VARD announced that it has secured a new contract for the design and construction of one luxury expedition cruise vessel for German cruise company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, making it three Hanseatic-class expedition newbuilds. The new ship will carry the name Hanseatic Spirit and will be adults-only, Hapag-Lloyd said.

The third ship was announced by owner TUI Group in May and will be delivered in Q2 from Langsten in Norway in 2Q 2021, while the hull will be built by VARD in Romania.

It is the third of three newbuilds for Hapag-Lloyd, with two ships set for delivery in 2019. 

The vessels are specially designed for cruises in polar regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as operations in warm water destinations such as the Amazon, said VARD.

The ships have accommodations for 230 guests at 16,000 tons; they are 139 meters long and 22 meters wide.

Mr. Roy Reite, CEO and Executive Director of VARD, commented: “It is encouraging to see returning customers such as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which bears testament to the quality of our vessels and services. We currently have two vessels under construction to be delivered to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in 2019, and it is our honour to be awarded with this latest contract for their new luxury expedition cruise vessel.”

For the first half of the fiscal year, Hapag-Lloyd saw an average daily ticket rate of 600 euro, up from 595 euro a year prior, as the company continues its strong earnings performance. 

 “This market is growing strongly. Thanks to its experience, competence and high quality standards, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers great potential to attract new international customer groups and deliver stronger growth in the expedition cruise segment,” said TUI CEO Fritz Joussen, in a May investor presentation.