During fine-dining meals at sea, sommeliers offer helpful tidbits about a wine’s bouquet, grape heritage and tastes. But during my recent cruise aboard Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ luxurious, 500-passenger Europa 2, Sommelier Benno Wurster wasn’t just memorable but truly unforgettable.
Night after night, he moved from table to table within the ship's seven dining venues. Pouring top-tier wines, he enthusiastically shared wine notes and answered guests' questions in a down-to-earth style.
In fact, each night my small group of five diners eagerly anticipated Wurster’s arrival.
“Here he comes,” a tablemate would say.
“Oh, thank goodness,” I’d reply.
Given Wurster’s engaging presence, the high-quality food-and-wine pairings didn’t just taste better—the experience lingered long after the last glass was poured.
Crew Pluses, Voyage Challenges
Advisors know that a ship’s crew can make or break the success of any cruise vacation. Certainly, a positive crew-to-guest ratio helps immensely, and Europa 2 is almost one-to-one in that regard. But during my recent cruise, Wurster and many other Europa 2 crew members including Brigitte in the Ocean Spa, servers in the Yacht Club buffet restaurant, my cabin stewards and butler, as well as bar staff in the Piano Bar lounge area all contributed to making my voyage a highly positive experience.
And that’s saying a lot, as Mother Nature was unkind on my 10-night cruise roundtrip from New York in December 2025. Our itinerary was expected to include port calls at Baltimore, Bermuda, and Boston, plus many sea days. But two strong winter storms bringing gale force winds and rough seas forced cancellation of the Bermuda and Boston calls.
Instead, our 42,830-ton luxury ship remained at sea, rocking and rolling through Atlantic waters. Also, it returned a day earlier than expected to New York. Off I went in search of a less rocky area to work than my Deck 8 suite. A crew member working in Deck 4’s atrium Piano Bar voluntarily plugged my laptop computer into an electric outlet behind the bar, and she and other servers there also served me ginger ale as I typed away.
I happened to look over to the adjacent glass windows of the Grand Reserve specialty venue, and alas there was Wurster — who was seemingly everywhere on the ship — lovingly wrapping valuable bottles of wine and Champagne in cloth protection from the ship’s motion.
Official Languages: English & German
Good communication between any line's crew and guests is imperative during normal operations. But when a sailing isn't what guests expect, it's even more important. So, it's good to know the language situation aboard Europa 2.
Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is a German line. Language-wise, both English and German are the official onboard languages spoken by Europa 2’s crew. And I don’t mean just a few words of English. Potential guests might like to know that all crew members that I encountered were fluent.
Since its launch in 2013, Europa 2 has been the line’s classic international ship with that dual-language capability. In 2019, a second English-and-German ship was introduced, the expeditionary Hanseatic Inspiration. This month, all Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ ships including Europa and two other expedition ships (previously German language only) have become dual language ships.
Guest-wise, at least 85 percent of the voyagers on my sailing were German. Most spoke English and were friendly to Americans. One sweet elderly lady, Etta, introduced herself to me during the lifeboat drill. Subsequently, she said hello in hallways and asked how I was doing. Others also struck up conversations.
Worth mentioning is that Europa 2 isn't a new ship, but it has a fresh look and feel and is highly luxurious. While I'd sailed on this ship a decade ago, during 2017 and 2022 drydocks it was modernized, refurbished and received technical maintenance updates.
#813, Accessible Grand Penthouse Suite
During the latest drydock, the ship’s Grand Penthouse Suites received lighter wood furnishings, for instance. I was able to see that firsthand as I stayed in the spacious, accessible, #813. Using a rolling walker, I could easily access the private outdoor balcony (with two loungers, large table and two chairs) via a wide ramp, perfect for accommodating powerchairs or electric scooters as well.
Guests will discover a large living room area, and each day, guests will return to this suite to find fruit or other treats provided by the butler. One highlight in the living area is a stylish-and-comfortable easy chair, not the type typically encountered on other ships.
I slept well on the suite’s king bed, which could be split into two twins. Nightly, I discovered yummy treats placed on my pillow. Suite service by cabin stewards and two different butlers was customer-centric and friendly. The housekeeping team listened to my bedding preference and provided an under-duvet sheet. Repeatedly, a butler asked if there was anything he could do to assist me.
Personally, I loved the accessible bathroom with a small, zero-entry ramp. Its roll-in shower (shown in the photo above) has a pull-down seat and adjustable, hand-held shower rod. Alongside the toilet, guests will find a fixed grab bar on one side, and a pull-down bar on the other side.
This suite also had such perks as a Nespresso machine with pods, a stocked mini-fridge, tons of drawer space, and several closets with pull-down hanging bars, designed to assist wheelchair users.
Could be improved in this and other onboard suites? Right now, there are “zillions” (and that is precisely the right term) of light buttons bedside. The array proved confusing at best, totally perplexing at worst. Guests discussed it frequently among themselves. Many couldn’t figure out which buttons to click on or off and how to get them all off from the bed. That needs fixing.
Time to Dine: 8 Venues
Overall, the culinary product and dining service onboard Europa 2 got high marks from our small group of five travelers, and one among us was a food and wine journalist.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the casual Yacht Club buffet restaurant seemed to me a cut above casual eateries found on many other ships. It serves up freshly made soups, salads, freshly baked goods (including yummy cheese biscuits and pretzel rolls), cold entrees, hot dishes including salmon, chicken and meat entrees, made-to-order options, and more.
On the Yacht Club's outdoor deck, a grill area also offered kebabs, burgers and steaks, and guests will also discover a made-to order pasta station. If you go to Yacht Club, don't miss checking out the delectable gelatos. Among our small group, the dark chocolate, in particular, got high marks.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the ship’s flagship Weltmeere Restaurant offers a menu of international cuisine that changes daily. The cuisine was quite tasty and creatively presented.
During voyages of at least seven to 10 days, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises may often provide complimentary caviar pre-dinner on one night. That's often (but not always) the case. Longer voyages may offer additional, complimentary caviar tastings.
In Weltmeere, I ordered from two English-language menus. One described the always-available dishes. Another focused on food choices that change daily. While the extensive food choices were most appreciated, I'd like to see the line get rid of having two separate hard-cover menus. Yes, keep the choices. Just put them inside one hard-cover menu and make it less clunky at the table for guests in trying to decide what to order.
Specialty Dining: French, Asian and More
Europa 2 has a robust choice of specialty dining venues, open for dinner and on certain days for lunch. With a modern ambience and aromas of lemongrass, seafood and lime, Elements serves Asian cuisine. It was my favorite and offers Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese and more.
Others in my group loved the Restaurant Serenissima with a la carte Italian dishes. Don’t miss one house specialty, the malfatti tartufo. For those who prefer French cuisine, Tarragon offers a Parisian feel and bistro classics. One highlight is beef tartare freshly prepared at the guest’s table.
The ship’s Sushi Restaurant Sakura is tucked away adjacent to the Yacht Club and open only for dinner. Good to know is that Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers vegetable or vegan dishes throughout all restaurant menus; those offerings seemed quite robust compared with what I've discovered on many other ships.
One recommendation for travel advisors is to set up a private wine/Champagne tasting for a small group they have booked aboard Europa 2. For example, Wurster choreographed a daytime, six-course Champagne tasting session for our small group in Grand Reserve.
We started with some hidden gems and lesser-known Champagnes before progressing to the Grand Cuvees. Those included a 2013 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne Taittinger and a 2015 Dom Perignon.
Tea Time & Food-and-Wine Diversions
On two separate days, I ventured to Deck 9’s Belvedere for a lovely afternoon tea presentation with live piano music. Crew members circulate to take guest orders for complimentary small sandwiches, other food tidbits, sweet treats and, of course, their preferred tea.
Tea choices range from Assam Earl Grey to New Zealand Oolong, Kagegawa Benifuki from Japan, Darjeeling summer (which I ordered and enjoyed), English morning tea and many more. Belvedere's library area also offers a large selection of books that guests can borrow and two computers for guest use.
Elsewhere on the ship, here’s a sampling of the many other food-of-wine activities:
- Poolside tastings such as cinnamon rolls and cream cheese frosting on one day, and quark, semolina and cherry bake there on another day.
- A two-hour Cookery School class, “American cuisine,” at 110 euros per person, showed guests culinary tips and tricks for preparing beef tartare and deluxe burgers.
- Mixology Hour included a presentation by the bar manager and the bar team. Guests sampled wines and chowed down on fresh popcorn, sorbet and cheesecake as they listened to live DJ entertainment.
Golf, Spa and Wellness
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises planned a robust golf program on our cruise including play on many courses ashore, accompanied by golf pro Guido Groteke. But given the bad weather and cancelled port calls, that play couldn't happen in two ports. So, many golf enthusiasts just headed for the ship’s two full-swing golf simulators with video analysis. There, they could even tee off at such iconic championship courses as the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
Use of the simulators is complimentary. For an added fee, guests could also reserve Groteke's 25- and 50-minute golf training sessions or, alternatively, a Golf Taster Course for beginners.
Spa-wise, the ship’s 6,458-square-foot Ocean Spa fielded a robust range of treatments. I received one of the best pedicures I’ve ever had at sea. My pedicurist listened to precisely what I desired. She didn’t pressure me in any way to do a different treatment, or pitch products for me to buy, something that's become onerous on so many lines.
Later in the cruise, I also had my hair cut and styled in the ship’s salon. I apparently looked glamorous as I entered the dining room that night, as my fellow travelers exclaimed in unison that they loved the “new do.”
In addition to spa and salon treatments, guests on Europa 2 can also access the spa’s 2,153-square-foot outside area. That's home to a plunge pool and whirlpool. The ship had a large, well-equipped fitness center, with a diverse range of machines plus free weights.
As for wellness and fitness activities, on one day I watched a fitness instructor lead guests in exercises in the ship's main pool. The pool area's magradome meant that activities could continue even in bad weather. That was helpful during my bad weather sailing.
Alternatively, several guests I encountered enjoyed high-intensity interval training or a full-body workout with a personal trainer. Others relieved stress via a breathing exercises class or Yin Yoga.
During our port call in Baltimore, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offered shore excursions as follows:
- City tour of Baltimore, or alternatively, Washington, D.C.
- Holly Jolly Trolley Tour in Baltimore.
- Bicycle tour of Washington, D.C.
While port calls didn't happen in Bermuda and Boston, the line had planned kayaking, sightseeing, boat, trolley train and other options for excursions. For use during organized shore excursions, the line carries 14 mountain bikes and 14 e-bikes aboard. If guests prefer to explore ashore independently, the ship also carries 10 city bikes and two children’s bikes, available first-come, first-served.
Enrichment and Art
Given that Europa 2 is a luxury vessel, many upscale guests desire both enrichment and artistic elements for their cruise. On my voyage Ludger Bruning, an expert in regional studies, spoke about “Baltimore and Washington, D.C." I enjoyed another eye-opening lecture by Jens de Buhr, CEO and publisher of a German magazine group. He spoke about artificial intelligence (AI), innovation and sustainability.
Annette Schneider, owner of the ship's art gallery, conducted an enrichment talk, “Unicorn: The Mythical Creature in Art.” Enrichment presentations were conducted at separate times in either English or German. Some were available on demand afterward on the in-suite HDTV system.
Schneider also led a separate art tour around the ship. Europa 2 sports almost 900 works of art and the line gives guests a complete printed guide in their suites. My favorites were the oils on canvas by Marie Godest, a French artist. Completed in 1971, they're displayed on the walls of Tarragon. While a bit reminiscent of 1920s Art Deco illustrations, they also exude a distinct French flair and depict people enjoying parties, conversing, eating, sipping wine and socializing.
Special Christmas Market
One of my favorite activities on board Europa 2 was attending Weihnachtsmarkt, a Christmas Market set up by crew members on December 16, 2025, around the pool area. On all Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ ships, it’s only offered once a year on every ship's voyage immediately prior to that vessel's official Christmas cruise.
Set up on the two-level pool deck, the market reminded me of many elements I experienced in the past on Christmastime cruises on the Danube or Rhine rivers. As I soaked in the lovely holiday food aromas, crew members offered mugs of beer, glasses of wine and other libations.
Individual stalls also served up tasty German sausages and other grilled specialties as well as corn on the cob, potatoes, goulash soup, Indian Kathi rolls, sweet treats, vegan dishes and more.
In addition, guests participated in holiday activities at some stalls for a nominal donation of five euros. For instance, a traveler could choose to guess how many coins were in a bucket or spin a wheel to possibly receive a secret Santa gift. All proceeds went to the ship's crew fund.
Europa 2's Entertainment
Europa 2’s theater hosted shows, primarily focused on music and dancing. For instance, the Spanish dance ensemble Ispasion presented “Senses,” described as a journey into human taste, sight, touch, smell and hearing. While show introductions in the theater are in German, each day Hapag-Lloyd Cruises places a written English translation in the suites of all English-speaking guests.
Beyond the theater, guests also flocked to Club 2, the ship’s pop-and-light music lounge. I enjoyed the ship's welcome party here with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and libations. Higher atop the ship, Sansibar is an intimate, cozy spot with live DJ music, a dance floor, mood lighting and a fireplace. It’s a fun, late-night hang-out,
Cigar aficionados often head for Collins (formerly the Cigar Bar). At times, smoking is also permitted outside in Sansibar and some outside public spaces including private balconies. But it's not permitted inside in any accommodations.
Europa 2 welcomes families aboard, so kids can head for Knopf Club, revitalized in the last drydock. It's a supervised play spot with various activities.
My Europa 2 Takeaways
I debarked Europa 2 with a highly positive view of the ship’s operations, crew service and diverse food-and-wine offerings for guests. That’s no small achievement, given the weather woes during my voyage. I'd recommend it for any holiday cruise, given the way that the line decorated, the activities provided, and a special Christmas Market presented by eager crew members around the pool one evening.
Atrium/Lobby adjacent to Reception Area of Europa 2.The lovely atrium/lobby area of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europa 2. (Photo by Susan J. Young)
For travelers who like a non-Americanized product, an international guest complement, and all the bells and whistles of a luxury experience, Europa 2 is a good option to consider.
Waiting near the gangway to depart the ship on debarkation day, I suddenly realized that I'd left my jacket in my suite. I told a crew member. He immediately zipped off to find it. He took a few minutes longer than I’d expected to return. But when he did, I learned that it had been turned into guest services. So, sure enough, he headed there to track it down.
"A big thank you," I exclaimed in relief. He handed it back to me with a wide smile and said, “my pleasure.” My top takeaway: Good job Europa 2!
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