Luxe Beat Magazine MAY 2015 | Page 27

Travel EUROPA 2 Pool Many passengers love the luxury ships that have a very formal personality, reflected by Captain’s receptions, fixed meal times and assigned tables, formal cocktail parties and similar events. My wish list doesn’t include any of these. Which is why a cruise on Hapag-Lloyd’s EUROPA 2, offered me days of relaxed luxury: the freedom to enjoy the ship my way – but with the services of an exceptionally well-trained multi-lingual European crew and a superior kitchen. In fact, the only way the service could have been better would have been if I’d had my own private staff on my own private yacht. The ship’s older sister, the EUROPA, is also top-rated, but it has a very different vibe – a formal atmosphere that appeals to an older European (mainly German) crowd. When Hapag-Lloyd built EUROPA 2, the intent was to appeal to a younger, English-speaking demographic, including young families (the EUROPA is not kid-friendly). The result was a ship that The Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships describes as “superb, elegant, contemporary.” Eco-friendly EUROPA 2 has “green features” like the optimized hull to reduce fuel consumption; a service water treatment plant with the highest standards in the industry; a system for ballast water treatment that prevents spreading flora and fauna. It’s the first cruise ship with SCEcatalytic converter to reduce nitric oxide emissions. The so-called “mermaid pods” reduce vibration to the point where it’s hardly noticeable. With a capacity of 516 passengers, the ship provides the greatest space per 27