Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced that its future strategy will be focused on luxury and expedition cruises, and is looking to grow these segments by expanding its international marketing activities. The newly-built Europa 2 – sister ship to the existing Europa – will be positioned in the 5-star luxury segment starting in May 2013. In addition to the Hanseatic and the Bremen in the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet, growth opportunities in the expedition segment will be identified and evaluated, according to a company statement.

In German-speaking countries, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is regarded today as one of the leading operators in the luxury and expedition segment. The expansion of marketing activities in international markets goes hand-in-hand with the focus on the areas of luxury and expedition. “By consistently focusing on these two pillars, we strive to strengthen our leading position in these segments, and at the same time we will address new markets,” explained Dr. Wolfgang Flägel, managing director.

Select cruises on all of the ships of the present fleet, except for the Columbus 2, will be marketed internationally. “The Europa 2 is a ship designed to offer an international flair and address a sophisticated, cosmopolitan target group, with plans in the future to increase market share in English-speaking countries such as the USA, UK and Benelux“, added Flägel. The first English-language Europa 2 brochure will be published in mid September.