Keel Laid for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ 3rd New Expedition Ship

On July 16, Romanian shipyard Vard Tulcea held a keel laying ceremony for Hanseatic Spirit, the third expedition vessel in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic series.

Hanseatic Spirit is a sister ship of Hanseatic Nature, which was launched in May this year, and Hanseatic Inspiration, which is still under construction.

Unlike its sister vessels, the 15,650 GT Hanseatic Spirit will be the company’s first adults-only ship. With a length of 139 meters and a width of 22 meters, the cruise vessel will be able to accommodate up to 230 passengers.

The newbuild would complete the new class of expedition ships of the Hamburg-based cruise company when it enters the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet in May 2021.

MÜNZ-ZEREMONIE! Heute wurde die #HANSEATICspirit auf Kiel gelegt. Das dritte #Expeditionsschiff komplettiert als Adults-only-Schiff im Mai 2021 die neue Expeditionsklasse. Buchungsstart für die ersten Reisen von Mai bis September 2021 ist der 23.Juli 2019. https://t.co/bAzpIZXc49 pic.twitter.com/vqBpzLxTZd

— Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (@HLCruises) July 16, 2019

Following the keel laying, Vard Tulcea, part of the Italian Fincantieri Group, will build the ship’s outer hull. The interior will be fitted out in Norway.

The structurally-identical expedition ships will feature advanced equipment and environmental technologies. They will also have the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC6), meaning that they will be positioned in the polar regions, as well as in warmer destinations such as the Amazon region. The on-board Zodiacs will make it possible to land in expedition areas that do not have ports, and there will be a marina for water sports.

As informed by the cruise company, Hanseatic Spirit is expected to commence its maiden voyage from Hamburg on May 15, 2021.

World Maritime News Staff