The average daily rate on a Hapag-Lloyd Cruises voyage was a record 594 euro in 2017, up 2.6 percent from the year prior and heading toward 600 euro or more for 2018. Two new expedition ships are joining the fleet in 2019.
“Our increase has been steady over the last two or three years,” said Karl J. Pojer, CEO. “We are seeing that our clients are ready to pay for a quality experience.
“Our 2018 (fiscal) year started in October and we are seeing another increase in rate for the first quarter. It’s over a mix of cabin types,” Pojer added.
Since taking over leadership of the company in 2013 Pojer said the average booking window then was around six months, and that has now extended to eight months.
“If you don’t book early with us it may not be so easy to get aboard,” he added.
Better yet, Pojer said 2017 also saw the highest guest satisfaction and quality ratings.
“If you want to be on top, you have to deliver quality,” he continued.
Fleet Mix
The company offers two ships in the ultra-luxury space with the Europa catering to the German market and the Europa 2 positioned for the international market.
The big news is in the luxury expedition space. The Hanseatic will leave the fleet this October, and two new ships, the Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, a pair of 230-passenger, VARD-built ships, will join next April and October, respectively. The Nature will be for German-speaking guests while the Inspiration will serve international markets.
The Bremen will stay in operation, offering an alternative four-star product to German-speaking markets, Pojer said, adding that the ship had a 70 percent repeat passenger rate and was basically sold out for 2018 as of January.
New Ship Features
A dedicated newbuild team from Hapag-Lloyd has kept an eye on the project in Romania, and Pojer estimated he had been there twice a month himself.
“The new ships will succeed in combining the requirements of modern expedition passengers with the comfort standards of customers from the luxury segment,” he said. “This will allow us to tap into new customers for expeditions.”
Pojer sees his brand setting itself apart in the market with a five-star software and hardware mix. The new Hanseatic pair offer 40 percent more deck space than the previous Hanseatic. Three restaurants will include a bistro (buffet), main dining room and a specialty venue. Each voyage will carry a 16-person expedition team.
The bow will include a walkway of sorts with room for all guests, while staterooms will show off a nature-like theme. Seventeen zodiacs will run landings from the aft marina, which will also serve as a boarding platform for kayaks and other equipment.
“We focused on the expedition aspect and picking the equipment we will actually use and not marketing gadgets.”
Environmentally friendly, the ships will mainly run on MGO and feature a selective catalytic reduction system, in addition to the footprint for shorepower.
LNG would have required the addition of another deck for tank space.
“Do you think you will be able to get LNG in Ushuaia or Kamchatka”? Pojer asked.
Expedition Potential
“We believe the market is big enough for everyone. Just in the German-speaking countries, there is three times more demand than overall expedition capacity,” Pojer said. “This is why so many have decided to get into the expedition market.
“Some others may be underestimating the challenges of expeditions. It does not leave room for experiments.”
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