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

Approximately 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.

Following the ceremony, guests disembarked from Hanseatic Inspiration and boarded rubber boats to enjoy a special 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.

The evening was hosted by physicist Ranga Yogeshwar and German pop star and two-time Echo winner Oonagh, along with Norwegian musician Terje Isunget, provided the musical entertainment.

“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 commence 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 230-passenger ship joins Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Inspiration and Hanseatic Spirit as part of Hapag-Lloyd’s new expedition class fleet and promises to offer five-star service.

Hanseatic Inspiration has been kitted out with the latest cutting-edge equipment and environmental technology. By July 2020, Hapag-Lloyd announced that all ships in the fleet will ditch heavy fuel oil and instead use a low-pollutant marine alternative.

For more information, visit hapag-lloyd.com.