga and is suitable for everyone. A sequence of simple stretching exercises, movements and poses set to music relaxes the body, improves flexibility and strengthens the entire body.

LES MILLS BARRE is inspired by classic ballet. A 30-minute full-body workout to shape weak muscles, strengthen the core and increase power and stability.

CXWORX is a 30-minute core-training programme that is suitable for everyone. It strengthens the back muscles, focuses on toning the stomach, legs and bum, and ensures improved posture.

Selected fitness options

• 15 m (49 ft) long seawater pool, whirlpool and jogging trail
• Exercise and relaxation classes*: aqua fitness; stretch and relax; back strengthening; legs, bum and tum exercises; flexibility training; pilates; and yoga
• High-quality Technogym equipment with a TV for entertainment on each cardio machine
• Personal training**: individual training sessions, fitness check, development of, and support during, a personal training plan, nutritional advice, weight loss
• Effective full-body workout with miha bodytec equipment: electrical muscle stimulation to build muscle, lose weight and reduce fat as well as to stimulate connective tissue, metabolism and circulation
• Special miha bodytec full-body workout for golfers: this gentle application has been proven to increase strength, stability and speed of movement
• Innovative LES MILLS fitness programme – a fit for everyone

* Services vary depending on the qualifications of the personal trainer on board.

** Training with miha bodytec and the services of the personal trainer are not included in the cruise price

On which golf cruise will you be overseen by an experienced golf pro every single day? And on which golf cruise will you discover the world's most beautiful golf courses and play great rounds of golf in scenic settings without ever needing to change hotels? On golf cruises with the EUROPA and the EUROPA 2, this is all a matter of course. Dream cruises spanning the world's oceans will allow you to visit attractive golf courses across the globe, and you can look forward to tee times in Townsville, fairways in Funchal, putts in Port Elizabeth and bunkers on Bali. Opting to enjoy your favourite sport in this way offers the perfect - and most beautiful - type of cruise.

Golf & Cruise - the unique union of two passions

Welcome to Golf & Cruise – when the best cruise ship in the world* meets the most interesting greens around the globe. A round of golf and a cruise have much in common. They offer many surprises, make lasting impressions and bring new acquaintances. On our exclusive Golf & Cruise voyages we have reserved the best greens for you. Golfers with a handicap of –36 or better can play on these first-class courses alongside our PGA professionals. While at sea, the golf simulator and modern video analyses invite you to perfect your technique. Our Golf & Cruise voyages are rounded off by friendly get-togethers on board, where you can meet up and talk shop to your heart’s content with the pros and fellow golfers.

Training on board

Would you like to tee off on the world’s best courses every day? The cutting-edge golf simulators with integrated video analysis on the EUROPA and the EUROPA 2 make it possible – even as part of a personal training session with the on-board PGA golf professional (subject to a surcharge). This will allow you to improve your swing and spend days at sea enjoying the finest sport in the world even when not ashore.

The advantages of playing in a golf simulator and of using video analysis for training are obvious: your individual stroke technique can be improved using the video analysis equipment and the newly acquired knowledge can be applied immediately in a game in the simulator – it just couldn’t be more effective. Electronic measurement of the flight of the ball detects any deviations from the ideal moment of impact, while video analysis shows where the problem lies in the address position or in the swing. This way, you receive direct feedback on your golf swing and can mentally compare the image with your physical stance.

Golf a la carte

On request, we would be happy to put together some individual golf arrangements for you before your cruise or when on board, both for destinations during the cruise and for pre- and post-cruise programmes.

Golf a la carte includes reservations for golf services such as tee time, trolley, e-cart and rental clubs (subject to availability, handling fee € 20 per course). Naturally, our on-board professional will be happy to accompany you ashore (subject to a surcharge). We will also be delighted to reserve transfers and guides for you to do some sightseeing before or after the game.

Tee off with the professionals

Golf & Cruise doesn’t just mean playing unforgettable rounds on the world’s most beautiful courses – you also get the great feeling of being able to call on our combined golfing expertise at any time. That’s why at least one PGA professional accompanies every golf cruise – to be at your side on the green, share valuable knowledge in interesting talks or perfect your swing in an individual lesson. You’ll find these PGA professionals on board, depending on your cruise.

All other EUROPA and EUROPA 2 cruises you will be accompanied by our on-board golf professionals. 

*This service is not included in the cruise price.

There is a childcare service on board the EUROPA for children aged between four and twelve. Older children are welcome to take part in this programme. The children meet in the playroom with adjoining creative room. This brightly coloured space is perfect for the entertaining activities put on by the childcare specialists on the advertised family cruises. Age-appropriate programmes including various workshops, art and craft sessions, tours of the bridge, ship rallies and pool parties are all on the agenda. A new adventure every day for our youngest passengers!

On family cruises with the EUROPA, children have their very own on-shore programme. Experienced supervisors ensure that special excursions provide an exciting way to explore new places for all junior cruise passengers aged four to twelve. Older children are welcome to take part in this programme. Naturally, we also offer family-friendly excursions* tailored to let you and your children explore unique locations together.

Back on board, the children and their supervisors complete their eventful day by eating together in the Lido Café. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy countless precious moments in one of the four restaurants on board. If required, a babysitter** can look after little ones afterwards.

To allow you to sleep in peace, we also offer a lie-in service on days at sea: our nannies will pick up youngsters at 8.00 hrs and take them for their breakfast. And on days with shore excursions, adjusted supervision times allow you to take part in excursions* without your children.

*This service is not included in the cruise price.

**This service is not included in the cruise price and is offered only subject to availability.

We will be happy to provide you and your child (aged up to and including 3 years of age) with the baby essential kit*. This includes, for example, a selection of baby food and care products.

The facilities in the suite are also tailored to your needs – for instance, with a changing mat, travel cot and baby bath. You can also take advantage of your special services such as bottle sterilisation. On request, a babysitter* can be booked in the evening, subject to availability. Further informant and a list of what is included in the baby essentials kit can be found at www.hl-cruises.com/baby-welcome-package

*For logistical reasons, we cannot guarantee fulfilment of personal requests made within six weeks of the departure date.

Children up to and including 11 years of age travel for free when staying in the suite of one or two fully paying guardians. Children from 12 up to and including 15 years of age pay GBP 80 a night when staying in a suite of one or two full-paying passengers.

Talks on contemporary issues and selected topics

Discuss all kinds of hot topics with us and our selected experts. Renowned, regularly changing hosts invite you to interesting conversations to reflect on contemporary issues, politics, society and other selected themes. Follow the discussions and stimulating talks, actively take part in them and get to know the renowned experts and well-known personalities behind the scenes.

Please note that this format will exclusively be held in German.

Specialists share their fascinating knowledge

Satisfy your curiosity with experienced lecturers and experts on board. Whether it’s an interesting presentation about the ports you are about to visit or special expert excursions focusing on art or architecture, you have some inspiring encounters to look forward to.

Enjoy an ocean of possibilities at sea – personal development courses

On days at sea, the varied on-board programme offers plenty of new experiences. Look forward to workshops on subjects such as photography or painting, creative writing, memory training and dance lessons. Health and beauty courses invite you to give your body the attention it deserves. The programme is different for each cruise, but it will always open up new horizons for you.

Go ashore for some new experiences: marvel at cultural treasures, hike through beautiful scenery, discover nature whilst snorkelling or cycling, or fly over dazzling cities. On some excursions, doors will be opened for you to gardens, churches and museums, which remain closed for other visitors. Inspiration worldwide.

• Visits, active tours, discovery trips, overland excursions lasting several days and expert excursions
• Carried out in small groups
• Perfectly organised
• Accompanied by experienced tour guides
• Opportunity to explore the country and its people from a wide range of perspectives

Our driving force – a cruise is the most exciting way of experiencing the earth and its beauty. Protecting the environment is of the highest priority for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, in order to preserve this beauty for a long time to come. Exploring new shores also means assuming responsibility. When it comes to environmental friendliness, there is rarely one all-encompassing solution. This goes for our ships, too. We combine a variety of smaller- and larger-scale measures to continuously improve our environmental performance. These range from design modifications that help reduce consumption to technical solutions that decrease air emissions as well as various measures within our daily operations.

On board

SCR catalysts - Special SCR catalysts clean the exhaust gases produced and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95 %. Our new expedition ships and the EUROPA 2 are fitted with these devices.

Water management - Freshwater is a precious resource wherever you go, but particularly at sea, which is why we use a special osmosis system to convert seawater into freshwater. Removing the salt from the seawater allows it to be used for these and many other purposes. Biological sewage treatment plants clean the waste water produced on board. Only clear water is pumped back into the ocean; any sewage sludge is appropriately disposed of on shore.

Paint - The underwater paint used on our ships is free from tributyltin compounds (TBT), which can disrupt the hormone balance in various marine organisms.

Energy Management - We are also optimising energy consumption beyond the ships’ engines through smart management and LED lighting, for example.

Cold ironing - With the exception of the EUROPA and BREMEN, our ships are equipped for cold ironing.

Optimised hull - The optimised hull – installed in the EUROPA 2 and the HANSEATIC class while they were still in the shipyard – allows us to use up to 18 % less fuel and reduce emissions.

Optimised rudder - A PROMAS rudder with special propeller improves the efficiency of the drive in our new ships – helping us to consume less fuel and reduce emissions.

Avoiding top speeds

The less fuel we consume, the fewer emissions enter the air. The ideal ton of fuel is one that goes unused. Luckily, there is a simple formula we have been using for some time: by avoiding top speeds, we save an above-average amount of fuel. Four knots can save no less than 40 %. And guests can relax a little more as they enjoy the wonders along the route.

Efficient route planning

Careful route planning also helps to optimise fuel consumption. Wherever possible, we choose the shortest route between two destinations. Of course, we don’t want our guests to miss out on any highlights: our routes set standards and offer unique experiences and will continue to do so in future.

Foregoing heavy fuel oil

Beautifully untouched, the most remote corners of our world deserve particular protection. When cruising in the Arctic, Antarctic, Kamchatka, Greenland, Alaska and Hawaii, we therefore use low-pollutant marine gas oil and have been consistently foregoing heavy fuel oil in some cruising areas for more than 26 years – despite considerable additional costs and – in some areas - no legal requirements. A responsible attitude to the environment is one of our highest priorities, and so now we are going one step further: from July 2020, our entire fleet will run solely on low-sulphur marine gas oil with a sulphur content of 0.1 % in all cruising areas and for every single nautical mile.

New regulations from January 2020 – in line with IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) does not focus solely on protecting the oceans – it also aims to ensure a significant reduction in air pollution: by 2050 global CO₂ emissions by ships are to be reduced by at least 50 %. Strict limits are already in place in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) – a form of environmental zone – for the sulphur content of fuel and the emission of nitrogen oxides, for example. From 2020, ship emissions both within and outside ECAs may have a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 %. This is significantly lower than the average of 3.5 % in conventional heavy fuel oil. Naturally, we are adjusting the fuel used by our ships in line with this new specification.

The oceans must be protected, not least because they provide us with 70 % of our oxygen – far more than forests, for example. Oxygen is produced by plankton, microbes and above all by algae. Plastic waste is collected separately on board our ships and sent for recycling on land. And yet there is more we can do: we are reducing the unnecessary use of plastic on all cruises, foregoing plastic bags, straws and cocktail stirrers and using alternatives made from wood.

We are using sustainable alternatives to plastic in other areas, too: the kayaks on board our new expedition ships are made from HTP, a particularly high-quality and long-lasting polyethylene. No waste is created when the boat hulls are manufactured – and the manufacturer takes them back free of charge for recycling.

Protecting flora and fauna

Our ships use ballast water tanks to help maintain an optimal position in the water at all times - regardless of our fuel levels, the number of guests on board or how many provisions we are carrying. These tanks can be used to take on and get rid of seawater to adjust the weight as necessary. Naturally, the water brought on board will contain smaller organisms such as algae and jellyfish. These would normally travel in the tanks for many nautical miles and then be released in another location the next time the ballast water is exchanged. This runs the risk of introducing them to foreign ecosystems where they could disturb the sensitive balance of flora and fauna. To reliably prevent this from happening, all our ships have a ballast water treatment system, which plays an important role in protecting ecologically sensitive regions. Binding legal standards are expected to be introduced in 2021 - requirements that we are already meeting voluntarily and on principle.

Codes of conduct in protected regions

We plan shore excursions to ensure the protection of local flora and fauna. At the same time, our scientists on board educate guests to adopt a responsible approach to nature. Rules have been established for shore excursions in the polar regions. The German Federal Environment Agency has issued two sets of guidelines for cruises to the Antarctic on particular aspects to be noted; these include avoiding unnecessary noise, maintaining a minimum distance from animals and heeding conservation areas.

CleanUp Svalbard

Whenever we visit Spitsbergen, we get involved in the "Clean Up Svalbard" initiative, joining our guests to collect the rubbish - mainly plastic - that washes up on the coast of Spitsbergen. This allows us to make a direct, personal contribution to preserving the region's unique nature

By taking guests and crew on tours of the engine room, captains and senior officers increase awareness of the environmental protection measures on board. In addition, scientists and experts include recommendations for environmentally conscious behaviour in their presentations, particularly for visits to fragile ecosystems.

Many guests return from their cruise to the Arctic or Antarctic determined to help preserve this unique wilderness – evolving from tourists into environmental ambassadors.

TUI Care Foundation

We want the regions that we and our guests visit to benefit from tourism. To make the greatest possible impact, we bundle all our commitments into the TUI Care Foundation.* This initiates and supports projects that offer new prospects to young people around the world, protect nature and the environment, and promote the sustainable development of holiday destinations. The foundation focuses on the potential of the tourism sector to drive social development, education and prosperity.

The EUROPA has a ship’s hospital on Deck 3 which is under the direction of an experienced ship’s doctor. Guests who are being treated for any medical condition should contact the ship’s doctor immediately after embarkation. It is important to bring any medications required on board with you in sufficient quantities in your hand luggage. In the case of an accident caused by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises or its staff members either on board or during a shore activity organised by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, treatment is provided free of charge. Treatment for seasickness is subject to charge if you make use of our medical services. We offer thrombosis prevention medication on board if required (subject to a surcharge). A fee is charged for medical treatment by a doctor in accordance with the valid German medical fee schedule (GOA). The costs for any treatment or medication will be charged to your on-board account. At the end of the cruise, you will receive a separate invoice to submit to your health insurance provider. Upon request, the services of a dialysis doctor will be available to you on selected cruises.

Please note that a large number of our planned Zodiac landings and shore activities require a high level of physical fitness; depending on the conditions, we can only guarantee participation for guests with no mobility restrictions. The EUROPA offers two suites (suites 733 and 734) with fully accessible layout and equipment. We nevertheless highly recommend that you travel together with a responsible companion because, due to special procedures on board a ship, continuous assistance is not possible. Certain groups of people can only be accommodated if they are accompanied. Please bring your own standard-size wheelchair or any other medical equipment with you if you are dependent upon it. Unfortunately, electric wheelchairs and guide dogs cannot be brought on board. Please note that participating in shore activities and going out in the Zodiacs (subject to weather conditions) may not be possible for guests with physical limitations. We reserve the right to restrict participation in group activities to guests who can manage the entire activity without problems and without external assistance. Unfortunately, guests who are dependent on a wheelchair cannot travel in the Zodiacs. Whether or not guests can go ashore by tender boat (when the ship is at anchor) is also dependent on the weather and cannot always be guaranteed. To ensure that you experience a relaxing cruise where everything goes smoothly, before booking please provide us with details of your physical impairment and enquire as to whether we can meet your individual needs.

Hapag-Lloyd will be glad to take into account your requirements for dietary and light foods. Please submit your requests when you book your voyage. They offer a low-calorie cuisine legere every day for all of the guests whose focus is on healthy nutrition.

There is no set dress code on board the EUROPA during the day. In the evening, gentlemen visiting the restaurants on Deck 4 or the Pearls restaurant should wear smart casual attire, i.e. a jacket or a summer suit – a tie is not necessary. Ladies should dress accordingly. Short trousers, T-shirts and flip-flops are not permitted. In the Lido Café and Pearls, it is not necessary to wear a jacket in the evening. Each cruise will have a welcome evening and a farewell evening, apart from short cruises of up to four nights, which only have a welcome evening. The dress code for these events is evening wear (gentlemen should wear a suit and tie; ladies should dress accordingly).

The on-board language on EUROPA, HANSEATIC nature and HANSEATIC spirit is German. On EUROPA 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration the on-board language is German and English.

Note: On HANSEATIC inspiration the on board language is German only approx. until end of November. 

Expectant mothers who are or will be less than 24 weeks pregnant at the time of embarkation must produce a certificate from an appropriate medical specialist (gynaecologist) confirming that they are fit to travel in the territory covered by the cruise itinerary. We are unable to carry expectant mothers in the 24th week of pregnancy at the time of embarkation or who will enter the 24th week of pregnancy during the cruise.

We request that you contact our sales team in advance if you are considering exotic destinations or cruises where you will be at sea for many days in succession (e.g. transatlantic).

You will also find information on cruising and pregnancy in Clause 14 of our General Terms and Conditions of Business.