Hapag-Lloyd Expands Into North American Market

**Ally** · 03-13-2007, 07:36 AM

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a German line, appointed a dedicated public relations executive and a marketing partner to help promote its offerings in the North American market.

The company will introduce an advertising campaign this spring and will offer more bilingual cruises than ever in 2007. KAI will serve as the marketing and public relations office and will supervise the advertising campaign. KAI, a full service travel marketing company is located in Commack, N.Y., a suburb of New York City.

KAI specializes in promoting the travel and tourism industries. KAI's Cindy Tanenbaum heads up the public relations efforts for Hapag-Lloyd in North America. Until recently, Tanenbaum was the director of U.S. public relations for Swan Hellenic Cruises, which is ceasing operations in March. Hapag-Lloyd offers four ships.

The Europa, the fleet's flagship, is the only cruise liner to have been awarded five-star-plus distinction by the Berlitz Cruise Guide from 2001 to 2007. The exploration ships Hanseatic and Bremen are designed for travel in polar regions and destinations off the beaten track.

The Columbus is the only oceangoing cruise liner in the Great Lakes in 2007. "Hapag-Lloyd has great potential in the North American market," said Sebastian Ahrens, managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. "One of the biggest secrets in the cruise industry is that Hapag-Lloyd ships, including the Europa, the ship known as the world's most beautiful yacht, have already been catering to English-speaking passengers for some years. As more and more Americans are drawn to the allure of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the company will continue to expand its schedule of bilingual (German/English) sailings to accommodate a wider American market." Destination highlights for 2007 include the Arctic, Antarctica, the Amazon, Australia, the Black Sea, the Caribbean, the Gambia River, the Great Lakes, Greenland, Iceland, Indonesia, the Mediterranean and the South Pacific.

For more information, call 877-445-7447 or visit Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cruises, Cruise, Travel.