VARD cut steel for its second Hapag-Lloyd Cruises newbuild, the Hanseatic Inspiration. At the shipyard’s facility in Romania, Hapag-Lloyd CEO Karl J. Pojer gave the signal to start the construction process.

It is the second ship in the series, and will be delivered in October 2019. 

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As part of the official ceremony in Tulcea, Tudorel Topa, senior vice president and yard director general department VARD, presented the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ management team with a symbolic steel silhouette of the ship.

“The demand for expedition cruising is three times higher than supply and so with our two newbuilds we shall be ideally prepared for the future and also satisfy the international marketplace,” said Pojer. “Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is growing, which underlines the TUI Group’s strategy in the cruise segment. The Hanseatic inspiration will be marketed to an English-speaking audience.”

The contract for the two expedition ships, which will be positioned in the five-star expedition segment, was awarded to the Norwegian VARD Group, a subsidiary of the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri.

The ship’s hull will be built in Tulcea,Romania, before being transported to the VARD Langsten shipyard in Norway for the interior fitting.