Hamburg. On 30 May the “M/V Prince Albert II” of Silversea Cruises called at the Hamburg Cruise Center for the first time. This maiden call by the royal cruiser was accompanied by the fountains of the fire fighting boat and musicians playing at the pier.

With a length of 108 meters and a passenger capacity of 132, the “M/V Prince Albert II” is the smallest ship to dock at the Hamburg Cruise Center in the 2009 season. Christened by Prince Albert of Monaco, the cruiser joined the Silversea Cruises in June 2008, offering for the most part luxury trips and expedition cruises.

Before leaving from Hamburg on 1 June for its first visit to the Arctic, the “M/V Prince Albert II” had made a short trip (from 30 May to 1 June) to List on the island of Sylt and back to the Hanseatic metropolis. It is now embarked on an eight-day expedition cruise between Hamburg, Scotland and Norway. The ship will be putting in first at the British port of Newcastle and Aberdeen in Scotland before proceeding further towards Trondheim, its final destination.

This cruise is offered by the Silversea shipping company in response to the increasing demand from a European clientele for luxurious cruises in the north of Europe. Attractive routes and theme cruises in this region are being marketed by the Atlantic Alliance – a marketing project aimed at popularising western and northern European cruise destinations. Many of these uniquely interesting ports can be reached from Hamburg, a member of the Atlantic Alliance. More information will be found at www.atlanticalliance.eu.