Antarctica – Overcapacity leaves its first traces
The “Hanseatic Spirit” of the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises was actually supposed to sail to Antarctica several times this coming winter. This will now come to nothing. The shipping company has canceled all trips. Instead, the expedition ship is now heading for a new destination.
According to various reports in the German media, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is canceling the 2024-25 winter season of the “Hanseatic Spirit” in Antarctica. The canceled voyages include a total of 12 cruises that were originally scheduled to take place between October 31 2024 and April 22 2025.
As planned, the two other Hapag Lloyd ships “Hanseatic Nature” and the “Hanseatic Inspiration” will continue to sail to Antarctica in winter 2024/2025.
The company stated on its website that the change was in response to feedback from guests who had shown interest in winter expeditions from Germany.
As Hapag-Lloyd Cruises further announces, the departures of the “Hanseatic Spirit” have been canceled due to the fact that the minimum number of participants has not yet been reached.
According to the shipping company, at least 150 participants would have been required for the Antarctic voyages of the ship, which is designed for 200 passengers, to take place. Guests who had already booked have been informed and rebooked.
New destinations in the North
The program includes ten new trips with departures mostly from/to Hamburg. Six departures are aurora borealis adventures to Norway’s island and fjord world with stops in Bergen, the North Cape, the Lofoten Islands and the Geirangerfjord, among others.
There will also be a short trip to the Baltic Sea from Hamburg to Kiel from 14.12.2024 to 21.12.2024 with stops in Denmark, Sweden and Poland. Three further 15-day voyages of the “Hanseatic Spirit” will visit the Baltic Sea and go up into the Gulf of Bothnia to Kemi.
Declining bookings in the Antarctic
Other expedition cruise lines are also reporting that the booking situation for Antarctica 2024/25 is below expectations.
Antarctic tourism has increased significantly since the early 1990s. Between 1992 and 2020, the number of arriving guests increased tenfold to 75 000. In the years 2022 to 2023, there were even almost 105 000 tourists.
Due to the boom, some shipping companies have switched to Antarctica as a destination and sent new ships to polar regions. In the last two years, the capacity on offer has regularly exceeded demand and some shipping companies have regularly outbid each other with discounts.
Heiner Kubny, Polar Journal AG
