Hapag Lloyd’s Hanseatic Inspiration is Christened in Hamburg in Grand Ceremony

The naming ceremony for Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Inspiration was held today (11 October 2019) in the port of Hamburg.

Around 230 guests turned up to watch the naming ceremony of the cruise line’s new ship – the second of three new Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expedition vessels – from the Elbe River.

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.

Hanseatic Inspiration joins Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Inspiration and Hanseatic Spirit as part of Hapag-Lloyd’s new expedition class fleet.

Following the ceremony, guests disembarked from Hanseatic Inspiration and boarded rubber boats to enjoy the second and exciting part of the evening’s entertainment.

From their vantage points on the Elbe, guests were treated to a spectacular multimedia show that took them on a virtual cruise to the most remote corners of the world, from the Arctic and Antarctic, to the Amazon – all destinations which the new expedition class ship will visit.

Icy landscapes, whales, penguins, green jungle oases, colourful birds and many other landscapes and wildlife were projected onto the side of the ship, lighting up the dark Hamburg sky and leaving the audience truly mesmerised.

Musical accompaniment came courtesy of Oonagh, the German pop star and two-time Echo winner, as well as Terje Isunget, the Norwegian musician known for his unique instruments made from ice.

“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,” said CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Karl J. Pojer.

“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 5-star expedition segment – as already demonstrated by the Hanseatic Nature.”

Godmother Laura Dekker added: “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.”

Hanseatic Inspiration will begin her maiden voyage from Antwerp on 14 October.

The 15-day itinerary to Tenerife will include stops in La Coruna, Lisbon, Casablanca and Madeira, among others.

The expedition ship offers five-star service, with a 175-strong crew looking after a maximum of 230 guests (or 199 guests in the case of Antarctica cruises and circumnavigations of Spitsbergen).

The ship has been kitted out with the latest cutting-edge equipment and environmental technology.

For more information, visit www.hl-cruises.com.