MS Europa: new restaurants in September 2019

[steamboats]

During the 2 week dry dock the MS Europa will get two new restaurants. The restaurant Dieter Müller will be taken over by 3 Michelin star chef Kevin Fehling called The Globe by Kevin Fehling. The fitness class room on deck 7 aft will become the new restaurant Pearls including an outdoor area featuring seafood and tapas. The dress code will be replaced by a less formal dress code (regarding Captain´s Dinner and formal nights). A new fitness concept will be added. So the total concept will be more like the Europa 2.

 

steamboats

[English Voyager]

That is quite a coup to have Kevin Fehling open a restaurant on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by English Voyager

[steamboats]

Kevin Fehling once worked as Sous-Chef onboard MS Europa and he´s a regular at Europa´s Beste - the gourmet festival.

 

steamboats

Edited February 6, 2019 by steamboats

[vistaman]

I was told he did the Italian restaurant for a while on ms Europa.

It is quite prestigious to have him on MS Europa , however : are all those big  names necessary on a cruise ship?

It all started in 1989 on the former Royal Viking Sun with a Paul Bocuse "outlet" restaurant in 1989 , where in those days a not so modest extra of 45 dollar was charged  - it was not so succesful  closed rather fast.

since then a long parade of famous chefs on various companies was seen :

Charlie Palmer , Thomas Keller, Michel Roux senior , Nobu, Selvaggio 's recipes of Valentino, Jonnie Boer, Todd English , MP White , Angelo Auriana , Cracco,  Dieter Muller , Le Cirque of  Maccioni , Jacques Pepin

[English Voyager]

vistaman,

 

Having a 'big name' chef's restaurant on board does provide an opportunity to someone not resident in that chef's home city to sample his cuisine, and additionally in the case of Kevin Fehling avoid a lengthy reservation waiting period.

[vistaman]

english voyager,

 

i am aware of the very  long waiting list to get a booking in his restaurant

 a lot of great  michelin starred restaurants are simply not open for lunch in Germany.  

it is also special by the fact only 20 guests are seated on a table  and there is only  one set menu.

 

 

[English Voyager]

20 minutes ago, vistaman said:

english voyager,

 

i am aware of the very  long waiting list to get a booking in his restaurant

 a lot of great  michelin starred restaurants are simply not open for lunch in Germany.  

it is also special by the fact only 20 guests are seated on a table  and there is only  one set menu.

 

 

I have just looked at The Table's website, and the first reservation date available is the 8th May.

[Catlover54]

I was a bit disappointed and worried to see this information  this morning when I was ready to book a long MS Europa cruise solo for early 2020 online,  ( will be retired then!) on top of the two I am waiting to hear about.  I use no TA anymore for HL cruises  ( she had to go through the German NY middleman and he was unresponsive, lazy,  and uninformed, so I had to get accurate info on my own, or here, so I book directly now and  also email HL, they respond quickly). I changed my mind when I saw I could not advance request a booking at the table I like , or any table at all , because they are going to open seating, will be  first come first served after the refurbishment this fall.

 

 Open seating is nice in an uncrowded restaurant ( like at breakfast and lunch on HL) , but sadly  open seating for dinners in MDR on luxury cruise ships these days, including Europa 2, if the cruise is full and sold out ( i.e., when and where I go) requires  advance planning.If you come very early or very late it is fine, but if at popular hours, you may not get seated at all when you want, as happened on the E2 with my friend and me a year ago a couple  times and other times we showed at 8,  and once  the acting MD even mocked us for thinking we would get one.  We initially always got a boner table in Weltmeere at dinner at popular times, , on the stiffly padded benches near the entrance ,  so we started trying to come at 7 when they open, as did others, to get a table with more comfortable  chairs ( and to be sure we would get a table).

 

On Europa, I liked varying the time I showed up for dinner,  and with my assigned seating, on the three cruises so farm I always had my spot. They vaguely say you can talk  with the MD on board about preferred options ( not at all guaranteed) but  I do not want to have to be an important person who has done 15 HL cruises and is a heavily tipping German bigwig to  get a table for one at 8 pm. Another advantage of assigned seating for dinner in MDR  on Europa was I avoided the irritation of always having to break in different waiters with my preferences, like I did on E2.

 

Other  things I liked are being changed to be more modern, e.g., some anticipated  chairs in lounges they show online look round and stiff, in that semicircular and short style  so popular on many other luxury cruise lines, i.e., they are copy catting, and I find that style very uncomfortable, as it pokes into my back.

 

They will have more tables for two,  50, so those  will seat 100, unclear how many spots will be in other restaurants . More two-tops  is good, but won’t solve the problem if  total capacity is still tight.

 

Also good is the idea of tapas style dining option  restaurant, if you can get seated.  On SB recently Earth and Ocean, the new small bites venue we liked, was always full within 15 minutes of opening, as there are few seats and good food, no reservations taken.

 

They were still selling out cruises two years ahead of time, and offered a unique luxury ship option, with the elegant casual attire and just a jacket for men  evenings except for one formal night per week when suit and tie was required. Somehow they still feel  they have to mess with a good thing, including getting a new celebrity chef, just like Thomas Keller on SB.

 

Meanwhile they eliminated the international hostess on Europa last year and the English menus, making DH even more reluctant to sail with me as he speaks and reads no German at all and likes to look at his own menu, not just have me do so in advance and translate , or have the busy waiter right at dinner tell him in English what is offered.

 

I will certainly try them (if they still do an Ocean Sun festival or other classical music cruises, if they still do) but will not commit to as many cruises in advance as I had planned for 2020 and beyond ( especially with penalties kicking in at 7 months),  if they just become Seabourn wanna-bes on their style.  I worry this will also include a decline in their stellar service, like SS and SB had a decline. If they also get rid of the nicely done high end German fare in the MDR, and do only international becaue rich cruising Germans are sick of German food, I will not like that either, I like high end German food,. 

 

I will have to ask on email  if with the refurb they will also eliminate bathtubs in most base cabins because big showers and not a tub are more popular. The new expedition cruises have no tubs except in the Grand Suites. SS at least offers a few tubs in cheap suites.

 

Steamboats, if you know more, would love to hear it!  Maybe I am overreacting.

 

 

 

 

[steamboats]

Catlover,

 

Sorry, I don´t have anymore than the official press release. There´s nothing said about the cabins/suites. The press release was focused on dining and spa/fitness.

 

steamboats

[vistaman]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 7:47 AM, steamboats said:

Catlover,

 

Sorry, I don´t have anymore than the official press release. There´s nothing said about the cabins/suites. The press release was focused on dining and spa/fitness.

 

steamboats

I think on board the MS Europa the authentic German favourites and touches always would be maintained

Also the Bavarian lunch  ( however under a tropical sun - i never was on board so far with heavy heath )  and the rural buffet in the evening ( with all the cold cuts, tartar both from beef as from veal even from pork "hackfleish" )  and the evergreens as duck, liver from veal ...

Catlover do not forget the Europa  entirely does focus on the German market - both of us are one of the few  exceptions  on board!

[steamboats]

4 hours ago, vistaman said:

Also the Bavarian lunch  ( however under a tropical sun - i never was on board so far with heavy heath ) 

 

The last thing I need on a cruise ship is a Bavarian lunch 😂 or an "Oktoberfest"!!!

 

Living in Munich for 40 years now especially the Oktoberfest are the worst 16 days of the year for me. And I´m really picky about my Obazda which I prefer to prepare on my own. So usually an a cruise ship I try to stay away from those events. Being "raised" up on Franconian wine I never became a beer drinker anyway.

 

steamboats

[Catlover54]

As I said, I worry HL is aware that Germans, especially younger ones, are getting tired of German food as being too ordinary and want “international” on luxury cruises, so there is no Bavarian lunch on the newer ship E2 though it still is allowed on older Europa and fills up quickly with many older pax

They bring out Blutwurst , the better Schinken, and most importantly, SCHMALZ,  on Oktoberfest, which I could make a meal of on good bread. I drank wine last time, so did my German friend ( she was raised on it in wine country),you can order anything you want but the beer and bottomless Schnapps have no charge then.

 

How can you resist this?

 

 

[steamboats]

5 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

How can you resist this?

 

 

 

I can! 😂😂

 

steamboats

[English Voyager]

HL's German language website has details of the changes taking effect from October 2019, including the cruises during which Kevin Fehling will be on board:

 

https://www.hl-cruises.de/schiffe/ms-europa/neuheiten-auf-der-europa

[English Voyager]

HL has posted a, German language, video re Kevin Fehling's The Globe restaurant.

 

 

[steamboats]

Here are some photos of the recent refurb of the Europa.

 

https://www.cruisetricks.de/europa-renovierung-zum-20-geburtstag-gewohnter-charme-frisches-flair/

 

steamboats

[English Voyager]

4 hours ago, steamboats said:

Here are some photos of the recent refurb of the Europa.

 

https://www.cruisetricks.de/europa-renovierung-zum-20-geburtstag-gewohnter-charme-frisches-flair/

 

steamboats

Thank you for posting the article, and photos.

 

H-L certainly go to town on it's biannual refurbs.

[vistaman]

I was lucky to visit her in my hometown.  It is - as always by Hapag Lloyd  - beautifully done  .  The Europa restaurant does have far more tables for  2  and the very popular Venezia is bigger now, still lead by the very popular Italian maitre d'h.   

The restaurant by Keving Fehling is having not so many tables and gives more the feeling of a cosy lounge;

I think with  such an elaborate  style of cooking , it simply  would be impossible to add more places.

I am afraid i was unable to see the newly added restaurant. 

For a while ( after done so many cruises )  I had it with the previous  formal style of cruising ( also on other companies) , now the MS Europa is having a greater power of attraction once again.