Hapag-Lloyd’s international push

**Ally** · 06-25-2007, 05:04 AM

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is engaged in a push to gain more English-speaking passengers. ‘Our aim is to carry between 15-20% English speaking guests and 75-80% German speaking, managing director Sebastian Ahrens tells media. International target groups include the US, UK, Scandinavian and Benelux countries.

‘We know that you cannot just take our traditional German language product and throw it into the international market’, explains Ahrens. ‘So throughout 2007 Hapag Lloyd is offering a total of 22 dual-language itineraries on certain Europa, Bremen, Hanseatic and Columbus sailings, with all the essential elements in both German and English including English-speaking expedition leaders and lecturers, shorexs, menus and on-board literature and announcements.’

Using targetted PR and local travel trade partners around 5-7% of the company’s bookings this year have been sourced internationally reports Ahrens. In 2008, a total of 25 cruises will be marketed internationally including five cruises on Europa in the South Seas, Micronesia, the Baltic, the Med and a South African/Mauritius voyage. ‘We are selling a European-style luxury cruise which is very refined,’ says Ahrens.

Hapag Lloyd’s 5-star expedition ship Hanseatic recently emerged from dry-dock in Blohm+Voss where all bathrooms were refurbished and all lounges re-painted (bar one). Nearly 2,500sq mtr of new flooring was laid and 600 chairs renewed or replaced.

On 408-passenger ultra luxury ship Europa, the spa was re-designed and four new spa suites added during a dry dock at Mariotti last month. Each suite includes a hot tub plus a naturally-light bathroom with a window that looks out into the balconied cabin. The show lounge was also upgraded.

Asked by media if Hapag Lloyd Cruises is contemplating joining the band of other luxury operators who have recently placed orders for new ships, Ahrens said he would only talk about that when there was something concrete to say.