(NEWS) HAMBURG, Germany, 2026-Jul-6 — /Travel PR News/ — Luxury cruise travellers are increasingly seeking festive holidays that combine seasonal celebrations with distinctive destinations, replacing traditional year-end routines with experiences ranging from tropical beaches to polar expeditions.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has unveiled its Christmas and New Year programme for the 2026/2027 season, offering a collection of luxury and expedition voyages across the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, Northern Europe and Antarctica. According to a press release published by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the seasonal itineraries are designed to blend festive traditions with destination-focused experiences aboard the company’s fleet of small luxury and expedition ships.
The programme includes Christmas cruises through the Caribbean aboard EUROPA, where guests can spend Christmas Eve on Saint-Barthélemy and celebrate New Year’s Eve off Barbados, combining island destinations with gourmet dining, onboard celebrations and the cruise line’s personalised luxury experience.
For travellers looking to escape winter altogether, EUROPA 2 will operate Advent voyages across the Indian Ocean, visiting destinations including Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Kenya and the Seychelles. Meanwhile, expedition vessel HANSEATIC spirit will sail from Mauritius to Cape Town, combining wildlife encounters, Zodiac excursions and nature-focused exploration along the coasts of Madagascar and South Africa.
Those seeking a more traditional winter setting can join HANSEATIC nature, which will offer festive voyages through the Baltic Sea and into Swedish and Finnish Lapland. The itineraries feature snow-covered Nordic cities, frozen landscapes and the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights during the Christmas and New Year period.
For expedition travellers, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is also offering year-end voyages to Antarctica aboard HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit. One itinerary explores the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula from Ushuaia, while another links Cape Town with Ushuaia via Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and Antarctica, combining two continents and multiple ecosystems in a single expedition.
Across both its luxury and expedition fleets, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises says the seasonal programme is designed to give guests the flexibility to celebrate the holidays in their own way, combining personalised service, exceptional dining and destination-rich itineraries with either luxury relaxation or immersive expedition experiences.
