Ovener

Thanks for a very useful post, Pavovsky. We did the (same itinerary) Odyssey 14 night Greek Islands Cruise at the beginning of September and had a similar experience recorded at the end of this post here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2553210-europa-2-v-seabourn-odyssey/

Kristof in the Colonnade made it our go-to restaurant. It’s amazing how a professional like him and his team can make it all work like clockwork. (Unlike the MDR where everything went wrong each time we visited). Agree with you that when in the Med you just have to sit outside! 

However, we had a much better experience than you in the Grill and loved the chicken! I guess I enjoy salt 😞.

Like you, we found housekeeping was exceptionally good but that it took some days for the crew to gel. There was a slight smell in the shower, as you mentioned. The Observation Bar was great for early drinks but got rammed by about 7.30pm with nowhere to sit, to the shrug of the shoulders of a waitress...Agree that Seabourn Square would be rather useful if open for drinks and snacks then and much later. 

All that being said, great itinerary and good enrichment, didn’t you think? Glad it hasn’t put you off Seabourn. I think its hits outweigh its misses, but it does need to keep on its toes as the choices become more varied. 

Thank you SLSD.

I’m not sure the slowness of the meals was cultural with Hapag Lloyd, I think it’s just they were all cooked to order, had to be served simultaneously under cloches and could be rather over-complicated in service (particularly on caviar night). 

The MDR on Odyssey seems actually slower than Weltmeere on Europa 2, though Seabourn’s other restaurants are faster than Europa 2’s speciality restaurants.

But...you can actually get food at Sansibar on Europa 2 (equivalent to the Club) - it has its own little kitchen -and we only found out about that at the end of the cruise. It did a wicked black truffle pizza and was quick and superb at lunchtimes. 

Yes, there is a difference in the style of the meals. Whilst Hapag Lloyd is Germanic in the breakfast choices, room service and the ‘classics’ menu in Weltmeere, there is still more choice than on Seabourn, as you have a French, Asian, Japanese and Italian speciality restaurant and a very international menu in the Yacht Club and on the daily changing menus in Weltmeere. We really like healthy German breakfast choices such as Bircher Muesli,  loads of different seeds, bio yoghurts and smoked fish. The bread choice is outstanding.

Room service is a bit limited if you don’t like Wiener Schnitzel (theirs is great BTW) or Curry Wurst (not my favourite at all!). Club sandwich, burger and (yawn) pasta still feature. 

But let’s face it, rib eye steak is a bit of a feature on Seabourn. I love it, but it sometimes seems to crop up at every venue. Thank goodness for Earth and Ocean doing something a little different. 

Sorry the smoking is an issue...I think that will change and is already doing with the new Expedition ships. 

4 hours ago, Able Seaman H said:

I've just read through the whole thread and found it an informative read. I too have looked at Europa 2 and indeed seen her at close quarters sailing in and out of Portsmouth - we have a modest Penthouse for occasional use overlooking the harbour 🙂

 

Europa is definitely a much more expensive cruise and for us that is the deal breaker, we enjoy Seabourn, don't need any more looking after so probably wouldn't benefit from the extras. I also enjoy my conversations with fellow guests.

 

I am interested to hear your views after sailing on Encore / Ovation. To my mind they raise the bar when it comes to interior fir out. More like a private yacht. The changes are often very subtle, wooden trim on the outside of a winding staircase rather than steel, panels in the lifts and so on but combined you do feel as though you are in a different space. Yes, the theatre is still a single height space but Thomas Keller becomes a proper eating space with a dedicated bar area (open to all), sushi chips in with a dining alternative - go in the evening and let them bring you a selection topped up what you fancy.

 

I'm not suggesting one is better than the other but await your thoughts on the newer Seabourn ships which might address some of the shortcomings you identified. Dare I say it as someone clearly not cost averse you might even find sanctuary within the infamous Retreat area !!!!

 

Anyway, have fun and let us know how you get on.

 

Henry 🙂

Thanks Henry. Yes, I am really looking forward to the Ovation and will post afterwards. I’m probably going to pass on the Retreat though...the idea of it is totally lost on me. I think I’d rather retreat to the cabin balcony: At least you have a view! 

I thought I should provide a footnote to this topic, having been on the Odyssey again in September on a Greek Islands Odyssey fortnight’s cruise. 

The Odyssey seemed old fashioned and worn compared to the Europa 2, but we still had a great cruise and the itinerary and enrichment was first class. Having been spoiled by Europa 2’s design ethic, on embarkation it felt like stepping out of Harvey Nichols into a Debenhams (sorry, I don’t know the US equivalent). But the Odyssey is such a nice ship overall that feeling quickly disappeared. It’s just that Hapag Lloyd would never let you see any rust stains...the ship has that ‘just out of dry dock’ feeling. 

We’re trying the Ovation next year (and Crystal Serenity, having swapped a Crystal river cruise for that - after all the Danube and rafting problems people experienced this year). I’ll be interested in seeing how they stand head-to-head! 

Fellow passengers were typically older than on Europa 2: I would say mid-seventies was the norm.  Huge Australian contingent as well as US. We met a very charming Canadian couple. Many older male passengers seemed angry the whole time and we witnessed one slap a poor Filipino tender crew member who was helping him onto the ship. The passengers on Europa 2 were having a lot more fun and were better mannered. 

We had the feeling that something had ‘gone wrong’ before this cruise as there was a bit of a bad atmosphere on embarkation and the staff took a bit of time to get up to speed, but then, once they got going, they were great. Our Dutch captain had been brought in at short notice from Holland America; we understood that the previous captain had fallen ill. 

The Resturant was very slow and made mistakes each time with our orders so we embargoed that pretty quickly. The newly rolled out Earth and Ocean was very good but too popular! We had to get sat down before they opened to get a seat, so we only went twice. Great and innovative menu, but repetitive.  The Thomas Keller Grill was excellent but we still can’t see all the fuss over the Caesar Salad prepared table-side. Steaks just amazing. Colonnade was very good and Maitre D’ Kristof was absolutely first class and really makes sure everything works like clockwork. Choice of wine was fine.

Food on Europa 2 is higher quality and no expense spared: lobster available every night and foie gras for breakfast. Great to have an Asian choice of food too. All crew on Europa 2 are much more of an ‘ensemble’, though there can be some real pinch points at dinner. 

If you’ve been to the light, hip Sansibar club on Europa 2, the Club on Odyssey seems from a different era...and not in a good way. 

With excellent weather, the pool deck on Odyssey was permanently rammed so the aft pool deck was a welcome escape. The whole pool area on Europa 2 is larger and better designed so you can choose sun or shade and get some privacy. 

The theatre feels very old fashioned compared to the Europa 2 (notable for its double height, its giant video wall and lack of pillars).  

The big pluses for Seabourn remain: the clubby feel, relative value for money compared to Hapag Lloyd, inclusive drinks, much more varied itineraries, availability of cruises, better tours for English speakers and ability to socialise easily with other passengers. 

The pluses for Europa 2 are: significantly classier and more spacious ship, friendlier crew with better service (they go out of their way to make English speakers feel welcome and special) better entertainment, better ‘surprises’ like Zodiac rides, superb food and more varied food, with speciality restaurants open lunchtime, amazing pool deck with retractable Magradome over it. 

The big, big problem with Europa 2 is there’s only one of them (well, one bilingual ship of this size with HL, that is) itineraries are very limited and they get booked years in advance.  A number of crew said they needed a Europa 3, and fast! Still, we’re booked on HL’s new smaller bilingual ship, Hanseatic inspiration, for two years from now 🙂.

So if you prefer a ship for its ambience, service and food over drinking, socialising and excursions, do think about Europa 2...but be prepared to think very far into the future...2021 cruise options are already being booked up. 

Ovener,

there is a (rather inactive) roll-call for that cruise in case you would like to join-in.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2587539

Looking forward to see you on board!

Thank you! Sorry for the delayed reply. I will take a look when back ashore shortly. Look forward to seeing you on what looks like an amazing itinerary.

Final comments on an excellent cruise...on our last night. Best holiday of our lives. But still really looking forward to our Seabourn cruise in Greece in September. In a nutshell, Europa 2 is a stunningly beautiful ship with incredible design and space...and rightly gets such high ratings. Food and service are exceptional, apart from pinch points in the evening when things occasionally fell apart. We enjoyed the enrichment and surprises. For us, being on a German ship is part of being abroad and it's really nice to do something a bit different, with very different food, but we appreciate it won't be for everyone. Seabourn is more relaxed, and better value, but this really was truly exceptional, in another class, and if you don't mind being a bit of an outsider as an English speaker (nevertheless being incredibly well looked after) please do think of giving it a go if you like the itinerary.

Catlover54 that's good to know thanks. Interestingly the choice of spirits has made me appreciate grappa! Will look for the Cuveé Anna, thanks for the tip. It's boiling down here so the roof deck looks a bit like a frying pan at the moment! Nice and fresh on deck 9 near to the pool and facing out...not hard to find beds but the double beds go quickly.

Steak tartare is excellent, thanks Vistaman, but I don't think even I could face it at breakfast. Fresh juices though are excellent...there is even freshly squeezed carrot juice, which is sublime!

Ovener,

 

I have to admit that I avoided The Yacht Club for an evening meal much preferring the relative calm of the Weltmeere, or the Tarragon which at the time of one of my cruises had been awarded the title of the best restaurant at sea.

 

Even though my Norwegian Cruise was in June/July 2016 we were dogged by rain and very cold temperatures.

 

Despite that, a member of the on board video team had brought a drone with him and was able to obtain some impressive aerial footage.

 

Are the team's videos of various daily excursions still shown on the TV?

 

If so, then a final total video tends to be shown in the cinema towards the end of the cruise.

Yes, we had a great, calm and well-timed dinner in Weltmeere tonight. So our problems with Sansibar are a thing of the past. Absolutely excellent. There's a one hour presentation auf Deutsch of the video tomorrow morning. Lunch at Sansibar is also a hidden treat...truffle pizza to die for / of!

Indeed, thank you, Frank Neumann. He is excellent and that sounds like a great cruise you had! Kevin Tarte isn't on board but Viennese Swing are very good and tonight were singing Italian and Spanish tunes very well.

Sakura, the Japanese restaurant, was really poor tonight - service slow and irregular - I guess the menus are unnecessarily complicated and, again, it was caviar night which messes things up. Yacht Club was heaving with caviar fiends :-)

It would be nice if they had a chirashi sushi dish so one could try all the nigiri on rice without ordering individually. Or maybe even a choice of (mixed) bento dishes. Apart from the soup, the food is good, but the choices are too wide, so courses are irregular and slow.

Overal, we are finding dinner the most difficult meal on board, with service too patchy and meals too slow. But food is almost always exquisite. Tomorrow we will try lunch in Sansibar (pretty much the room service menu.. almost never advertised..but with a separate kitchen) and dinner in Weltmeere..so far the most reliable evening restaurant.

Wish Germans would smile more, but there are plenty of nice people on board.

Sorry, English Voyager, I can't see your YouTube clip. I guess that says something about our onboard internet! Slow, not bad, but only one hour a day free. Seabourn wins for all-day-access free for premium suites.

It’s day nine on board and we’re in port in Civitavecchia while many guests go on an exhausting tour of Rome. The Yacht Club was much calmer today. So time for a few more comparisons with Seabourn while we relax quietly in the empty Belvedere library and lounge.

Breakfasts on board Europa 2 cater very much for the German taste, but we really like trying different breakfast foods, for example baked spelt, smoked halibut and tuna, pretzels, fresh prawns, liver sausage and even foie gras! I guess when in Rome…(or not, in our case). I think they could do a full English breakfast if pushed, and I have had Eggs Benedict and Eggs Royale, which were quite good. Seabourn wins for croissants and egg dishes though.

Room service breakfast yesterday was sensational, laid up for us on the terrace with a linen table cloth and beautifully presented on fine china with silver cutlery and a flower. The 24 hour room service menu is high quality but limited to a number of Germanic dishes like Currywurst and Schnitzel, plus some room service staples like smoked salmon, spaghetti, caprese salad and club sandwich. Frankly the smoked salmon, served three ways as tsar fillets, was the best smoked salmon in have ever tasted…one of the three types was wrapped in gold leaf! Currywurst, however, is not for me. Where Seabourn scores is in offering the MDR choices each night for room service. Presentation on Europa 2 and quality of ingredients is higher.

Next up, being made to feel special. Hapag Lloyd wins hands down in this. Although staff don't learn names in the Seabourn way (which actually we only encountered once on Odyssey!) many know our names and the overall level of service is much more attentive. In fact we can't go anywhere without being asked about our wellbeing. The biggest difference is in Penthouse suites and above having butlers, who are always there and really will do anything for you. We took an Owner’s Suite last time on Seabourn (and will again in September) as we love the space and the huge deck at the front, but there is no ‘extra’ feeling in terms of service. Butlers Sarah and Marcus are charming, omnipresent, incredibly professional and, as well as providing services like pressing, meal service and unpacking, act as a kind of personal Seabourn Square, sorting out restaurant bookings, tours and any room issues (e.g. they immediately fixed the air conditioning which was running a bit warm). Also higher suites get priority in terms of things like Zodiac rides (but I haven't seen anything in terms of priority for restaurant table choice…that’s only for the top four suites).

There are more sudden, spontaneous surprises on Europa 2. They have gone out of their way to provide literally world -class coverage of the World Cup. In Messina, the chef went onshore and bought kilos of fresh truffles, so we could eat fresh truffle and parmesan spaghetti in the Yacht Club: I had half a truffle shaved on top of mine as well! When the Stromboli volcano we sailed around at night failed to blow (it is supposed to be active every 20 months minutes), the captain took a detour the next night so we could get a second chance. And yesterday he decided when we left Capri we should sail around the island to take another look: complimentary champagne served. The day before we were offered Zodiac rides to see some Little caves around Lipari, but first another Zodiac was waiting for us Ina cove with glasses of champagne. I guess this is the equivalent of Caviar in the Surf (which didn't happen on our last Seabourn cruise…hopefully next time).

Last night the wonderful hotel manager Frank and International Hostess Lisa invited us for dinner in the MDR Wetmeere and spoiled us with pink champagne and delicious Austrian wines. They are charming and great company, and Frank said if we wanted our dishes done in any other way, or special dishes to order, we had only to ask. We feel incredibly well looked after by them.

Seabourn wins for in-room spirits. Only Penthouse and above suites on Europa 2 gets spirits and the choice is limited, the whisky Ballantines. Most suites just get soft drinks and beer. Last time on Seabourn we had 10 one litre bottles of premium spirits and a wet bar. Perhaps that’s why I don't remember that cruise so well.

Whilst Europa 2 wins for quality of entertainment, Seabourn wins for timing. Shows are 10pm here (sadly we had to abandon the classical pianist before she started as we were so sleepy). It would be wonderful if they could do two shows a night (like with the new Encore-class)…which would probably help with restaurant overcrowding too. While I write this, the classical pianist has just started playing on the Steinway behind us, so mustn't grumble.

I think some people on Seabourn might miss Seabourn Square. Here the equivalent of the Observation Bar is Belvedere, a Nordic designed library-cum-lounge serving tea and snacks. With a Steinway, of course. The concierge service is done by Reception on Deck 4 (with a beautiful piano bar adjacent) and a tour booking office behind it. There is never, ever, a queue at Reception (unlike in Seabourn Square).

Book selection for English titles is much more limited than on Seabourn. There are a few English magazines (and sadly none around the pool, where only German titles are available). There are two printed copies of the Times on board, but you can download English papers on the iPad provided in the room. The first four issues are free. So avid readers will prefer Seabourn.

One very nice German gentleman asked me about Seabourn as he is travelling for the first time on Quest later this year, and was a bit worried, so if you meet him please be as welcoming as our fellow travellers have been to us!

In case you hadn't guessed, Germans aren't as smiley as English speaker (unless they are staff and crew!). Bit that doesn't mean they aren't enjoying themselves. I hope.

On the subject of tap water, I haven't seen anyone ask for it and daren't! We still have a lot of our drinks credit left so it's no hardship having Evian. The drinks credit of €200 per passenger goes a long way with cheap bar prices and free drinks at many events.

Yes, there were quite a few upset people over the football, but they got over it as the night went on. We watched part of the second half which was HD streamed to the two story high LED screen in the main theatre (very impressive) with about 150 people watching and snacks provided. The Captain is indeed Captain Wolter...we were kindly invited to the bridge last night to watch the ship leave Messina ... managed to see a few water pipe mini-tornadoes on the way out. And thanks for the tips about the Yacht Club Catlover54! Today zodiacs will be deployed off Lipari, so looking forward to that.

We had a great sea day yesterday, with first class activities:

- An excellent lobster cookery course (in a pristine, dedicated, cookery school on Deck 9). A Hapag Lloyd director apparently said that the whole point of Europa 2 is ‘wasting space’. It’s amazing this facility is only used three times in a twelve day cruise!

- A (free and very generous) gin tasting course in the afternoon.

- A tour of the bridge.

- A terrific lecture with slides about Sicily (for just the two of us in English) by a resident UNESCO lecturer.

- Lisa, the excellent international hostess on this cruise accompanied me to the first two courses to translate. She is amazing fun, warm and helpful.

Some more observations:

Crew and staff bend over backwards to be nice to international guests and make sure we are well treated. I suspect as there are only a dozen of us on a ship with just over 500 guests we are spoiled a bit. Overall the warmth of welcome is a bit better than Seabourn.

The Colonnade on Odyssey wins for availability of outside tables. They are almost always all snapped up at the Yacht Club on Europa 2 for every meal (mysteriously before official opening time…

Seabourn wins for evening meal service time. We had another frustratingly slow dinner in the Tarragon speciality restaurant last night (but staff were very friendly). We’ve heard reports of slow service in the MDR Weltemeere too. I suspect it’s because most people arrive at opening time. We’re switching to eating at speciality restaurants at lunchtime as they are calmer and quicker then…and seeing if eating a little later at the Yacht Club yields dividends. The lunch we had today at the Asian Elements restaurant was the best meal we have ever had at sea. Light with top quality ingredients. No expense is spared.

Swimming in the pool this afternoon in the sun and a sudden shower was forecast . The roof of the magradome slides across, the heavens open and we can still swim and lie on loungers in a beautiful, triple heighted airy space. Europa 2 wins hands down for its pool deck. Great fresh waffles and drinks provided in the afternoon too.

Seabourn is better for adult-only cruising / Europa 2 better for families with children (of which there are quite a few). Young children are very well looked after by very caring staff with terrific facilities (and have separate dining)… Currently sitting by the pool at a dedicated children’s hour and all are very well behaved. Nice to see a lot of grandparents / parents / kids using this as a get-together cruise. There are probably 20 or so children under ten on board.

We were very impressed by the variety / cabaret night in the Theatre with dancing, acrobats and singing. Much more professional than a Seabourn show, in a much better double- heighted space with no columns and a giant LED backdrop. Coming soon…a BMX stunt cyclist and a classical pianist. So a great selection of entertainment.

If you suffer from FOMO, Seabourn might be better - there was a German comedian in the main theatre last night; and with World Cup coverage in German and three soccer experts all from Germany as part of the enrichment. However, they kindly put on alternative smaller events for international guests.

Fellow passengers and more formal and reserved than on Seabourn, so any conversation is just short pleasantries. As we keep ourselves to ourselves a bit that’s fine by us, but we appreciate for many Seabourn customers that may be a huge turn off.

Many thanks to English Voyager and Catlover54: your previous reviews were very helpful and really swung booking up Europa 2 for me. I agree a Europa 3 would be great given the need to book well in advance. This cruise is fully booked and every cabin taken, but it still feels calm and uncrowded. Apart from the Yacht Club...which is often rammed when it opens in the evening!

Not for me but sounds perfect for German speaking teetotal introverts who like to smoke!

:D I think I probably score three out of four there, so I'm probably on the right boat!

I've heard very good things about the Europa2, but your description just does not sound like 1star better than Seabourn. Is the food significantly better, or service, or ????

 

If I was German, this ship would make total sense, as many Germans still smoke, so their policy obviously aligns with the demographic they seek. However as a non-German speaker non-smoker, I really cannot see the obvious advantages of a more expensive ship with non-inclusive alcohol that needs to be booked two years in advance!

 

Maybe as your journey continues, you can elaborate on areas that Seabourn falls short and where the Europa is 'worth' the extra money.:halo:

Sure. We haven't tried everything yet, but where Europa 2 scores higher (for us, at least) is in the following areas:

Interior design and space. Deck ceilings, particularly in public rooms, are higher and there is a much more spacious feeling. There is more space per passenger. All fixtures and fittings are more modern and expensive than on Odyssey and the design feels classier and more modern. Overall it feels much more luxurious. Beautiful art works. Three Steinway pianos.

Food. This is significantly better than on the Odyssey (and we really enjoyed the food on that with no complaints at all!). But this feels like a collection of really good high end restaurants in a capital city. Four speciality restaurants and the ability to visit three of them, open seated, at lunchtime is a real plus. The Italian restaurant Serenissima was way too frantic and charmless last night, with food taking ages, but calm and wonderful the day before. Just tried the French restaurant Tarragon for lunch today and the steak tartare was out of this world. Caviar last night was generous and better quality than on Seabourn. Breakfast choice in both the MDR Weltmeere and the outdoors Yacht Club is much greater with quirky offerings (such as an Indian spelt granola) and lots of different continental breads and smoked hams/fish/pate etc; huge choice of freshly squeezed juices although croissants better on Seabourn. You can even have foie gras for breakfast. You can have lobster somewhere every night if you want.

Pool and pool deck. The pool is significantly bigger on Europa 2, 15 metres, so you can do lengths. The pool area can be covered by a retracting screen in inclement weather and makes a beautiful two deck high indoors area.

Entertainment. Haven't seen much yet but the musicians are higher quality. Off to see a Vegas themed show tonight but at 10.30pm it's way too late.

Smoking. I am a pipe and cigar smoker and there is a beautiful modern bar for this purpose, open 24 hours a day, Collins.

I'd say service is on about the same level, perhaps a bit more formal on Europa 2, but the butler service for higher level suites is much better than Penthouse / Owner Suites and above on Seabourn as they will take care of pretty much everything for you with a smile, including excursion booking, dry cleaning, room service etc.

If anything else comes to mind as the journey progresses I will add it.

Many thanks for the detailed comparison. Especially appreciate the smoking alert!

Are you on the Sept 8 Athen-Athen cruise?

Certainly am! Looking forward to some beautiful Greek weather then and revisiting some time of the places in the Cyclades I visited on a tighter Island Hopping budget 34 years ago (on £10 a day)! Hope to see you then.

Thanks all for views. Will keep you informed as the journey progresses.

In brief, smoking may change in time (on the new Hanseatic ships launched next year there is one indoor smoking lounge and no outdoor smoking). But for now, if you don't like smoking on deck this probably isn't for you. Excursions in English limited but good value for what they are, with obviously small group sizes. Best probably to go for cruise itineries like this where you can go ashore on your own easily. Booking ahead is a big problem - we had to book for a Hapag Lloyd Hanseatic inspiration Great Lakes cruise 2.5 years in advance..after being on a wait list! Service in speciality restaurants can be fraught and slow, as it was this evening, but the caviar was sensational. Kids on board are well behaved and quiet. All inclusive drinks easier on Seabourn unless you like a la carte choices - the wine list on Europa 2 for better wines is longer and cheaper.

Still a beautiful ship!

We’re into our third day aboard Hapag Lloyd’s Europa 2 and are seriously impressed. Last year we took our first cruise on Seabourn Odyssey and are repeating with Odyssey in September again on a cruise around the Greek Islands. We spent a lot of time comparing the two lines when booking up so thought it might be interesting to share thoughts while we are live on Europa 2. We can only compare the ship with Odyssey, so apologies for those who are Encore-class fans. Happy to answer any questions while we are live onboard this cruise from Venice to Mallorca. NB we’re British so may be more pro a European cruise line than others (especially as we have lived and worked in Northern Europe).

To summarise, Europa 2 is a lot more expensive than Seabourn, but worth the difference if: (a) you are on a cruise to enjoy the boat and destinations rather than mingle extensively (there are only a dozen nations non-German speakers on this boat); (b) you are happy with smoking (I certainly am, shock, horror :-) and appreciate the numerous areas including verandas where smoking is allowed; c) you can stand the fact that excursions for international guests are limited to one or two per port; (d) you don't mind non- exclusive terms and having the pay for alcohol as you go; (e) you are prepared to book up to two years in advance for more popular cruises; and (f) you are open minded about being on a boat with other nationalities speaking a language other than English.

Don't get me wrong, Seabourn is fabulous, but Europa 2 is one star ahead of Odyssey. Only c. 50 passengers more but much more space and ceiling height with classier, more modern design. They have an extensive refit every two years and everything feels brand new.

We’re in a Penthouse suite with charming butlers who cannot do enough for you and feel truly cosseted. It’s more expensive per diem than a Seabourn Owners Suite and quite a bit smaller (i.e. the size of a Seabourn Penthouse suite) but spacious, perfectly formed and with significantly better service.

The pool is a proper size for a swim, open all day and about twice the size of that on Odyssey. There seems to be significantly more deck space and loungers are always available, many shady.

Food is extraordinarily good (no nickel and diming with family style chicken suppers here - even though I love them) and four speciality restaurants at no extra charge (as opposed to the Thomas Keller Grill) is a big plus. Three open at lunchtime without reservation. Wines and spirits good value with extensive choice (only €6 a cocktail). €200 per cruise booze credit for international guests, which goes a long way.

Staff are super helpful and attentive: they don't remember your name but being British is a bit of a help as they remember you. Butlers are a real plus but only available Penthouse and above.

The fellow passengers are on average about ten years younger than on our September trip with Odyssey last year. More reserved but friendly when in conversation. Perfect for us reserved Brits! Quite a few well behaved kids with special swimming times and numerous kids’ clubs.

Lots of free flowing champagne on arrival and at parties (Duval Leroy, much better that Nicolas Feuillate).

Not much entertainment yet but the band on board is of a significantly higher standard than the musical entertainment on Odyssey. The theatre (no shows yet) is double height and without columns. The pool deck has a sliding roof for wet weather which turns it into a huge winter garden by night.

Language is no problem - everything done in English as well as German, but best to flag you are an English speaker in every situation.

Terrific international cruise hostess Lisa who will be helping me with the translation for a Lobster cookery course on a sea day - free gin tasting that day too.

Air con was a problem the first day but that is now sorted.

Cabin amazing - clean, no vibration or noise, beautifully designed in a minimal way, Nespresso machine and spirits included.

We miss the choice of two open reservation outside venues (Colonnade / Patio) versus Yacht Club here, but Yacht Club rod includes Lobster and fabulous seafood every evening. Also no daily caviar, but tonight is caviar night in every restaurant and it is freely available in canapés at ship parties.

In short, if you like Seabourn, you’ll be absolutely blown away by Europa 2. It’s even more civilised. But we're still planning a lot more Seabourn trips too. As I said, happy to answer questions.

.

and the same can be said for Hapag Lloyd - HL pax must write everything in "luxury" despite the Europa sisters are for the leading guide for cruises the "best " since many years !!!

Quite agree! It's so annoying trying to find Hapag Lloyd posts by a combination of sleuth and seredipity. With new ships like Hanseatic inspiration coming on line too it's really annoying...and weird to see a folder open up for untested operators like Virgin.

Thank you. Looking forward to the cruise and will report back on CruiseCritic. It will be interesting to compare to an ocean cruise - pleased you are bringing over so many of the same concepts.

Hi there,

We haven't river cruised before (nor been with Crystal) but all the reviews of your Rhine Class ships sound so amazing that we have booked a Crystal Penthouse on an Eastern Danube cruise in summer next year. We're really looking forward to it - your open seating, lower passenger numbers, specialist events and high quality dining make it a real alternative to ocean cruising for us and (at this point) we wouldn't consider another river cruise line for our first attempt.

The two things that worry us are (a) finding that the river levels are low so that we can't achieve the full journey and (b) that we get stuck next to other boats when docked so we can't enjoy views from our suite...particularly if we are to enjoy our sitting room properly. This is especially an issue as we are docked in Vienna for a number of nights.

It would be a shame to spend so much money only to find we spend lots of time on coaches or (even worse) discover we are constantly looking into another boat when docked so can't enjoy the views or open your stunning French balcony windows.

What is your advice please?

Hapag-Lloyd has posted a, German language, video showing the proposed design of the staterooms.

 

 

Thanks, that's very helpful. I have to say, they look very wipe clean / functional rather than aspirational. Kind of Blakes Seven meets Travelodge. That said, I am still very excited to be going on the Hanseatic inspiration!

Was lucky enough to get an email from my TA saying that a few cabins on the Chicago - Toronto Great Lakes cruise in June 2020 had come up, with options expiring, so managed to bag a junior suite. Really excited. About a dozen cabins now appear available, so quite a lot of people must have given up their options. Quite a few available on the previous Toronto to Chicago leg too.

Not quite sure I like the proposed interior colour schemes (all green turquoise and blue) or retro-modern furniture, but looks a lovely ship. Pleased they haven't saddled it with a submarine or fleet of helicopters!

Fingers crossed then. (yn)(yn)

Received the Hanseatic Inspiration brochure in English by post yesterday. One or two cruises in 2020 - two and a half years from now - looked interesting. All sold out already! Hopefully it's just people taking options, which might dwindle, so looking to be waitlisted.