Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Cruises
Discover a more intimate way to see the world aboard MS EUROPA and MS EUROPA 2, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ two exceptional luxury ships. Carrying no more than 400 and 500 guests respectively, both combine generous space, highly personalised service and outstanding dining with itineraries designed to venture beyond the ports visited by larger cruise ships.
Yet EUROPA and EUROPA 2 are far from identical. One offers a more classic interpretation of luxury, while the other is distinctly contemporary and relaxed. Choosing between them is less about which ship is better and more about finding the style of luxury cruise that suits you.
Two Ships, Two Styles
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers two very different interpretations of luxury at sea. MS EUROPA has an elegant, traditional character, welcoming a maximum of just 400 guests and placing considerable emphasis on personal service, fine dining and a sense of occasion. Every suite is outside-facing, most have a private veranda, and the crew-to-guest ratio is almost one to one.
MS EUROPA 2 is the more contemporary choice. Designed for no more than 500 guests, she combines the space and service expected of a luxury ship with a noticeably more informal atmosphere. Contemporary interiors, veranda accommodation throughout, flexible dining and the absence of traditional formal nights or a captain’s dinner make her particularly appealing if you prefer luxury without unnecessary ceremony.
Both ships share the advantages that make Hapag-Lloyd different: small guest numbers, exceptional personal space, destination-led itineraries and the freedom to explore smaller harbours and less familiar corners of the world.
Classic Elegance
MS EUROPA
For no more than 400 guests, MS EUROPA offers Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ more traditional interpretation of small-ship luxury. The atmosphere is refined and personal, with almost as many crew as guests and a sense of space that is immediately noticeable throughout the ship.
All accommodation is in outside-facing suites, with most featuring their own veranda. Five restaurants provide considerable culinary variety, including THE GLOBE by three-Michelin-starred chef Kevin Fehling, while carefully selected entertainment, enrichment and EUROPA Refresh wellness programmes give days at sea plenty of depth.
EUROPA will particularly appeal if you enjoy elegant surroundings and attentive service with a little more sense of occasion. Evening dress remains sophisticated, with jackets expected in several restaurants and evening wear recommended for welcome and farewell evenings, although the atmosphere is not excessively formal.
Best for: Classic luxury, exceptional service, gourmet dining and guests who enjoy dressing for the evening.
Contemporary Luxury
MS EUROPA 2
With a maximum of 500 guests, MS EUROPA 2 offers a fresher and more relaxed interpretation of the Hapag-Lloyd experience. Contemporary design, generous public spaces and extensive outdoor areas give her the feel of an intimate resort or private yacht rather than a traditional cruise ship.
Every suite has its own veranda, with accommodation ranging from generous entry-level veranda suites to expansive penthouse and owner suites. Seven gourmet restaurants provide considerable choice, while a 1,000 m² spa and fitness area creates plenty of opportunity to slow down between destinations.
There are no traditional formal nights or captain’s dinner aboard EUROPA 2, although smart-casual evening dress is expected and jackets are requested in several restaurants. Dining itself is flexible, without traditional fixed sittings, adding to the ship’s relaxed atmosphere.
EUROPA 2 is also the stronger of the two choices for families, with dedicated family accommodation and facilities for different age groups on selected family sailings.
Best for: Contemporary luxury, relaxed evenings, spacious veranda suites, couples and luxury-loving families.
MS EUROPA vs MS EUROPA 2
Choosing between MS EUROPA and MS EUROPA 2 comes down primarily to atmosphere.
Choose MS EUROPA if you prefer a smaller ship, classic elegance and evenings with a little more sense of occasion. With just 400 guests, she delivers an exceptionally intimate experience and places particular emphasis on personalised service and gourmet dining.
Choose MS EUROPA 2 if you prefer contemporary design and a more relaxed approach to luxury. She carries up to 500 guests but still feels exceptionally spacious, with veranda suites throughout, seven restaurants and fewer traditional cruise conventions.
Neither is a large resort ship. Both are designed around space, service, dining and destinations rather than crowds, queues or packed activity schedules. They simply deliver those qualities in two noticeably different ways.
Which Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Ship Should I Choose?
Choose MS EUROPA for: Classic elegance, the smallest guest capacity, refined evenings and highly personalised service.
Choose MS EUROPA 2 for: Contemporary design, a more informal atmosphere, greater dining choice and particularly strong facilities for families.
Whichever you choose, you will be travelling aboard a ship carrying 500 guests or fewer, giving Hapag-Lloyd the freedom to create itineraries quite unlike those of many larger luxury cruise lines.
Exceptional Dining at Sea
Dining is one of the defining features of a Hapag-Lloyd luxury cruise, and both ships offer considerably more choice than their small size might suggest.
MS EUROPA has five restaurants, with experiences ranging from relaxed dining to ambitious gourmet cuisine. One of its highlights is THE GLOBE, created in collaboration with three-Michelin-starred chef Kevin Fehling.
MS EUROPA 2 expands the choice to seven gourmet restaurants. Flexible mealtimes and freedom over where you sit reinforce the ship’s informal philosophy, allowing dinner to fit around your day rather than dictating it.
The result on both ships is dining that feels integral to the holiday rather than simply another included element of the cruise.
Space to Slow Down
Perhaps the most noticeable difference between Hapag-Lloyd and larger cruise ships is simply space.
EUROPA carries a maximum of 400 guests, while EUROPA 2 welcomes no more than 500. Their low guest numbers allow public rooms, restaurants and outside decks to feel remarkably uncrowded, while an almost one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio supports a highly personalised style of service.
Accommodation follows the same philosophy. EUROPA offers outside-facing suites, most with verandas, while every suite aboard EUROPA 2 has its own private outdoor space. Rather than using size to accommodate thousands of guests, these ships use it to give everyone onboard more room.
It makes days at sea feel every bit as important as days ashore.
Luxury Cruises Designed Around the Destination
The advantage of travelling aboard a smaller luxury ship becomes particularly apparent once you look at the itineraries.
EUROPA and EUROPA 2 sail worldwide, with programmes spanning Northern and Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Caribbean, North and Central America, Africa, the Indian Ocean and Asia, alongside more far-reaching voyages according to the season.
Their smaller dimensions also create opportunities to visit ports that do not regularly feature on mainstream cruise itineraries. A voyage might combine a famous city with a smaller Mediterranean harbour, an isolated Atlantic island or a less familiar stretch of coastline.
This is where Hapag-Lloyd’s approach to luxury cruising becomes particularly compelling for experienced cruisers. The ship is exceptional, but the purpose of the journey remains seeing more of the world.
Luxury Cruises for Families
Hapag-Lloyd may not immediately spring to mind when considering a family cruise, but both EUROPA and EUROPA 2 offer selected dedicated family sailings.
EUROPA provides supervised programmes for children on advertised family cruises, while EUROPA 2 offers the more extensive family proposition, including dedicated spaces for younger children and teenagers and specially designed family apartments consisting of two connected living areas and verandas.
Selected family voyages are planned around school holiday periods and can include age-appropriate onboard activities and specially designed excursions ashore. The result is very different from the waterparks and large kids' clubs of mainstream family ships, but potentially ideal for families who want to explore together without giving up a refined small-ship experience.
What's Included on a Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Cruise?
A Hapag-Lloyd luxury cruise includes much of what you will need onboard, including gourmet full-board dining, selected non-alcoholic drinks, a complimentary minibar, 24-hour suite service and onboard gratuities.
It is not, however, completely all-inclusive. Most alcoholic drinks, many shore excursions and certain additional services remain chargeable.
Hapag-Lloyd also offers PLATINUM and SILVER fares, which affect elements such as cabin selection, shore excursion booking windows and booking flexibility rather than the fundamental onboard experience.
We explore the inclusions, drinks, excursions and fare differences in much greater detail in our dedicated guide.
Are Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Cruises English Speaking?
Yes. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises now operates its fleet bilingually in English and German, making both EUROPA and EUROPA 2 accessible to English-speaking guests.
This is particularly significant for UK guests because Hapag-Lloyd was historically perceived as a predominantly German-language cruise line. Today, British guests can consider the complete luxury fleet rather than restricting their choice to selected internationally marketed sailings.
Find Your Hapag-Lloyd Luxury Cruise
Whether the classic elegance of MS EUROPA or the contemporary freedom of MS EUROPA 2 feels more like your style, Hapag-Lloyd offers an unusually intimate way to explore the world.
Browse our latest Hapag-Lloyd luxury cruises for 2026, 2027 and 2028, or speak to our cruise specialists for help comparing ships, fares and itineraries.