This cruise season when Hapag-Lloyd’s flagship Europa 2 cruises from Dubai and Cape Town in 2018, she’ll feature a total bow-to-stern refurbishment.

The dry docking, carried out in September at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, was the ship’s first major refit since her launch in 2013 and included more than 1,000 separate changes to the interior look and feel of the ship.

The Belvedere lounge on Deck 9 and the Herrenzimmer bar on Deck 4 have both been redesigned, along with the spa and several other public rooms and cabins.

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During the 14 day refit, around 550 external specialists and 370 crew members worked on conceptual changes, cosmetic repairs, maintenance tasks and structural elements. In total, the craftsmen laid 4,000 square metres (43,055 square feet) of new carpet and used 5,000 litres (1,099 gallons) of paint.

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Hamburg DEU 27.09.2017 Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. EUROPA 2 Werfterneuerungen, Collins, Albert Ballin Kunstwerk, von sutosuto. [ (c) Hapag-Lloyd-Kreuzfahrten,Alle Bilder zur honorarfreien Nutzung mit dem vollstŠndigen Bildnachweis “Hapag-Lloyd Cruises / Christian Wyrwa” È Die Bilder dŸrfen nur im Rahmen einer Berichterstattung Ÿber Hapag-Lloyd Cruisesverwendet werden, All Photos intended for editorial use. All image use free of charge. Photocredit: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises / Christian Wyrwa. ]

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Much of the work involved modernising Deck 9. The Belvedere has been given a completely different “look” with new furniture, colours and materials and is now a coffee bar as well as a lounge.

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The ship’s library has also been moved and integrated with the Belvedere lounge, while the space formerly occupied by it has been turned into the new Cruise Sales Lounge, with an ocean view, where guests can book their next dream cruise.

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One particular highlight is the new, small Europa 2 museum, which is located in the waiting area of the Cruise Sales Lounge. Numerous display cases feature special pieces from the short history of the luxury ship, including a model of the Europa 2, a replica of the keel-laying coin and much more.

The auditorium on the same deck has also been redesigned. The new studio will be used for workshops, talks and cinema viewings. Yoga classes can also be held here with a view of the ocean.

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The most extensive construction work took place in the Spa area on Deck 5, where all four saunas have been renovated.

There is now a Finnish sauna heated to up to 90 C, a revitalising Deep Ocean sauna heated to 55 C and a mineral steam bath heated to 45 C and with up to 100 % humidity. In the low-temperature herbal sauna, heated to 65°C, Black Forest-inspired décor creates a relaxing atmosphere.

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The Spa area now also features a lounge corner with a fireplace (electric) and new lounge furniture has been added to the outdoor area.

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Deck 4 of Europa 2, where most of the public rooms are located, has also been extensively refurbished. The popular Herrenzimmer gin bar has been given a “new look” and renamed Collins and now has the largest gin collection at sea, a total of 45 varieties.

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A piece of art by Hamburg duo Sutosuto forms the centrepiece of the room. After a long period of planning and preparation, the portrait of Albert Ballin was created in the dockyard.

Opposite the Collins bar is the former Jazz Club, which has been renamed Club 2. New seating has also been added to the Italian restaurant Serenissima.

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The Teens’ Club has moved from Deck 7 to Deck 4 to make the teens’ space even more private.

The former private dining room Speisezimmer has been transformed into a large, relaxing lounge area with cosy alcoves, games consoles and much more. The route to the new Teens’ Club is indicated by the impressive graffiti work of Hamburg-based artist Lady Wave.

Europa 2’s 2018 South African cruises

Europa 2 will sail a European season out of Hamburg directly following her refit, before being on a series of continent-hopping cruises that will take her around the world, first to North America, the Caribbean and South America, before arriving in Cape Town.

Europa 2 will cruise from Buenos Aires to Cape Town on January 5 next year, with the 11-day cruise ending in Cape Town on January 15^th. The repositioning cruise is unusual as it is one of the longest cruises anywhere in the world next year without any port calls along the way.

Europa 2 will cruise directly from Argentina to South Africa, with ten consecutive days at sea along the way.

She’ll then do a 14-night roundtrip Cape Town to Cape Town cruise on January 16^th, before departing January 30^th on a 14-night cruise to Mauritius.

Europa 2’s 2018 Middle East cruises

From Mauritius she’ll cruise between cities in Southeast Asia before cruising from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Abu Dhabi on May 2^nd.

Then on May 14^th, 2018 Europa 2 will do an 8-day cruise from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, going the long way around the Arabian Gulf and visiting Sir Bani Yas Island, Bahrain, Khassab and Muscat before arriving at the Dubai Cruise Terminal.

After a night in port, Europa 2 will cruise from Dubai on May 22^nd for Limassol in Cyprus, returning to the Mediterranean and the European cruise market.