Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced that it is to name two new ships in its 5-star expedition segment ‘Hanseatic nature’ and ‘Hanseatic inspiration’.

The expedition ships, which are planned to launch in April and October 2019, respectively, are an investment by the TUI Group on behalf of its Hamburg-based subsidiary.

The new expedition ships – both of which feature an identical construction – will each accommodate up to 230 passengers (or up to 199 passengers on Antarctic expeditions). Alongside the highest ice class for passenger ships, they each boast three restaurants and an extensive wellness and fitness area. There is also a marina for water sports.

Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, said: “The potential in the expedition ship segment is more than three times higher than supply. By virtue of the comfort and luxuriousness of our state-of-the-art new vessels, we will appeal to even more customers in the luxury segment in future.”

The new expedition ships are being built by Norwegian company Vard Holdings Limited, which is a subsidiary of the Italian Fincantieri Marine Group.