The TUI Group has completed the sale of its subsidiary Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to TUI Cruises after agreeing to the sale in February this year.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is repositioning four of its five ships to Hamburg as the cruise line pushes the ‘stay at home’ global message fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic. The fleet of ships would normally be sailing the seven seas, but are now heading for the waters of its home port.

German luxury cruise operator Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be a prime beneficiary of a renewed focus on the premium market by the TUI Group and its partner Royal Caribbean Cruises. The businesses have confirmed plans to ramp up their luxury, expedition and premium cruise segments as part of a strategy to lure new audiences to luxury cruise products.

Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Chairman of the CLIA Deutschland Leadership Council, received the Special Award, which recognises those who have made a special contribution with their success and innovation.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has confirmed its global fleet of luxury and expedition ships will switch to marine gas oil effective July 2020. The low-pollutant fuel (which has a maximum sulphur content of 0.1%), will reduce the sulphur emissions of the cruise company’s tourism operation by 80%. The changeover to marine gas oil will also result in a reduction of soot and particulates of up to 30%.

Hagag-Lloyd Cruises overnight released its 2020/21 program for EUROPA 2. The season will see the return of the ultra-luxury vessel to Australian waters in January 2021 – part of the vessel’s two-year rotation between Oceania and South America – with a cruise between Melbourne and Bali scheduled for departure on 6 January.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will deploy its ultra-luxury EUROPA 2 to the west coast of Australia for the first time during the ship’s 2020/21 season.

British pop and R&B singer, Natasha Hamilton, will perform live aboard EUROPA 2 this week.

Cruise operator Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced two new appointments on its ships’ bridges. Ulf Wolter, current captain of the Europa 2 will take the helm of the new, international expedition ship Hanseatic Inspiration, taking to the water in October 2019. Jörn Gottschalk – who has, until now, been captain of MS BREMEN – is moving over to the five-stars-plus luxury ship, MS Europa 2.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has re-introduced its popular Summer Specials campaign, available on six select Europa 2 Asian and Caribbean cruises departing between April and December 2019.