hapag lloyd cruises 2023

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet

Hanseatic spirit, hanseatic inspiration, hanseatic nature, ms europa 2, review of hapag-lloyd cruises.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (officially Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten, hl-cruises.com) is a premium travel brand a Hamburg Germany -based company part of TUI AG (via its subsidiary TUI Cruises GmbH ). Between 2017-2020, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises was fully owned by Hapag-Lloyd AG (German-Chilean shipping company, one of the world's oldest) which is currently ranked the world's 5th largest container shipping line in terms of fleet capacity.

On February 7, 2020, TUI AG (aka TUI Group) announced that Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (as of 2020 valued ~EUR 1,2 billion / ~USD 1,36 billion) becomes part of TUI Cruises (50-50 joint venture between TUI and RCCL-Royal Caribbean ). The contract was signed in Hamburg (on Feb 7), the cash transaction from RCCL (~EUR 700 million) was closed on July 6, 2020. The company's current CEO is Julian Pfitzner.

The Hanover Germany-based TUI AG (British-German multinational) is currently ranked the world's largest leisure and travel company. It was founded in 1923 and until 2002 was named "Preussag AG". TUI Group's companies specialize in hospitality and tourism services worldwide, with a portfolio including passenger airlines, cruise shipping (shipowner), package vacations, hotels and resorts, travel agencies, retail shops.

Company history

The Hapag-Lloyd company was founded in 1970 as a merger between two of Germany's oldest steamship companies - "Hamburg-Amerikanische Packfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft" (Hapag) and "Norddeutscher Lloyd". Both companies were created in the 1840s for shipping freight and passengers via Transatlantic crossings between Germany and the USA.

On July 12, 2017, TUI AG sold its remaining 8,5 million shares in Hapag-Lloyd AG, which raised about EUR 244 million. The operation was an open market block trade (Accelerated Book Building) to a guaranteed minimum price close to the day’s market closing. Prior to this trade (March 2017), TUI AG disposed of a total of 6 million Hapag-Lloyd shares in individual open-market transactions. By disposing of all its Hapag-Lloyd shares, TUI AG concluded corporation's non-core business disposal program defined after the TUI AG and TUI Travel PLC merger in December 2014. The revenues were used for TUI's tourism business (hotel brands and cruise ships).

In 2017, the brand Hapag-Lloyd Cruises reported record average daily rates of EUR 594 (pp per day) or an increase of 2,6% over 2016. In 2017 the company also reported highest-ever customer satisfaction and quality ratings. Company's average daily ticket prices increased as follows - 2011 (EUR 399), 2012 (EUR 420), 2013 (EUR 450), 2014 (EUR 536), 2015-2016 (EUR 579), 2017 (EUR 594).

For FY2018 (fiscal year), TUI Group's earnings (from the 3 cruise brands - TUI, Marella, and Hapag-Lloyd) increased by 10,7% - to EUR 901,9 million. Company's turnover was EUR 324 million (26,8% increase over 2017). Group's average daily rates increased to EUR 178 euro (TUI, up from EUR 173), EUR 141 (Marella, up from EUR 131) and EUR 615 (Hapag-Lloyd, up from EUR 594).

From July 2020 onwards, HL's fleet will use only LS-MGO (low sulfur marine gasoil) with max S content 0,1%).

Hapag-Lloyd cruising experience

As a product, HL Cruises offers higher-end luxury travel deals, featuring:

All Hapag-Lloyd's cruise liners offer in-port and shipboard experiences ranging from zodiac expedition to luxury. Vessels are budget-wise, as fares are on the high side. Hanseatic and Bremen are expedition ships with the highest given to passenger ships E4 ice-class rating allowing year-round Antarctic and Arctic navigation. Bremen is 4-starred, while Hanseatic is 5-starred and with upgraded enrichment and cuisine, plus larger cabins.

The launch of the first Hapag-Lloyd newbuild - Europa 2 - was in May 2013. The project was aimed at the ultra-luxe market and younger, more active and less luxury-minded travellers, including families (with kids facilities for toddlers to teens). MS Europa 2 is the brand's most contemporary and chic liner, featuring dynamic and sophisticated entertainment ranging from jazz club to kitchen studio (for cooking classes). Its appeal is to younger, less luxury-minded cruisers, including families.

Hapag-Lloyd's all-suite liners Europa 1 and Europa 2 provide the largest space-per-guest ratio of any cruise ships currently on the market. All Europa 2 staterooms have balconies. The Hapag-Lloyd has also marketed MS Europa 2 as company's "bilingual ship", reaching international customers with enhanced activities geared to English-speaking passenger sourcing.

Next is shown Hapag-Lloyd's new expedition cruise ship design. Three such Polar-Class vessels are currently under construction and scheduled for launch in 2019 - Hanseatic Inspiration (October) and Hanseatic Nature (April) and 2021 ( Hanseatic Spirit ).

The newbuilds are of the same design (sisterships), each with max capacity 230 passengers (199 passengers on Antarctic cruises), 3 restaurants, extensive wellness area, water sports marina (aft), a fleet of Zodiacs (large-capacity inflatable boats used for landings and shore tours).

On July 3, 2018, VARD Holdings Ltd and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises signed a shipbuilding contract for a 3rd HANSEATIC-series vessel (Spirit). The new ship is scheduled for delivery in 2021 Q2. All ships in the series have their hulls built by VARD Tulcea shipyard (Romania) .

In late-February 2019, Hapag-Lloyd announced a user-friendly digital concept for onboard learning never seen before on expedition vessels. The new "study wall" is available on the fleet's three new Hanseatic ships (Inspiration, Nature, Spirit).

The innovative touchscreen technology (screen size 6x1,8 m / 20x6 ft) allows passengers to research information and various topics related to the ship's current cruise itinerary destinations. The digital Study Wall was developed over a 2,5-year period via a partnership with two German ( Hamburg -based) companies - Intermediate Engineering GmbH, and mpg ErlebnisRaumDesign GmbH.

Digital content (articles, biographies, photos, videos) is divided into 5 categories. Most of the information is provided by GEOMAR ( Kiel Germany ), also by journalists, scientists, and experts. The Study Wall is located in Knowledge Studio (Wissens Atelier / Deck 8). The research facility also has four Study Seats (with touchscreens to explore the content), Study Poster (visual scientific explanations), a dedicated area for microscope research.

In mid-August 2017, MS Bremen (now Seaventure/1990-built) received "Polar Code" certificate that allows the vessel to operate in polar regions. All its fleet mates were also due to receive the certificate by Hapag-Lloyd’s 2018 Arctic season. Polar Code (adopted by IMO) contains regulations about polar cruise vessels' construction and onboard equipment, as well as crew training requirements. In 2017, as part of the HL fleet's routine drydocks , all ships were brought in line with the Polar Code's requirements. MS Bremen was scheduled to operate 3 Arctic cruises (2018-2019 season), including one Northeast Passage (summer 2018).

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, Hapag-Lloyd suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (all liners) by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 18, 2020, through May 2021.

HL cruise operations resumed in 2021 on May 24 (Hanseatic Inspiration/Baltic), July 9 (Hanseatic Nature/Norway), August 14 (MS Europa/Baltic from Hamburg), October 2 (Hanseatic Spirit/Asia-Japan), October 3 (Europa 2/Canaries).

All affected bookings received full refunds, including on prepurchased through HL packages and services. All current voyages were completed by March 21, 2020.

Itinerary of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

Currently, Hapag-Lloyd offers a wealth of "high-end luxury" cruises for well-heeled travellers. The line's signature destinations are the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, as well as the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, plus expedition itineraries to Antarctica and Alaska (Northwest Passage).

The current Hapag Lloyd cruise fleet includes the following vessels:

• ms Europa (1999)
• ms Europa 2 (2013)
• Hanseatic Inspiration (2019 October), Hanseatic Nature (2019 April) and Hanseatic Spirit (2021) are newbuilds /sisterships, each with max passenger capacity 230 (199 on Antarctic cruises), 3 restaurants, an extensive wellness complex, aft water sports Marina Platform.

On January 15, 2019, Hapag-Lloyd announced that MS Bremen was sold to Scylla Cruises and will be officially delivered to the new shipowner in May 2021. As of 2019, Scylla owned 31 riverboats, most of which are chartered to different European cruisetour companies.

Together with the introduction of expedition cruise catalogs for the 2020-2021 season, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also announced that low-pollutant MGO (marine gas oil) is to be exclusively used on all routes of its expedition ships (Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration) from July 2020. Joining the fleet in 2021, Hanseatic Spirit is also expected to use the fuel.

The use of low-sulfur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for a number of years and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises already uses marine gas oil voluntarily in sensitive regions like the Arctic and Kamchatka. The low-pollutant fuel features a sulfur content of just 0.1%. In addition, the new expedition ships do not only feature an SCR catalytic converter reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95% but are also fitted out to use cold ironing.

The fleet of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is also equipped with seawater desalination technology producing clean water, and with biological sewage treatment plants. Ships' bow thrusters and stabilizers run on bio-petroleum which is environmentally-friendly.

Highlights from the routes of Hapag-Lloyd expedition fleet in 2021 include:

• Hanseatic Inspiration sets sail for the Antarctic 10 times, including on a 23-day itinerary from Tierra del Fuego to South Africa through the Antarctic. The journey stretches from Cape to Cape ( Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope).
• A change of travellers in Goose Bay, northern Canada is a first as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expeditions have never started and ended there before. It makes it possible to combine a couple of spectacular expedition destinations - the icy landscapes of Greenland and the remote region of Labrador.
• Travellers can enjoy the Arctic experience on a couple of cruises on Hanseatic Inspiration. The South Africa voyage is another first, in which Hanseatic Inspiration is due for the first time to circumnavigate “the cape of wild animals”, sailing from Cape Town to Walvis Bay .
• Hanseatic Inspiration also offers expeditions in Europe and passengers can explore the Azores, the British Isles, and the coastlines of the Baltic and North Seas.

2 ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises built for the international marketplace,  ms Europa 2  and HANSEATIC inspiration, are scheduled to restart the operation of bilingual sailings from January 2022. The 5-stars plus ms Europa 2 commences the  New Year  in the Indian Ocean - on  Reunion Island ,  Mauritius , and Seychelles; and heads on to South Africa,  Cape Verde , and the Canaries, visiting  Madeira  and the Azores.

For international passengers onboard expedition cruise ship HANSEATIC inspiration, the destinations awaiting in 2022-2023 include the Great Lakes of North America; Antarctica and the Arctic; South America (the  Panama Canal  and Chilean Fjords) Cape Verde, and the Canary Islands.

Northwest Passage cruises

Hapag Lloyd was the world's first cruise line with a Northwest Passage Cruise itinerary. In 2011, MS Bremen became the world's first-ever cruise ship crossing the Passage from Kangerlussuaq Greenland to Nome Alaska . In 2012, MS Hanseatic (now RCGS Resolute) made a full transit with a 25-days itinerary leaving from Nome AK (on August 14) and ending in Reykjavik Iceland (on September 7).

(animal cruelty) The Faroe Islands cruise boycott

In mid-July 2016, Hapag-Lloyd became one of the three cruise ship companies (together with Disney and AIDA ) that have banned Faroe Islands (a Danish territory) as destination part of their North European itineraries.

The boycott is due to the island nation's traditional mass slaughter of pilot whales each year. The protected by Denmark gruesome practice of killing whales is called “Grindadrap Grind". Locals use motorboats to drive a pod of whales into a harbor. The defenseless animals are dragged to the shallow water and brutally slaughtered by locals armed with knives (16-19 cm / 6-8 inches long) while their families cheer them on. The killing party even rip out baby whales from their mothers.

The Faroe Islands have a population of about 50,000 and kill each year 1000+ pilot whales. You can see the cruise ship schedule of Torshavn - Faroe's most visited port. All cruise lines with scheduled visits to the Faroes are accused of supporting the brutal whaling practices. Whaling is still officially approved and carried out by the "civilized" countries Japan, Norway and Iceland, killing over 2000 whales each year and trading in whale products.

HL's response was to the "Faroese Pilot Whaling Act" by the local government, which continues to allow pilot whales to be culled or massacred. It also empowers local authorities to imprison (for up to 2 years) people found guilty of impeding these whaling activities - despite all the international condemnations.

Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace are among the largest organizations taking direct actions against the "Faroese Pilot Whaling Act". Most of the available online haunting images of slaughtered whales lying in a sea of blood are released by these organizations.

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Cruises 2025/26

EXPEDITION 2025/26

Hanseatic nature hanseatic inspiration hanseatic spirit.

CRUISES 2025/26

Ms europa 2.

• Cruise ships
• Expedition ship

Awarded the best cruise ship in the world by the Insight Guides 2024. It may be smaller than other cruise ships, but it is miles ahead of the crowd. With the unrivalled freedom for personal relaxation – and plenty of scope for fresh ideas, indulgence and inspiring perspectives. A cruise experience that is setting global benchmarks for luxury cruises and will fulfil your very personal notions of luxury. Look forward to the legendary familiarity of a German-speaking crew who, with a crew-to-guest ratio of almost one-to-one, will attend to your individual wishes. Perfect hospitality, down to the very last detail.

Discover new routes

Enjoy smart casual travel and a discerning lifestyle in a modern, relaxed atmosphere on the EUROPA 2 – with no formal attire, fixed mealtimes or traditional seating plans in the restaurants on board the best cruise ship in the world according to the Insight Guides 2024. Guests can look forward to individually tailored service and an outstanding amount of space and freedom – with an exceptionally luxurious, almost one-to-one ratio of crew to passengers. The EUROPA 2 combines the comfort of an exclusive resort with the flexibility of a yacht that can also visit small harbours and places off the beaten track. And thanks to the wide variety of cruises, you now have new options for discovering unforgettable destinations.

The new expedition class

Our state of the art ships are in an expedition league of its own, offering you adventure and comfort at the highest level – in the polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctica) as well as destinations such as South America and the South Seas. Even the legendary sea routes such as the Northwest Passages are on our itinerary. There are also beautiful, secret spots to be explored first-hand on the coasts of Europe. Get up close to the wonders of creation, and see the world through new eyes.

Please note: The HANSEATIC nature and HANSEATIC spirit will be a German-speaking ship, with all cruises conducted in German only. The HANSEATIC inspiration will be an international ship, with all cruises conducted in both English and German.

• Cruiseturtle
• Cruise News
• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises new catalog 2023 to 2024

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises new catalog 2023 / 2024

March 31, 2022 - Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the experienced provider of luxury and expedition travel, publishes the main catalog for the 2023/2024 season of the new expedition class and opens the booking channels.

The program for the three ships HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit includes more than 70 voyages worldwide - including the half circumnavigation of Antarctica, the Inside Passage in Alaska and the legendary Northwest Passage. The versatile routes also include expedition trips in Europe without long flights and winter adventures to and from Hamburg.

Hapag Lloyd Ice Fleet in Antarctica

• Hapag-Lloyd Cruises publishes the main catalog of the new expedition class for voyages from September 2023 to September 2024
• Nine expedition voyages to Antarctica - including the 35-day semi-circumnavigation from South America to New Zealand
• Expedition with a pioneering spirit: Franz-Josef-Land and north-east Spitsbergen
• Premiere in North America: for the Indian Summer in the Great Lakes
• Scandinavia in winter: northern lights in Norway and ice in the Baltic Sea
• New adventure around South America

Near and far, icy and tropical. The three small, manoeuvrable ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' new expedition class, equipped with the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC6), the most modern technology and the latest environmental standards such as shore power and SCR catalytic converters, will be on more than 2023 voyages in the 2024/70 season to sail the world's seas. Expedition adventures with nature experiences, experienced scientists and experts on board as well as the well-known comfort and service of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises await the guests.

Thrilling peak in the ice

The southern and northern polar regions are once again a focal point in the new main catalogue. In addition to impressive animal observations, guests can look forward to a wondrous world of glaciers, lonely expanses and bizarre ice formations. Nine expedition voyages lead to Antarctica between November 2023 and March 2024. In addition to the large expedition route with the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and the Antarctic Circle, the HANSEATIC spirit, on which only adults aged 2023 and over will travel from the 2024/16 season, will be used during the semi-circumnavigation Antarctica in 35 days from Ushuaia (Argentina) via the Antarctic mainland and the islands of the New Zealand sub-Antarctic to Christchurch (New Zealand).

There will be an icy premiere in the summer of 2024 with the HANSEATIC inspiration. During the Franz-Josef-Land and Northeast Spitsbergen expedition, two of the most remote island groups in the Arctic are combined on one route for the first time in 17 days far away from civilization. Also in the summer of 2024, the HANSEATIC inspiration explores Svalbard four times, while the HANSEATIC nature discovers the volcanic wonderland in the Arctic Circle on two expedition trips around Iceland. In September 2024, those interested can look forward to the contrast of ice and lush green forests when the HANSEATIC inspiration travels to Greenland, Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River on the expedition. The HANSEATIC spirit will navigate one of the most famous sea routes in the world, the Northwest Passage, in September 2024. It will then take the route from Seward (Alaska) to Kangerlussuaq (Greenland).

Premiere trips in North and South America

The HANSEATIC inspiration will take guests to the North American Great Lakes four times during the Indian Summer in autumn 2023 and 2024. Thanks to the retractable bridge wing, the ship is predestined for the locks and canals of the lake landscape. Overwhelming natural spectacles are also on the program in South and Central America. In November 2023, the HANSEATIC inspiration will embark on a tour from Colon to Valparaíso and pass through the legendary Panama Canal. At the same time, the HANSEATIC spirit is completing a premiere voyage: the expedition “Around South America” takes 21 days from Montevideo (Uruguay) via Cape Horn to Puerto Montt (Chile), thus uniting the regions of Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean fjords.

Natural and cultural treasures of Europe and Asia

At the request of many guests, the HANSEATIC nature will increasingly travel in European waters and thus offer expeditions without long flights. For example, the Azores, Andalusia and Catalonia, nature experiences around Ireland, winter polar light trips to Norway and the winter adventure in Lapland are on the program. The HANSEATIC spirit will initially go to New Zealand and the South Seas in early 2024, as well as island hopping to Papua New Guinea and Palau. This is followed by an expedition to Micronesia, where guests will discover remote atolls and exotic cultures before heading to seldom-visited locations on Japan's west coast.

Expeditions at five-star level

The three small ships are identical in construction and designed for a maximum of 230 passengers. On trips to the Antarctic and around Spitsbergen, a maximum of 199 guests travel, who are spoiled by the crew with five-star service. Special features of the expedition ships are the two retractable glass balconies on the pool deck and the gallery at the bow, from where guests can watch the passing landscape from the front row. All trips are accompanied by selected, renowned scientists and experts from all over the world. These give the guests insights and background knowledge of the regions traveled to. The on-board language on the HANSEATIC nature and the HANSEATIC spirit is German, on the HANSEATIC inspiration the program is in German and English.

Travel examples

Spring awakening in the icy south:.

The major route of the southern polar regions takes the HANSEATIC inspiration into springtime in the icy south with dreamy landscapes between ice formations and glaciers. From Ushuaia via the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Antarctic Peninsula to Ushuaia, 29.11. – 19.12.2023 (20 days). Bookable from 16.330 euros including arrival and departure package.

Winter Adventure Lapland (NAT2403):

Discover new territory from Hamburg. The HANSEATIC nature is heading north to Lapland. A winter experience with Northern Lights, reindeer and dog sledding activities, snowshoeing, snowmobile safari and Nordic cosiness. From Hamburg to Hamburg, 4.02. – 19.2.2024/15/8.790 (XNUMX days). Bookable from XNUMX euros including arrival and departure package.

Expedition Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Palau (SPI2406):

During this expedition, the HANSEATIC spirit takes guests on island hopping to the other end of the world. Departing from New Caledonia, the small expedition ship sets course for hidden pearls in the Pacific, including the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Palau. From Noumea to Palau, 18.04/11.05.2024 – 23/15.990/XNUMX (XNUMX days). Bookable from XNUMX euros including arrival and departure package.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers

To the overview of the current offers at E-Hoi.

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises achieved the highest scores in Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships , formerly known as Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, released this month.

A total of 341 ships were evaluated in the process, and all five luxury and expedition ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises received the highest scores. They were the only ships in the world to be awarded five stars by Insight Guides. This achievement earns Hapag-Lloyd Cruises the coveted title of ‘Best Fleet Worldwide.’

Due to the global pandemic, the Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships guidebook has been on pause since 2019. Now, the renowned cruise ship and cruise experience guidebook returns under a new name. Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships, released on 1 October 2023, marks the 39th edition of the independent cruise guidebook. This compilation is the result of meticulous evaluations of hundreds of ships and cruise lines worldwide and confirms Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as the world’s premier ships.

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In the category of small ships with 251 to 750 passengers, EUROPA 2 took the top spot with the highest score of all reviews, earning the title of the ‘Top-Rated Cruise Ship in the World,’ with her sister ship MS EUROPA close behind.

The expedition ship the HANSEATIC spirit claimed the top spot among boutique ships with 50 to 250 guests, followed closely by the identical expedition newbuilds, the HANSEATIC inspiration and the HANSEATIC nature .

“The recognition of the daily efforts of the crews on board and on land, their dedication to exceptional quality and excellence brings me great joy and pride,” said Julian Pfitzner, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises . “At the same time, it serves as motivation for the future.”

Lead image: Douglas Ward, author of the Insight Guides Cruising & Cruise Ships, congratulates Julian Pfitzner, CEO Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, © Hapag-Lloyd Cruises/Wyrwa

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Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Inspiration Enters Drydock in Germany

• May 17, 2024

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Inspiration is currently undergoing a drydock at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.

After completing a repositioning cruise to Northern Europe, the expedition ship arrived at the facility on May 13, 2024.

The Hanseatic Inspiration is now set to undergo routine maintenance, in addition to class work and technical overhauls.

The 230-guest vessel is also expected to receive upkeep of its hotel areas, including replacement of carpets, upholstery and more.

Following the work, the Hanseatic Inspiration is set to resume service on May 23, 2024. On that day, the ship will set sail from Bremerhaven for an eight-night cruise to several destinations in Germany.

Sailing to Hamburg, the one-way voyage features visits to Binz, Poel Island, Wismar, Heligoland and Silt, in addition to an overnight call in Cuxhaven.

The Hanseatic Inspiration is also scheduled to transit the Kiel Canal before arriving at its final destination on May 31, 2024.

The ship is set to offer a series of expedition cruises to the Arctic and Northern Europe during the 2024 summer season. The program features itineraries to Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland and more.

In September, the Hanseatic Inspiration is also scheduled to offer cruises to the Great Lakes. Sailing from Toronto and Milwaukee, the 13- to 16-night itineraries feature visits to several destinations in Canada and the United States.

The vessel will then reposition to South America to kick off a winter season that includes expeditions to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

Purpose-designed to offer expedition cruises in remote areas and polar regions, the Hanseatic Inspiration originally entered service in October 2019 .

A sister ship to the Hanseatic Nature, the 16,100-ton vessel was built by the VARD Langsten shipyard in Norway.

A third sister ship, the Hanseatic Spirit, was also built by the same facility and entered service for Hapag-Lloyd in 2021.

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3 Cruise Stocks to Buy as Viking Makes Waves With Blockbuster IPO

C ruise stocks got another player on April 30 when Viking Holdings (NYSE: VIK ) sold 73.6 million shares to the public at $24, making it the largest IPO so far in 2024. 

The cruise industry has come back from the darkest period in its history. More people traveled on cruises in 2023 (31.7 million passengers or 107% of 2019 volume) than ever before. By 2027, experts expect to see 39.4 million passengers travel on a cruise.

While Viking didn’t get all of the proceeds from the IPO (its insiders received 85% of the proceeds of the shares sold), the listing valued the luxury cruise operator at $14.25 billion, including $5.4 billion in debt and $1.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents. 

Its enterprise value at the $24 IPO price was 13.1x its 2023 adjusted EBITDA of $1.09 billion. Viking shares gained nearly 9% in its first day of trading and were up 18.8% as of May 10. 

If you’re a shareholder of a cruise operator, you’ve got to be very happy with Viking’s successful IPO. 

What are the best cruise stocks to buy? Here are my three choices.

Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL )

Royal Caribbean Cruises will always hold a special place in my heart because my wife and I got married on one of their cruise ships back in 2005.

I’ve long stated that the cruise industry will continue to benefit from the value proposition provided to its passengers relative to other trips. As I mentioned in the introduction, the number of passengers taking a cruise is expected to continue to grow over the next few years. 

Royal Caribbean should be the biggest beneficiary of this growth. It currently has 65 ships worldwide travelling to over 1,000 destinations. In addition to owning the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises brands, it also has 50% ownership of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Further, it has eight ships on order that will add to its passenger capacity as they’re delivered. 

At the end of April, Royal Caribbean reported Q1 2024 results. Between record bookings and strong onboard spending, the company’s business is in excellent shape. It expects to earn $10.80 in adjusted earnings per share in 2024, at the midpoint of its guidance. 

That’s just 13x its EPS guidance and 11.4x its EBITDA. In 2019, RCL stock traded at 17x EBITDA, suggesting that its shares are significantly undervalued, despite gaining 85% over the past year. 

Viking Holdings ( NYSE:VIK )

I chose Viking because its net debt of $3.9 billion is just 3.6x EBITDA, which is lower than Royal Caribbean. RCL has a total debt of $21.04 billion and cash and cash equivalents of $437 million, for a net debt of $20.60 billion. That translates to 4.2x its trailing 12-month EBITDA of $5.06 billion.

Further, Viking’s River business has a unique selling proposition relative to other large cruise operators. It owns 80 river vessels, each accommodating 190 guests, with 18 on delivery by 2026. Founded in 1997 with four river ships, the segment generated $2.34 billion in revenue and $389 million in operating income in 2023.  

Meanwhile, VIK’s Ocean business has nine ocean ships, with six more to be delivered by 2028. These ships hold as many as 998 guests per cruise. The segment delivered an operating income of $441 million in 2023 on revenue of $1.95 billion.   

While the operating margins of its ocean ships (22.7%) are much higher than those of its river ships (16.6%), the cost to build the former is much higher than the latter. VIK’s IPO prospectus points out that the six ocean ships to be delivered by 2028 cost an average of $488 million compared to $42 million for each of the river ships. Further, the useful life of the river ships is about 40% longer. 

“Our core demographic of curious, affluent travelers aged 55 years and older, which we believe is an attractive segment that continues to be significantly underserved,” stated the company in its IPO prospectus. 

Carnival ( NYSE:CCL )

Carnival is the lowest on my list of cruise stocks to buy. However, its net debt is $29.77 billion, or 6.2x EBITDA, which compares favorably to $13.19 billion or 6.5x EBITDA for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE: NCLH ).

Another two reasons to consider Carnival stock are its financials and occupancy rates. First, its revenue in Q1 2024 increased by 22%, while it generated a positive operating income of $276 million, 260% higher than a year ago. Second, its occupancy percentage in the quarter increased by 11 percentage points, to 102%. A figure over 100% means that more than two people occupied some cabins daily. 

Further, customer deposits reached $6.95 billion at the end of Q1 2024, up 9.4% from $6.35 billion in Q4 2023. More importantly, that was up 87.8% from $3.7 billion in Q1 2022 and 41.8% higher than Q1 2020.    

Also, in good news if you follow analyst ratings, 15 out of the 16 analysts covering CCL stock rate it a buy, with a $22.31 price target, 48.1% higher than its current share price. 

Of the three, Carnival gives me the least excitement about its future. That said, its business has improved dramatically in the past couple of years. 

On the date of publication, Will Ashworth did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines .

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