German ultra-luxury cruise operator, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, will sail all voyages as bilingual departures from 1 January 2026. The strategy opens up more opportunities for non-German-speaking cruisers to experience the high-end ocean and expedition brand.
All five ships in Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet — EUROPA, EUROPA 2, HANSEATIC inspiration, HANSEATIC spirit and HANSEATIC nature — will operate fully in German and English from next year. Until now, only sailings on EUROPA 2 and HANSEATIC inspiration were promoted as bilingual.
German will remain the established on-board language and will be supplemented by English as the service language for international guests.
It means English-speaking guests on Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ other three vessels will benefit with an improved service at check-in, programmes of the day, shore excursions, on-board announcements, safety instructions and parts of the entertainment, and more. Lectures, presentations, entertainment, cultural and well-being offerings, some of which are bilingual (while verbal artistry remains in German).
Local marketing representative for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Luxury Travel Marketing, said Australian and New Zealand clients “will enjoy attentive service, generous space and extraordinary itineraries to some of the world’s most remarkable destinations, all with seamless bilingual communication on board.”
The language move aligns with a newly launched brand campaign, entitled ‘World. Wide. Wonderful‘ that is offering early booking discounts on 2026 sailings, when making new reservations between 16 September and 31 October 2025.
That campaign is focused on more than 25 upcoming cruises.
“Our satisfaction ratings consistently exceed 90%. With this campaign and our bilingual expansion, we are inviting new travellers to experience the unique Hapag-Lloyd Cruises feeling without losing the intimacy and authenticity that define us,” said Clas Eckholt, Vice President Commercial at TUI Cruises.
To support travel advisors, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has released a campaign tool kit, featuring a 36-page brochure and animated flipbook, social media templates and ready-to-use content via the Agent Compass portal.
