Top Ship in the World

PHOTO: Europa 2 now has the title of world’s top-rated cruise ship.

It’s the world’s top-rated cruise ship and many of your upscale clients probably have never even heard of it. That’s the reality for Europa 2, which made its first trip stateside, to New York City, just before the New Year. Docked blocks from Times Square, the German ship showcased what $360 million can buy in a 500-guest luxury vessel.

Since the ship’s christening in May 2013, Europa 2 has been named the number-one ship in the world by the “Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships,” considered by many to be the Bible of cruise ship guidebooks. Europa 2 claimed the top spot by beating out Europa, its fleetmate, which had held the honor for more than a decade. Despite these accolades, both ships from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises remain largely unknown in English-speaking markets.

“The question I hear most in the U.S. is, ‘Is this the best cruise vessel in the world? I’ve never heard of it… and you are meant to be the best in the world?’ Normally you know the best in the world,” says Julian Pfitzner, Europa 2’s director of product management. “Before we simply didn’t have the product. That’s why we didn’t do any sales in the U.S. or in the U.K. Now we have the product and we’re pushing it very hard. We’re getting more and more passengers, but it takes a little while because we are a small company and the U.S. is a very big country.”

Both Hapag-Lloyd ships boast some of the highest per diems in the industry. They also feature two very different styles of cruising. Hapag-Lloyd executives like to bill Europa 2 as “21 knots and no tie,” meaning there’s no captain’s dinner or packed cruise itinerary. The ship harbors a more-relaxed atmosphere and targets couples, families and solo travelers alike. Europa 2’s fleetmate, however, is much more traditional.

“A cruise on Europa will offer you a daily schedule for 14 days until you come home,” Pfitzner says. “Those will be the best 14 days but you’ll come home and say, ‘I’m happy to be back on the sofa and relax.’ Europa 2 works the other way around. It’s 14 days off on vacation. It provides service you want when you want it. We plan everything you might like.”

Hapag-Lloyd, which also features two expedition-type vessels as part of its fleet, is now in the midst of a North American promotion as it expands its international outreach. The line is focused on attracting English-speakers and Europa 2 is the product that Hapag-Lloyd executives believe is best suited to achieve that. The goal is to have 10 to 15 percent non-German-speaking passengers on every cruise.

Apparently that objective is being met — and then some. According to recent figures, Hapag-Lloyd’s four vessels have seen a 60 percent increase in international passengers. Europa 2 alone has seen a 240 percent boost in such guests.

One concern that American guests may have about a cruise on a Hapag-Lloyd ship is language. But don’t worry: speaking German is not required to enjoy your time aboard Europa 2, which caters to guests in both English and German. There might be an occasional language barrier, with 95 percent of the staff in restaurants and bars being German, but crewmembers are required to be fluent in English. “This is an important market for us and it’s good for the atmosphere on board,” Pfitzner said.

So what else makes Europe 2 the ritziest ship in the industry? Here are five more reasons why it is the top-rated cruise ship and remains positioned to retain that title in the future:

Get more space onboard: Europa 2 is literally wasting space, something Hapag-Lloyd executives are the first to admit. You could practically fit another deck on the ship and still have the normal ceiling heights of other cruise vessels. Indeed, Europa 2 has the greatest space per passenger in the industry, besting such competitors as Silversea and Seabourn.

PHOTO: A grand suite on Europa 2 comes with over 550 square feet of living space.

There are a total of 251 suites in eight different categories. The smallest stateroom is 301 square feet, and all rooms come with their own balconies. There’s no squeezing in inner cabins. The grand ocean suite, or spa suite, is the next level up in terms of size. These cabins can’t accommodate a walk-in closet because there’s a window in the bathroom, which allows guests to look out at the sea while bathing in their whirlpool tubs.

Dine when you want, how you want: Good luck sticking with that New Year’s resolution to lose weight if you’re cruising on Europa 2. Yes, there is a world-class spa with brand-new fitness equipment, but the odds are against you. On a normal night, 120 different dishes are served à la carte in the ship’s restaurants. Fifty-six cooks serve up to 500 passengers scattered among seven different restaurants.

PHOTO: Restaurant Weltmeere, the largest restaurant on the ship, serves international cuisine.

German fare is not typically served either. There are French-, Italian-, Japanese- and Asian-themed dining venues to choose from, and guests are encouraged to move around. Food is included in the fare, but guests do have to pay for drinks. This might seem bizarre to many luxury travelers, who are accustomed to all-inclusive packages on a cruise.

“All inclusive to me as the businessman means I need to calculate an average everybody is consuming, and then I’m buying spirits, fine wines and alcohols which are meeting this average,” Pfitzner says. “And average is a word which to me doesn’t fit together in a sentence with Europa 2 because nothing about this vessel is average. Of course we understand that in the U.S. and U.K. markets, all-inclusive is a big thing.” To compensate international passengers, however, Hapag-Lloyd is now offering an onboard beverage credit of up to 200 euros per person on Europa 2.

Enjoy one of the largest art collections at sea: The most expensive piece of art on board hangs in the middle of a hallway nestled by an exit placard. There’s no sign or label acknowledging that this is the work of Gerhard Richter, who recently held the title of most expensive living artist at auction. The piece is one of 890 originals exclusively commissioned for the ship.

“You will never ever find out this is an expensive picture, but it simply hangs here and that is luxury for us,” Pfitzner says. “We don’t make a big sign and say ‘this is very expensive look here.’ We don’t make a fuss about it. We simply have it offered. That’s luxury.”

The art on board focuses on contemporary pieces, including creations from young European artists. The portfolio includes works from ólafur Elíasson, David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Adam Fuss and Hans Hartung.

Special attention also is paid to the art selection in suites. For example, in the two Grand Penthouse Suites and the two Owner Suites, guests enjoy works from British pop-art artist Hirst. They’re part of his portfolio The Souls I, II, III, IV, which consists of four different series of butterfly images in 80 different colors. If those are not in your cabin, Europa 2 can arrange a guided tour to see the other works on board.

Enjoy the detail in the little things: Fresh flowers give your nose a break from the salt air. A professional golfer with experience on the European tour walks a world-class course with you, fine-tuning that erratic putter. Expensive and decorative Chinese porcelain features tributes to Bugs Bunny.

These are some of the little things that make Europa 2 so luxurious and unique. The list goes on and on. In the spa, there’s a private deck where guests can relax after their treatments. Guests also get instruction in how to cook from a top-notch culinary school.

Get a wide selection of gins: It might seem to be an odd choice, especially for a German-owned ship, but there are more than 200 different gins available on Europa 2. In fact, Hapag-Lloyd boasts that this is the largest gin collection in the industry —a nd it’s also constantly evolving. The crew frequently picks up local bottles in ports across the world so guests can taste how other cultures embrace the power of the juniper berry.

When it comes to picking a favorite, Monkey 47, which hails from Germany’s Black Forest and is named in part for the number of botanicals required to make it, is quite popular onboard. While sailing in France, however, guests might opt for a French export made of grapes.

For more information on Europa 2 and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, call 011-49-40-3070-3050, email info@hi-cruises.com or visit www.hl-cruises.com.