Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Europa

Introduction

Self-dubbed “The World’s Most Beautiful Yacht”, the Europa is a smaller cruiser that is arguably the most luxurious currently on the sea. For the second year in a row, the Europa was awarded Best Cruise Ship, also receiving the one and only 5-star-plus rating by the 2012 Berlitz “Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships”. With the amenities of a massive mega-cruise, and a population of no more than 415 guests, the Europa will glide you across the seas, pampering you all along the way. Everything has a price however; this ship could sink your kid’s college fund.

That said, if you can afford it, you can’t get a much better vacation than this. The Europa departs and travels to destinations all over the world. Some of the on-ship events are world renowned and unique, like the Stella Maris Vocal Competition, where up and coming vocalists from around the world compete annually for the actually prestigious Young Talent Development Prize. Some of the amenity programs go beyond what is expected of good service, like the Baby Welcome Package, where the staff provide diapers and baby food of your choosing so you do not need to bring excessive luggage with you. This service is one of many free services included in the price of your ticket. Recently, the Europa has expanded its bilingual program to be more friendly to international passengers, specifically those speaking English. It is worth noting that the program is fairly new, and you may still run into some language barriers if German is not familiar.

The Europa is top-of-the-class in luxury. It has the highest passenger-to-space ratio of any ship in service, there are no inside cabins, all rooms are designated as suites, and only a very few do not have private balconies. It is a dressy ship to be sure, country club casual is expected during the day, cocktail dresses and suits for the evening, with a handful of fully formal nights as well. If you want a wild, inebriated, sea excursion, there are cheaper trips on louder boats. If you want the best money can buy, there is no alternative to the Europa.