Pre-bookings are now available, with guests able to book a mixture of short and long cruises to nearby and remote expedition regions.
The new ships will sail Arctic cruises in the summer and expeditions to the Antarctic in the winter.
Both ships will hold a Polar Class 6 classification – the highest-ranking ice class passenger ships – and also visit the Amazon, Chilean fjords, the Azores and Cape Verde.
The news comes after the cruise line announced it would be focusing on building brand awareness in the UK market, retaining at least three suites on its 250-suite Europa 2 for every sailing in the 2018-19 season for non-German customers.
Cruise itineraries will range from short four-day cruises to the Frisian Islands in the North Sea, to 20-day expedition trips to the Antarctic.
Elsewhere, after almost a decade, the cruise operator will be returning to the Great Lakes in North America with Hanseatic Inspiration, which will feature a retractable bridge wing, making it possible for the ship to pass through the narrow locks.
The new ships will be able to accommodate up to 230 guests, or 199 guests on Antarctic cruises.
Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration’s maiden voyages will be in Europe, with the Hanseatic Nature sailing from Hamburg to Lisbon on a 13-day voyage in April 2019 and the Hanseatic Inspiration sailing from Antwerp to Tenerife in October 2019.
Karl Pojer, chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, told TTG: “We are perfectly positioned in the luxury market with our cruise ships Europa and Europa 2, and we already operate successfully in our expedition segment, which offers growth potential for five-star cruises.
“Our new-builds, Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration, will help us to develop further the expedition segment and offer a modern interpretation.
“They will also serve to strengthen our leading position in this market, in particular at the international level, charting the course for the future.”
