M.S. EUROPA
Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten A.G.
Hamburg, Germany.
Photo taken in
Istanbul, 1986.
Built: 1981 by Bremer-Vulkan Shipyard, Bremen - Vegesack, Germany. Refurbished and rebuilt in 1993, 1995 and 1999.
Technical:
Overall length: 199.6 m Beam: 28.6 m Draft: 7.85 m Gross Tonnage: 34500 tons Passengers: 758 Power: 2 x 14400 HP Type BV/M.A.N diesel engines. Service Speed: 22 knots Operating Routes: She served mostly in the
European-Mediterranean cruising market under the management of Hapag-Lloyd, with occasional world cruises. She was very succesfull
and known as the best cruise liner in the world during the 80's. African, Caribbean and American
cruises were also performed seasonally. Under the flag of Direct Cruises, she served in the Far-Eastern / Southeast Asian cruise market. She is
supposed to be back to European market under Orient Lines. Sister Ships: None. Former Names: None Later Names: M.S. Europa (1982), M.S. Megastar Asia (1999, never took
effect), M.S. Superstar Europe (1999), M.S. SuperStar Aries (2000), M.S. Ocean Voyager (2002, transfer not taken place as of April 2002) History and Current Status: She was built for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises of Hamburg, Germany, by Bremer-Vulkan
Shipyard between December 22nd, 1980 and January 8th, 1982. Hapag-Lloyd named her M.S. Europa, following the Norddeutscher/Hapag-Lloyd
tradition (She is the 3rd in a series of 4 vessels. Here are some other Europa's: 1930, 1965). Her maiden voyage was around Africa, starting and ending at Genoa,
Italy. She turned to be one of the most sought after ships in cruise history between 1982 and 1999, setting the highest standards in
service, luxury and comfort in
the cruise line industry. After a very succesful career in worldwide cruising, Hapag-Lloyd sold her to Star Cruises in 1998, deciding that she was no match in
comfort, services and luxury to the new generation of cruise liners. They replaced her with a smaller but more modern ship, also
called M.S. Europa. During her first year under Star Cruises, she got chartered back to Hapag for one year. In 2000, she started her
Southeast Asian cruises, again serving succesfully. In 2001, Star Cruises officially announced that M.S. Superstar Aries will be transferred
to their subsidiary company, the Orient Lines, for service in the European market in 2003. As of December 2002, the transfer has not
materialized yet.
(email all info about her to ata.bilgili@dartmouth.edu) Notes: Back in 1982, there were not many passenger vessels like M.S. Europa. When she was docked at Istanbul in all
her grandeur, she always looked like an unreachable work of art, painted on giant steel canvas ornamented by the unpredictable harmony of orange
and dark blue. Blocking the view of the terminals and apartment buildings on the hill
behind, she was giving us a glimpse of what was then to come in the end of the eighties and all throughout the 90's: a new generation
of cruise liners, which grew and grew to unimaginable proportions and shapes. M.S. Europa, however, was still far away from the ugly, boxy and
untraditional (in the maritime sense) shapes of most of today's cruise liners, a fact probably due to her being of German origin. After all,
Mercedes, Porsche and BMW came from Germany too!... I am lucky enough to have seen her on her first year of service, in 1982 (see B&W photographs below). My first reaction was to go
home and research the company that owned her in "Ships Monthly" and "Sea Breezes" magazines that I was able to get a hold of. At the
time, no Internet existed and magazines specialized in a subject were among our limited sources of information. In any case, the
research yielded Hapag-Lloyd and I was quick to write a request letter for postcards and catalogues. Interestingly, my first attempt
at this failed succesfully!, because a misspelling that I did (Hadag instead of Hapag) made me a proud owner of a postcard and
catalogue of then new M.S. Astor. My second attempt suceeded, however, and provided me with beautiful postcards, catalogues and even
B&W advertisement photographs of M.S. Europa. It is important to mention that Hapag-Lloyd has always been great in public relations, providing
beautiful postcards and more over the years. They are still that way as of 2002... When M.S. Europa got sold to Star Cruises back in 1998, I was sad because of the fact that she was going to leave European waters
and I would be unable to see her again in Hapag colors. Although she was still very succesfull in the Far Eastern trade, she lacked
the class and looks that she had under Hapag. For what it is worth, I believe that the lack of the two color line made her look bulkier than she
actually was. Addition of balconies also added to that bulk. I am glad that she is returning to the European waters under the colors
of the Orient Lines, that succesfully operated M.S. Marco
Polo (ex. M.S. Alexandr Pushkin (1965) of Baltic Shipping Line of the Soviet Union) over the years. I do not know what changes will be made on her hull and colors but seeing her will be a joy in any case.
Links: Line Drawings: From Steinhagen-Modelltechnik.
- 1981-1998: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hamburg, Germany.
- 1998-2002: Star Cruises, Sydney, Australia. (She was leased back to Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten through 1999)
- 2002- : Orient Lines (owned by Star Cruises).
- M.S. Europa postcards from Simplon Postcards.
- Aleksi Lindstrom's M.S. Europa / Superstar Aries page
- M.S Europa at German Passenger Ships website..
- M.S. Superstar Aries page from the Chris Brindle Web World Maritime Group ..
- M.S. Superstar Aries page from Cruiseserver.net..
- Hapag-Lloyd..
- Star Cruises..
- Orient Lines..
Other Pictures:
