Tag Archives: kiel

Hapag-Lloyd Ships Meet Off the Coast of Norway

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Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ luxury vessels met in the open sea earlier this month.

Sailing off the coast of Norway, the Europa and the Europa 2 held a ceremony to mark the occasion.

With crew members from both ships meeting in boats, Europa’s Captain Dag Dvergastein handed over a bottle of champagne, along with a greeting message.

Sören Anderl, the Captain of Europa 2, also offered a bottle of champagne, in addition to his own greeting message.

According to Hapag-Lloyd, the ceremony ended with the ships sounding their horns, while passengers and crew waved at each other.

Cruising from Kiel to Hamburg, the Europa was offering a 13-night itinerary to Norway during the encounter.

Sailing all the way to the Cape North, the itinerary included visits to several sites in the Scandinavian country, including Eidfjord, Alesund, Skarsvarg, Tromso, Leknes, Skjolden, Stavanger and Oslo.

Also sailing in the region, the Europa 2 was offering an eight-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. Sailing between Kiel and Bergen, the itinerary featured Oslo, Arendal, Stavanger, Olden, Molde, Vik and Flam as ports of call.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, the Europa 2 entered service in May 2013. With eight restaurants, six bars, a large spa, a fitness complex and multiple facilities, the 516-guest ship is said to offer the greatest space per passenger in the entire industry.

Replacing the 1981-built Europa, the Europa was built at the Kvaerner Masa-Yard in Finland and entered service in 1999.

According to Hapag-Lloyd, the 401-guest ship helped set global standards for luxury cruising and offers an “incomparable amount of freedom,” with amenities that include a pool deck, a spa and several bars and restaurants.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also operates a fleet of three purpose-built expedition ships, the Hanseatic Nature, the Hanseatic Inspiration and the Hanseatic Spirit.

Carnival Pride Cruise Cancelled After Technical Issue

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Carnival Pride in Alsund, Norway photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Carnival Cruise Line cancelled the upcoming cruise onboard the Carnival Pride following a technical issue with the vessel.

Scheduled to sail roundtrip from Dover, England, on July 21, the nine-night itinerary was set to visit the British Islands and Ireland.

According to a statement published by Brand Ambassador John Heald, following the technical issue, the Carnival Pride made an unplanned stop in Kiel, Germany, to board expert technicians.

While work onboard is underway to get the ship back to Dover “as quickly as possible,” it was necessary to cancel the upcoming departure, the statement said.

“We know you have been looking forward to your summer cruise and are very sorry to share this unexpected, last-minute news,” Carnival added.

Affected passengers will be offered different compensation and options, based on their current location and plans.

Those who have not yet travelled to Europe will receive a full refund and a 100 per cent future cruise credit (FCC), plus any airline cancellation fees, Carnival stated.

Meanwhile, the passengers already in Europe will receive reimbursement for the expenses related to the cancelled cruise.

These guests will be eligible to receive a refund of two nights of hotel accommodation (up to $300 per night) and food per diem of US$100 per day, per person, beginning on Friday.

Carnival is also covering airline fees in case the passengers decide to return home now.

“Based on when we can make the repairs and return the ship to Dover, we may be able to operate a revised itinerary with a shorter cruise that will end in Dover on the originally scheduled debarkation date of Sunday, July 30,” the company added.

If a shorter cruise does go ahead, Carnival will provide a prorated refund of the original cruise fare, in addition to offering a to-be-determined amount of onboard credit.

Carnival is also said to be exploring any availability on seven-day cruises onboard its sister brands out of Southampton on July 22.

Passengers currently onboard in Germany, meanwhile, can opt to return to the United Kingdom or to stay onboard.

“Our team has been busy exploring all options to get you back to the UK so you can catch your return flights home or continue your vacation in Europe,” the company said in a statement delivered onboard.

“We cannot project when the Carnival Pride will depart for Dover, but for those guests with flexibility, you may stay on the ship until Dover if that is an option for you,” the letter said, adding that the extended period onboard won’t have any cost to the guest.

All passengers who boarded the vessel on July 9 will also receive a one-day prorated refund of their cruise fare plus a 25 per cent future cruise credit.

Sophia Loren to Name MSC Euribia in Copenhagen

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MSC Cruises announced that Oscar-winning actress Sophia Loren will name the cruise line’s 19th ship, the MSC Euribia at a ceremony scheduled for June 8 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to having the Hollywood star name the ship, the ceremony will be hosted by television personality, model and actress Sarah Grünewald, who will serve as the Master of the Ceremony.

Guests can expect the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne over the bow of the ship, a special gala dinner and a range of live performances, including a DJ set from the popular French DJ and record producer, Bob Sinclar

Following the naming ceremony, the MSC Euribia will start sailing seven-night cruises in Northern Europe departing from Kiel, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark. The ship will explore Norwegian Fjords including Geiranger, Ålesund, and Flaam.

At the event in Copenhagen, guests will have the chance to catch a glimpse of the new ships’ features and amenities including Street. 2023, artwork by British artist Julian Opie; The Carousel Lounge; MSC Foundation Lab, an area dedicated to kids; five speciality restaurants including Le Grill and more.