Hapag-Lloyd

[hypercafe]

it is true the majority of passengers on Europa and Europa 2 are opposing an all inclusive however the free water seems to be a discussion as well...

with such a wine list at very friendly prices I simply not intend to drink an eventual free wine.

probably i will upset a few people but on Crystal a lot of niceties are sacrificed for the free drinks and wine - ranging from a chocolate in the evening over premium canapes on parties to a gala buffet on longer cruises ... on SS, Crystal and SB i left tables because other guests were making unkind comments about my choice from the list :rolleyes: - and for sure I was not buying the first growths...

contrarely to Crystal where a lot of cocktails and martini's are served the vast majority on the 2 Hapag ships does drink French Champagne or "hyper traditionals" whisky soda, gin tonic , vermouth on ice , dry sherry...

and on the drinks and wines on Hapag there is no 12 or 15 or 18 % gratuity as on most of the four starred lines ...

 

 

I am not trying to change the line as I really do not know what the average German who is the bead and butter of the line likes. For me I like the Oceania model, if it has booze in it there is a charge, if not it is included.

[vistaman]

i am not an avaricious guy but on O i was very avaricious concerning wines...

for a regular bottle of Champagne Mumm i had to pay more - with the 18 %- as in a Belgian 2 Michelin starred restaurant where clients are served by a professional sommelier

i find it very pleasant to drink special wines at affordable prices like on Crystal, Hapag, SS and SB :)

[hypercafe]

i am not an avaricious guy but on O i was very avaricious concerning wines...

for a regular bottle of Champagne Mumm i had to pay more - with the 18 %- as in a Belgian 2 Michelin starred restaurant where clients are served by a professional sommelier

i find it very pleasant to drink special wines at affordable prices like on Crystal, Hapag, SS and SB :)

 

I agree, I like the fact on Oceania all water, soda, etc is included. As for liquor I prefer to pay as I go and drink what I want. I agree Oceania is way overpriced for all things that are extra. We drink little to no wine so I really have no idear what is good or not and what it should cost.

[vistaman]

well i give 3 examples

a basic bottle of - non included but also not the one from the "widow" - French champagne is on the all in five stars ships some 52 $ to 60 $

on O 100 +18%

a well known New Zealand white some 45 to 50 $

on O 72 + 18 %

a special italian white from Piemonte 72 $

on 0 some 130 + 18 % :eek:

[MMDown Under]

Would appreciate comments on experiences of English speakers cruising on Europa, when it is not operating as a bilingual cruise.

 

Are English speakers, who are independant travellers, made welcome, with say an English speaker hostess, menus in English, etc.?

[vistaman]

i do apologize for boasting - as a belgian i do not have problems with the german language - but i always did follow the german language information on board ms europa howver i was offered english on board

i was informed as from 2015 there will no more bi lingual cruises on ms europa however i was also told there will be an international hostess on board who will translate the german menu's and programms to you .

the life boat drill is conducted in german but people not understanding the language are requested to follow an officer who is explaining everything in english

the announcements for the shows are in german

i recently was on europa 2 and that ship is operating in 2 languages even offering a party to non german speaking passengers:)

[English Voyager]

Would appreciate comments on experiences of English speakers cruising on Europa, when it is not operating as a bilingual cruise.

 

Are English speakers, who are independant travellers, made welcome, with say an English speaker hostess, menus in English, etc.?

 

I posted on the 8 April the reply I had received from Hapag-Lloyd in respect of 2015 cruises on the MS Europa.

 

Having spoken to German passengers, during my recent cruise on the Europa 2, they confirmed that the MS Europa is a much more formal ship.

 

So, fundamentally it is a question of whether or not things such as formal nights appeal.

 

Additionally, certain itineraries in 2015, such as Norway and The Baltic, or Music Festivals, appear to be exclusive to the MS Europa ,so one may have to go with the formality of life on board.

Edited September 12, 2014 by English Voyager

[MMDown Under]

Thank you for your comments, Vistaman and English Voyager.

 

The Europa cruise I was looking at was a South Pacific cruise, with a great itinerary, in 2014.

[hypercafe]

I have read where there is no official dress code onboard Europa2, but men ware a jacket to dinner. Is this really the case? Our trip is getting close, really getting antsy! Thanks.

 

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[vistaman]

i did carry one jacket and i put it on once

however in the italian , MDR and French restaurant i took shirts with long sleeves

i 'll be back on the "2" in mid October , i will check it again

for sure no ties ( despite i did carry 1 :o)

[hypercafe]

Thanks for the info, I too will bring one tie!

 

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[English Voyager]

I have read where there is no official dress code onboard Europa2, but men ware a jacket to dinner. Is this really the case? Our trip is getting close, really getting antsy! Thanks.

 

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On my cruise in June/July, in the evening in the restaurants most men wore a jacket.

Those that did invariably did not wear a tie.

 

However, the maître ds were very relaxed about guests not wearing a jacket.

 

To be on the safe side, I would suggest taking a jacket and tie.

[gcmv]

I'm going to "try" the Europa 2 in June 2015.

For me, the casual style was one of the reasons to choose this vessel and not the "formal" Europa.

 

On their website Hapag says that clothing is "sportive-elegant" - i.e. no ties and tuxedos.

They also say that in the evenings at restaurants "Weltmeere", "Tarragon", "Grande Reserve", "Elements"and "Serenissima" men are requested to wear a jacket.

 

I don't like jackets - I will make a try without (a white shirt and a unicoloured pullover should be OK) ...:)

[Solent Richard]

Ii got interested in this because Oceania leased a ship to them. After looking at the pictures and the videos the Europa 2 looks really nice with a style similar to Oceania. Does anyone have any in site on the product they offer?

 

Yes I do. My wife and I have recently completed a cruise on Europa 2 and I have written a full review on my personal blog.

 

Maybe my summary will wet your appetite...

 

"After just one week there was no doubt in my mind that Europa 2 and Hapag-Lloyd fully deserve their Berlitz award".

 

Why not take a look?....

 

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/10/03/europa-2-raising-the-bar/

[Solent Richard]

I have read where there is no official dress code onboard Europa2, but men ware a jacket to dinner. Is this really the case? Our trip is getting close, really getting antsy! Thanks.

 

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We found that the majority of men wore jackets and many of those wore ties. Of course there were those who did not wear a jacket but they were noticeably in the minority.

 

Hope this reaches you before you depart. Europa 2 is a superb ship and I have included a link to my review of her in the post above.

[hypercafe]

Wonderful review, looks like the ship lives up to and exceeds its write-ups. Glad you had a great time. We will be going from NYC to Miami on a 14 day trip through the Caribbean. We have been to most of the islands except this ship goes to smaller ports and private beaches on the island instead of the larger ports, sounds interesting. Living in NYC we will just take a short taxi to the ship so it is very easy. This is her first call in North America and NYC so it should be fun for the crew also. Thanks again for the info!!

 

Tom

[English Voyager]

Yes I do. My wife and I have recently completed a cruise on Europa 2 and I have written a full review on my personal blog.

 

Maybe my summary will wet your appetite...

 

"After just one week there was no doubt in my mind that Europa 2 and Hapag-Lloyd fully deserve their Berlitz award".

 

Why not take a look?....

 

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/10/03/europa-2-raising-the-bar/

 

 

Thank you for your review which captures what a wonderful experience it is to cruise on the Europa 2.

[vistaman]

thank you for the nice review and all the pics

 

i am just back from a week on her and i agree she is the ultimate in the luxury level however maybe not for everybody.

 

concerning the jackets : jackets are suggested in the Weltmeere and the speciality restaurants for dinner and contrarely to last month a vast majority of the men was with a jacket ( last month it was very hot ... )

ties were very occasionally seen especially by some older men

suggestion : try the breakfast in the main restaurant once - including beef tatar and gooseliver terrine and also try the late breakfast in the Sansibar once with white sausages ...

 

cannot wait to go back on the "2" in april 2015 ...

[gcmv]

@Solent Richard: WHAT AN AMAZING REVIEW! (I enjoyed reading it so very much indeed!)

 

Looking forward to cruising on Europa 2 in June 2015 (Lisbon - Maroc - Canary Islands - Madeira - Azores - Lisbon) ... :)

[Solent Richard]

@Solent Richard: WHAT AN AMAZING REVIEW! (I enjoyed reading it so very much indeed!)

 

Looking forward to cruising on Europa 2 in June 2015 (Lisbon - Maroc - Canary Islands - Madeira - Azores - Lisbon) ... :)

 

Thank you all for your kind comments.

 

gcmv, you may like to see my review on Lisbon for a few ideas around that interesting city...

 

http://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/08/20/one-way-to-do-lisbon/

[gcmv]

@Solent Richard: WOW - again! ;)

 

Can't wait any longer to see this beautiful city ... :)

[gcmv]

I think, these videos were made especially for international guests:

 

Perhaps you'd like to take a closer look:

 

Part1:

Part2:

[Griller]

Wonderful review, looks like the ship lives up to and exceeds its write-ups. Glad you had a great time. We will be going from NYC to Miami on a 14 day trip through the Caribbean. We have been to most of the islands except this ship goes to smaller ports and private beaches on the island instead of the larger ports, sounds interesting. Living in NYC we will just take a short taxi to the ship so it is very easy. This is her first call in North America and NYC so it should be fun for the crew also. Thanks again for the info!!

 

Tom

 

First call in US= rigorous US Coastguard inspection, NOT fun for the crew

 

Has to be done though, for everyone's benefit

[English Voyager]

Here is a video review of the Europa 2.

 

[hypercafe]

First call in US= rigorous US Coastguard inspection, NOT fun for the crew

 

Has to be done though, for everyone's benefit

 

The ship was in NY for 3 days, crew said they had fun seeing the city. Inspection was few hours and went well.

 

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