Size Ship:…..…………………………………………8,378 tons

Lifestyle:…………………………………………….. Luxury                 

Cruise Line:………………………………………….. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

Former Names:………………………………………. Society Adventurer

Builder:………………………………………………. Rauma Yards (Finland)

Original Cost:………………………………………... $68 million

Entered Service:………………………………………March 1993

Registry:………………………………………………The Bahamas

Length (ft/m):...……………………………………… 402.9/122.80

Beam (ft/m):…………………………………………. 59.1/18.00

Draft (ft/m):………………………………………….. 15.5/4.71

Propulsion/Propellers:……………………………….. diesel (5,880kW)/2

Iceclass:………………………………………………1A1 Super

Passenger Decks:…………………………………….. 6

Total Crew:…………………………………………....125                                                                                    

Passengers (lower beds/all berths):…………………...184/194

Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds/all berths):……….45.5/43.1

Crew/Passenger Ratio (lower beds/all berths):……….1.5/1.5

Navigation Officers:………………………………….German

Cabins (total):…………………………………………92

Size Range (sq. ft/m):…………………………………231.4-470.3/21.5-43.7

Cabins (outside view):………………………………..92 (82 cabins and 4 suites)

Cabins (interior/no view):…………………………….0

Cabins (for one person):………………………………0

Cabins (with private balcony):………………………..0

Cabins (wheelchair accessible):………………………2

Cabin Current:……………………………………….. 220 volts

Elevators:……………………………………………..2

Swimming Pools (outdoors):…………………………1

Whirlpools:…………………………………………...1

Exercise Room:..…………………………….……….Yes

Sauna/Steam Room:………………………….………Yes/No

Massage:……………………………………….……..Yes

Self-service Launderette:……………………………..No

Lecture/Film Room:………………………………….Yes (seats 160)

Observation Lounge……………………………….…Yes

Zodiacs:………………………………………………14

Helicopter Pad:……………………………………….Yes

Classification Society:………………………………..Det Norske Veritas

OVERALL SCORE 1,740 (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 2,000 POINTS)

Ship                                                     500                              434

Accommodation                                  200                              172

Food                                                    400                              345

Service                                                400                              345

Entertainment                                    N/A                             N/A

Cruise                                                 500                              446

Accommodation:  The all-outside cabins, located in the forward section of the ship, are large and very well equipped, and include a separate lounge area next to a large picture window (which has a pull-down blackout blind as well as curtains).  All furniture is in warm woods such as beech, and everything has rounded edges.  Wood trim accents the ceiling perimeter, and acts as a divider between bed and lounge areas.  Each cabin has a mini-bar, television, VCR, refrigerator, two locking drawers, and plenty of closet and drawer space, as well as two separate cupboards and hooks for all-weather outerwear.

All cabin bathrooms have a large bathtub, two toiletry cabinets, wall-mounted hairdryer, and bathrobe.  There are only two types of cabins; 34 have double beds, others have twin beds.  Towels, bed lines and pillowcases are of 100 percent cotton, and individual cotton filled duvet covers are provided.

The suites and cabins on Bridge Deck have impeccable butler service and full in-cabin dining privileges, the cabin refrigerator is replenished daily, at no charge (all liquor is at extra cost, however).  A very relaxed ambience prevails on board.

Dining:  The dining room is elegant, warm and welcoming and features large picture windows on two sides as well as aft, and table settings are graced with fine Rosenthal china and silverware.  There is one seating for dinner, and open seating for breakfast and lunch.  The cuisine and service are absolutely first-rate, but are more informal than, for example, aboard the larger Europa (which is at or close to the same price level).  Top quality ingredients are always used, and most items are purchased fresh when available.

The meals are very creative and nicely presented, and each is appealing to the eye as well as to the palate.  There is always an excellent selection of breads, cheeses, desserts and pastry items.  Note that when operating in the Arctic or Antarctic, table set-ups are often minimal, due to the possible movement of the ship (stabilizers cannot be used in much of the Antarctic region) so cutlery is provided and changed for each course.

The 1996, the ship added an alternative dining room.  The Columbus Lounge, which is an informal, open seating, self-serve (or waiter service) buffet-style eatery by day, changes into an Oriental dining room at night.  Reservations are required (you make them in the morning of the day you want to dine there), but there is no extra charge, and there is no tipping at any time.  Also, on each cruise a full Viennese teatime is featured, as well as a regular daily teatime.

Other Comments:  Originally ordered for Society Cruises as Society Adventurer (although it never actually sailed under that name, due to the fact that the company declared itself bankrupt and never took possession of the ship), Hanseatic was designed and constructed specifically to provide world-wide expedition-style cruises in luxurious, contemporary surroundings.  The ship is extremely environmentally friendly and has the latest “zero-discharge,” non-polluting waste disposal system including a pollution-filtered incinerator, full biological sewage treatment plant, and a large storage capacity.  This is one of only a few ships that will allow you to sign up for a tour of the engine room.

This is an outstanding ship for the best in destination-intensive exploration voyages, and is under long–term charter to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.  It has a fully enclosed bridge (with an open bridge policy, so that passengers can visit the bridge at almost any time) and an ice-hardened hull with the highest passenger vessel classification of 1A1 Super.  The ship also has the very latest in high-tech navigation equipment.

A fleet of 14 Zodiac inflatable craft, each one named after a famous expolorer, is used for in-depth shore landings.  These crafts provide the ship with tremendous flexibility in itineraries, and provide excellent possibilities for up-close wildlife viewing in natural habitats, with small numbers of passengers.  Rubber boots, parkas, a boot-washing and storage room is provided for passengers, particularly useful for Arctic and Antarctic cruises.

Inside, the ship is equipped with fine quality luxury fittings and soft furnishings.  There is a choice of several public rooms, all of them well furnished and decorated and all of them have high ceilings, which help to provide an impression of space; the result is that the ship feels much larger than its actual size.  The library/observation lounge provides a good selection of hardback books and videos in both the  English and German languages.

Hanseatic provides destination-intensive, nature and life-enrichment cruises and expeditions in elegant, but unstuffy surroundings, to some of the world’s most fascinating destinations, at a suitably handsome price.  The passenger maximum is generally kept to about 150, which means plenty of comfort and lots of space for everyone – and no lines, no hassle.

The ship is at its best when operating in Arctic and Antarctic regions (infirm passengers are advised not to consider these areas).  Safety is paramount, particularly in the Antarctic and, in this regard, the ship excels with professionalism, pride and skilled seamanship.  It always operates in two languages, English and German (many staff speak several languages) and caters well to both sets of passengers.  All port taxes, insurance, gratuities, Zodiac trips and most shore excursions (except when the ship operates in Europe) are included.  The onboard currency is the euro.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises specializes in providing outstanding, well-planned itineraries.  Where this ship really scores, however, is in its Antarctic salings, where the experience of the captain, the cruise director and the crew really shine.  The lectures, briefings, and the amount of information provided about the itinerary and ports of call are outstanding.  Well-qualified lecturers and naturalists accompany each cruise.  Insurance, port taxes and all staff gratuities are typically included in the fare, and expedition cruise logbook is provided at the end of each cruise for all passengers – a superb reminder of what’s been seen and done during the course of your expedition adventure cruise.

Weak Points: There are few negative things about this ship.  It is principally marketed to German-speaking and English speaking passengers, so other nationalities may find it hard to integrate.  There are no marine quality telescopes mounted outdoors (there should be).  There is, at present, no privacy curtain between cabin door and the sleeping area (there should be).