Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has officially christened the Hanseatic Inspiration, the second of three new luxury expedition ships for the TUI-owned brand.

Godmother Laura Dekker, the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe single-handed, released the mechanism for the traditional champagne bottle from a pontoon placed in the water for the occasion in Hamburg. 

Around 230 invited guests watched the naming ceremony of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ bi-lingual expedition ship from the Elbe River.

The 230-guest ship was transformed into a ceremonial stage as eleven high-powered projectors put on a twelve-minute multimedia show on the outside of the ship that took the audience on a virtual cruise through the destinations its expeditions will visit.

As the evening went on, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ guests found themselves on the water; rather than remaining on the new ship, they boarded zodiacs for an expedition-style christening. 

“Today’s naming ceremony has given our guests a taste of the expedition cruises which they can experience on the Hanseatic Inspiration from now on. The second ship in our new expedition class is a further milestone in our company’s history. With these three new ships, we are positioning ourselves in the exclusive five-star expedition segment – as already demonstrated by the Hanseatic Nature,” said Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

“Naming the Hanseatic Inspiration against the wonderful night-time backdrop of the port of Hamburg was a very special moment for me. I’m sure that this expedition ship will more than live up to her name and take her guests on many inspiring cruises to show them the wonders of nature up-close,” said Laura Dekker.

Captain Ulf Wolter and his crew will leave Hamburg on Saturday, October 12, and arrive in Antwerp on Monday, October 14 from where the VARD-built ship will start her maiden voyage.

The 15-day route will take the 139-meter-long ship to Tenerife with stops in La Coruna, Lisbon, Casablanca and Madeira, among others.