Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced plans for two new expedition ships.
The vessels, which will launch in spring and autumn 2019, will expand the Tui-owned line’s fleet to five ships.
The new additions will be identical, carrying a maximum of 240 passengers, and they will be built at the Norwegian Vard shipyard.
Both will have the highest Polar Class designation, meaning they can cruise in polar regions in the Arctic and Antarctica. One of the ships will serve German speaking markets only, and the other will be for German speaking markets and also the UK, US, Netherlands, and Belgium.
Onboard zodiacs and a water sports marina will also feature on both ships.
Sebastian Ebel, member of the executive board of Tui Group in charge of cruises, said: “The cruise business is one of the key elements of Tui’s growth strategy. Our ambitions are underpinned by our investment in the two new ships for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
“Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ luxury and expedition cruise segments serve as world-class benchmarks.”
Karl Pojer, chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, added: “We are charting the course for the future. We already operate successfully in our expedition segment, which offers growth potential for five-star cruises.
“Our newbuilds will help us to further develop the expedition segment and offer a modern interpretation. They will also serve to strengthen our leading position in this market, in particular at the international level.”