On the 2nd July, 2018, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, part of the TUI Group, signed a contract to build a third expedition cruise ship at VARD shipyard.
The new expedition ship will be named ’HANSEATIC spirit’ and will be delivered in the second quarter of 2021 as the fleet’s first ‘adults-only’ ship.
Prior to this, the company will add two more expedition ships to its fleet – ‘HANSEATIC nature’ (spring 2019) and ‘HANSEATIC inspiration’ (autumn 2019).
The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the financial details.
Karl J. Pojer, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises CEO, said: “Our expedition segment is already a success and offers potential for growth in the 5-star segment that we want to harness with these three new ships.
“With the new ships, we are launching a new expedition class and strengthening our leading position in this segment. By investing in the new Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ ships, the TUI Group is underlining its strategy for this cruise segment and the importance of our luxury brand to the group portfolio,” he said.
The structurally-identical expedition ships will be built at the Norwegian VARD shipyard of Vard Holdings Limited, which is a subsidiary of the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri.
They will have the highest Ice Class for passenger ships (PC6), meaning that they will be able to sail in the Polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctic), as well as in warmer destinations, such as the Amazon region. The on board Zodiacs will make it possible to land in expedition areas that do not have ports, and there will be a marina for water sports.
‘HANSEATIC spirit’ will be of 15,650 gt, 139 m long with a beam of 22 m. She will be fitted with 120 suites for a maximum carrying capacity of 230 pax, or 199 pax for Antarctic expeditions and for the circumnavigation of Spitsbergen.
The interior design will be carried out by OCEANARCHITECTS.
