Europa 2 entering Southampton Water | |
History | |
---|---|
Name | Europa 2 |
Operator | Hapag-Lloyd |
Port of registry | Valletta, Malta |
Builder | STX Europe, Saint-Nazaire, France |
Laid down | 7 February 2012 [1] |
Launched | 6 July 2012 [2] |
Christened | 10 May 2013 |
Acquired | 26 April 2013 [1] |
Maiden voyage | 11 May 2013 |
Identification |
|
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 42,830 GT [1] |
Length | 225.62 m (740 ft) [1] |
Beam | 26.70 m (88 ft) |
Draught | 6.3 m (21 ft) |
Decks | 7 passenger decks |
Propulsion | Diesel-electric with four MaK 6M43C, 24 MW total |
Speed | 21 knots |
Capacity | 516 passengers |
Crew | More than 370 |
MS Europa 2 is a cruise ship operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a German-based cruise line. She entered service in May 2013.
Europa 2 was built at the STX Europe shipyard at St-Nazaire, France. Her first steel was cut on 5 September 2011, the keel was laid on 1 March 2012 and she was launched on 6 July 2012. On 29 April 2013, the vessel was handed over to Hapag Lloyd, with Wolfgang Flägel, managing director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Laurent Castaing, general manager of STX France, signing the takeover protocol. [3] She was christened on 10 May 2013, during the 824th Hamburg Port anniversary. [4]
Europa 2 is intended to convey a more relaxing atmosphere than that of her more traditional fleet mate, the Europa. [5] She has the greatest space per passenger of any cruise ship, [5] with contemporary decor. [6]
The art collection aboard Europa 2 is one of the largest at sea, with 890 originals commissioned exclusively for the vessel. The collection's focus is on contemporary pieces; it includes works by Ólafur Elíasson, David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Adam Fuss and Hans Hartung. [5]
Europa 2 has 251 passenger cabins, seven restaurants and six bars, a 15-metre-long (49 ft) pool, a gym, a spa and two golf simulators. [7] [8] [9] [10]
Europa 2's 14-night maiden voyage departed from Hamburg, Germany, and stopped at Amsterdam, Antwerp, Honfleur, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Leixões and Lisbon. [11] The vessel has since been named the number-one cruise ship in the world by the Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, replacing her fleetmate, MS Europa, which had held that distinction for more than a decade. [5]
Hapag-Lloyd AG is a German international shipping and container transportation company, the 4th biggest in the world. It was formed in 1970 through a merger of Hamburg-American Line (HAPAG) and Norddeutscher Lloyd.
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