Hapag Lloyd - Europa 2

[Ovener]

I have been a great cheerleader for Hapag Lloyd’s Europa 2 and have posted many positive reviews. It’s an amazing ship with great service and crew and I absolutely loved it. But never again. Even after losing my deposit on a Europa 2 cruise booked during COVID, I still wanted to re-live the Europa 2 experience. Silly old me. I booked a similar cruise around the Greek islands in October 2024.
 

A few months ago I was informed that my Athens to Limassol cruise was cancelled due to Red Sea problems (though the cruise was prior to any Red Sea crossing). A number of cruises were cancelled due to repositioning. I had already booked club class BA tickets London to Athens and Limassol to London. As a non-German, the possibility of a Hamburg flight via HL doesn’t work, so we had to book flights ourselves. 
 

The alternative HL offered for this cruise was a mad dash 8 day repositioning cruise from Athens to the Canary Isles with no stops as they attempted to get to the Indian Ocean fastest. No way was this a fair alternative. 
 

I asked through my agents what to do about the booked flight and wanted to know what HL’s compensation policy was. I understood other cruise lines within the Royal Carribean group like Silversea were good about compensation for these things. I could have used those booked flights on a different holiday in Greece and Cyprus.  But HL told my agents that I needed to cancel the flights for them to evaluate a compensation claim and they needed evidence from my airline about the cost. So I cancelled the flights.
 

It took 5 frustrating weeks for British Airways to come up with a receipt for this! Finally, after weeks of waiting after getting the receipt that HL insisted upon, they said their compensation would be an onboard cruise credit for drinks etc on a future cruise. Wow. After rejecting this, and my agents were really great in escalating this, I have been told this is HL’s global policy for all customers and that is the only compensation we will get. Why wasn’t this communicated by them prior to me cancelling my flights? What does this say about HL’s customer service?
 

My personal view is that under German contract law we may have a valid claim (cancellation by the cruise line isn’t to my view adequately covered in the cruise contract) and (as far as I am aware) German law doesn’t distinguish between direct and consequential damages. But being in a different jurisdiction all this is difficult to enforce. 
 

What a sad situation. On board you are treated like royalty. Europa 2 is fabulous. Off board it’s a different matter. Never again. 

[vistaman]

sorry to hear that 

due to a very serious medical  condition  I had to cancel my upcoming cruise on her dep  19th

September  2024 - ship is sold out - immediately my cabin could be sold to somebody on waiting list 

even after + 40 cruises : the full cancellation procedure 

so 80% is covered by the complimentary insurance ( for Europeans ) and 20%  by my own insurance  - lots of paperwork in German -  for my doctor and myself  

i do have another cancellation on ms Europa as well - same procedure 

and sorry to say it :  rather long waiting times for refunds by HL 

HLC backoffice  does not know flexibillity  and the compensations for the cruises cancelled by

covid were " meagre"  -  I got a compensation however because I proved its regulation of only taking pax from Germany , Switserland and Austria  starting up post covid    was illegal ( confirmed by offices of the European Union in written)

as a non German citizen  it is very difficult to go to the law as well 

said all this : i got my cancellation  by BA , the confirmation and the money in 5 days 

 

also  on those "impossible" cruises  reposition  - only sea days  HLC is imposing silly single supp. 

 

well the next 6 months no cruises for me at all and then it is wait and see 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ovener]

Sorry to hear about your medical condition and I hope you recover swiftly and are back to cruising soon.  HLC needs to up its game in the back office. 

[Ovener]

Pleased to say our wonderful travel agents have now sorted the issue. 

[vistaman]

same for my refund