First look at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' new expedition ship

To meet pent-up demand in expedition cruising, there are currently 28 new expedition ships scheduled to take to the oceans between now and the end of 2022.

Hanseatic Inspiration is the latest entrant to this exclusive armada and was christened earlier in October in Hamburg.

The spectacular ceremony on the river Elbe projected an animated tableau of iconic off-the-beaten track destinations on the ship’s white hull; perhaps not as adventurous as those, the ship started more modestly with a 15-night maiden voyage from Antwerp to Tenerife.

I sailed on the ship’s short preview cruise to see what Hanseatic Inspiration has to offer British travellers, as the line looks to grow this market.

This is Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ first ‘international’ expedition ship, meaning all crew (including expedition leaders and guides) speak English and menus are in English; while lectures, port talks and excursions are conducted in English.

Another noteworthy point is this ship accommodates 230 passengers (199 when cruising in Antarctica) and has a crew of 175.

Also significant is the space-to-passenger ratio, which is 68.04 – one of the highest in luxury cruising let alone expeditionary ships.

Novel features I spotted include the extendible glass balconies on either side of the ship where passengers will really feel as if they are hovering over the ocean; and an Inspiration Walk at the bow of the ship for close encounters with nature.

Enhancing the expedition context, there’s an Ocean Academy onboard with interactive computers, Study Wall for enhanced learning and scientific microscopes for further examination. The ship also carries a fleet of 17 zodiacs and two eco-friendly, battery-powered zodiacs specifically for explorations in particularly sensitive areas.