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Cruise Ship Reviews Index
A VISIT TO THE EUROPA
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On October 11, 2004, I had the pleasure to tour and have
lunch aboard Hapag-Lloyds’s 5-star-plus Europa. At about ¼ the size of the
massive cruise vessels today, the Europa has the feel and atmosphere of a
luxury yacht. With a passenger capacity of 408 (double and 450 if all
berths are filled), she is intimate and sophisticated.
The Europa’s furnishings are rich in wood and the ship has extensive
artwork on board. I was surprised that most of the artwork and sculptures
were in open display cases and not behind glass. This provided greater
appreciation for the pieces. The interior spaces were accented with flower
arrangements adding a nice touch. One particularly impressive flower
arrangement stood over four feet tall located at the entrance to the ships
three restaurants. The ships main dining room “Europa” is located at the
aft end of the ship and is light and airy. At either side of the ship is
located the smaller “Oriental” and “Venezia” restaurants specializing in
Oriental and Italian cuisine respectively. On board we were served lunch
in Lido Café which is located high above the stern of the ship. This room
has two buffet serving areas which are hidden behind
glass separators, shielding the buffet area from the view of the
diners.
For lunch, the entrée choices consisted of Spaghetti Bolognese, Duck
Breast and Vegetables from the Wok, Vienna Schnitzel with Potato Salad,
Meat Balls with Onions and Lobster in Mustard Sauce. These entrees were in
addition to soup, potatoes (mashed & french fries), vegetables, fresh
bread and a mini desert buffet. The quality of the food was very good and
flavorful. Although lunch was a buffet, the meal was presented in
individual servings and very visually appealing. The servers dispensing
the food seemed to be the chefs themselves and very proud of the food they
prepared.
Some of the other intimate areas of the ship include the Zanzibar
lounge whose walls (on one side) are retractable to convert into an
open-air bar; the Clipper Lounge ideal for an after dinner drink and
listening to music; the Havana Cigar Bar with its leather chairs; the
impressive library. There is even an art gallery. For your daily workout,
the ship has a new and expanded health club with exercise equipment, as
well as, a Spa to eliminate the stress from a day of shopping ashore.
There is a Golf simulator onboard which can simulate some of the world’s
greatest golf courses. The Pool area is quiet stunning with its large
pool, which is half exposed to natural elements and half enclosed in
glass. I was quite impressed with the pool area. The ship’s glass
elevators over the main lobby provide a nice view of the piano and lounge
area smartly decorated below.
The ship’s accommodations are quite upscale and smartly decorated. All
accommodations are suites and most have a balcony. The cabin we were shown
was a veranda suite, which has a queen size bed, sitting area with TV and
refrigerator, walk in closet, balcony and bath with a shower and tub. The
accommodations are more than suitable for daily cruise living.
The Europa originally entered service in September 1999 and was
refurbished in 2004. The ship measures 651 feet in length, 78 feet wide
and weighs 28,437 tons. She has a cruising speed of 21 knots. The Europa
is registered in the Bahamas.
It should be noted that the official language on board the Europa is
German and the majority of the clientele are affluent German travelers.
There are a number of cruises that are marketed to both Americans and
Germans. Those cruises have English hosts and announcements on-board are
made in English as well. American passengers traveling on the Europa are
in for a truly a European experience. I did speak with a number of
crewmembers and their English was adequate to communicate but Americans
on-board can expect to be the minority.
Overall I was very impressed with the Europa and would indeed like the
opportunity to revisit the ship again. Hapag-Lloyd has created a unique
vessel, which is further enhanced by interesting and diverse
itineraries, that bring her to some of the most beautiful and remote
corners of the world.
For more information on the Europa or brochures or reservations please
contact Regina at Euro-Lloyd Travel Group at 516-228-4970.
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Europa Departing from New York
- Copy write NYCRUISEINFO.com
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Europa Main lobby from the elevator
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Europa's picturesque pool area
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