Vibrant Vietnam And Multifaceted China
Vibrant Vietnam And Multifaceted China
Cruise overview
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About Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Island skyline, with its ever-growing number of skyscrapers, speaks to ambition and money. Paris, London, even New York were centuries in the making, while Hong Kong's towers, bright lights, and glitzy shopping emporia weren't yet part of the urban scene when many of the young investment bankers who fuel one of the world's leading financial centers were born. Commerce is concentrated in the glittering high-rises of Central, tucked between Victoria Harbor and forested peaks on Hong Kong Island's north shore. While it's easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today's Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy. You'll discover the real Hong Kong to the east of Central, too, in Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond. Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong's luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse. Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central. Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye-popping views of the skyline across the water. Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong's most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery. As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), keep in mind that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other. There's no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs indicate building numbers for any given block.
About Ho Chi Minh City
Romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City today is a super-charged city of sensory overload. Motorbikes zoom day and night along the wide boulevards, through the narrow back alleys and past vendors pushing handcarts hawking goods of all descriptions. Still called Saigon by most residents, this is Vietnam's largest city and the engine driving the country's current economic resurgence, but despite its frenetic pace, it's a friendlier place than Hanoi and locals will tell you the food—simple, tasty, and incorporating many fresh herbs—is infinitely better than in the capital.This is a city full of surprises. The madness of the city's traffic—witness the oddball things that are transported on the back of motorcycles—is countered by tranquil pagodas, peaceful parks, quirky coffee shops, and whole neighborhoods hidden down tiny alleyways, although some of these quiet spots can be difficult to track down. Life in Ho Chi Minh City is lived in public: on the back of motorcycles, on the sidewalks, and in the parks. Even when its residents are at home, they're still on display. With many living rooms opening onto the street, grandmothers napping, babies being rocked, and food being prepared, are all in full view of passersby.Icons of the past endure in the midst of the city’s headlong rush into capitalism. The Hotel Continental, immortalized in Graham Greene's The Quiet American, continues to stand on the corner of old Indochina's most famous thoroughfare, the rue Catinat, known to American G.I.s during the Vietnam War as Tu Do (Freedom) Street and renamed Dong Khoi (Uprising) Street by the Communists. The city still has its ornate opera house and its old French city hall, the Hôtel de Ville. The broad colonial boulevards leading to the Saigon River and the gracious stucco villas are other remnants of the French colonial presence. Grisly reminders of the more recent past can be seen at the city's war-related museums. Residents, however, prefer to look forward rather than back and are often perplexed by tourists' fascination with a war that ended 40 years ago.The Chinese influence on the country is still very much in evidence in the Cholon district, the city's Chinatown, but the modern office towers and international hotels that mark the skyline symbolize Vietnam's fixation on the future.
About Ho Chi Minh City
Romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City today is a super-charged city of sensory overload. Motorbikes zoom day and night along the wide boulevards, through the narrow back alleys and past vendors pushing handcarts hawking goods of all descriptions. Still called Saigon by most residents, this is Vietnam's largest city and the engine driving the country's current economic resurgence, but despite its frenetic pace, it's a friendlier place than Hanoi and locals will tell you the food—simple, tasty, and incorporating many fresh herbs—is infinitely better than in the capital.This is a city full of surprises. The madness of the city's traffic—witness the oddball things that are transported on the back of motorcycles—is countered by tranquil pagodas, peaceful parks, quirky coffee shops, and whole neighborhoods hidden down tiny alleyways, although some of these quiet spots can be difficult to track down. Life in Ho Chi Minh City is lived in public: on the back of motorcycles, on the sidewalks, and in the parks. Even when its residents are at home, they're still on display. With many living rooms opening onto the street, grandmothers napping, babies being rocked, and food being prepared, are all in full view of passersby.Icons of the past endure in the midst of the city’s headlong rush into capitalism. The Hotel Continental, immortalized in Graham Greene's The Quiet American, continues to stand on the corner of old Indochina's most famous thoroughfare, the rue Catinat, known to American G.I.s during the Vietnam War as Tu Do (Freedom) Street and renamed Dong Khoi (Uprising) Street by the Communists. The city still has its ornate opera house and its old French city hall, the Hôtel de Ville. The broad colonial boulevards leading to the Saigon River and the gracious stucco villas are other remnants of the French colonial presence. Grisly reminders of the more recent past can be seen at the city's war-related museums. Residents, however, prefer to look forward rather than back and are often perplexed by tourists' fascination with a war that ended 40 years ago.The Chinese influence on the country is still very much in evidence in the Cholon district, the city's Chinatown, but the modern office towers and international hotels that mark the skyline symbolize Vietnam's fixation on the future.
About Da Nang
Da Nang is the third largest city in Vietnam with the land area of 1283 square kilometre and the population of approximately 1million people. Da Nang is growing into one of the most organized urban area, with attractive beach front villas on the one side and Han River flowing on the other. Of the few attractions that belong to the city, Museum of Cham stands out with its rich collection of Cham artefacts. For those who crave for more outdoors activities, My Khe beach is a good place to spend time, either by yourself or with your loved ones. Da Nang is in close proximity to Hue- 3 hours North and Hoi An- 30 minutes south, which makes it a perfect stop point for those who need a break from touristy areas. Hue was once the Royal Capital of Viet Nam. The city represents the outstanding demonstration of the power of the vanished Vietnamese feudal empire, including a complex of monuments, tombs and pagodas that attract tourists coming from all over the world. Hoi An has to this days well preserved its most sacred treasure, the centuries-old architecture. The town used to harbour foreign traders back in the 17-18th, and once is an important heavily-frequented trading port in Southeast Asia.
About Ha Long Bay
A visit to the north is not complete without a trip to Halong Bay, where placid waters give way to more than 3,000 limestone karsts and wind-sculpted limestone formations that jut from foggy lagoons. Dotting the bay are tiny islands bordered by white sandy coves and hidden caves, adding to the majestic landscape of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Adding to this naturalist’s dream is the biodiversity of islets, grottos, and Cat Ba Island National Park. The bay, however, shows tourism’s impact: the clearing of mangrove forests to make way for jetties and piers, marine life threatened by game fishing, and garbage from passenger boats and fishing villages washed up on the shores.Beyond its geological uniqueness are activities like hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, or exploring one of the many floating villages where fishermen bring in their daily catch. The downside to all this allure is the large number of unlicensed boats it draws to the bay each day.Boat trips out onto the bay are the main tourism stock in trade farther north, but a more multifaceted side of the area can be experienced at Cat Ba Island. The largest island in Halong Bay, Cat Ba is very much its own entity. Its national park offers incredible biodiversity, with more than a thousand species of plants having been recorded here. Animal life is slightly thinner on the ground, but alert visitors may spy inhabitants such as the endangered golden-headed langur, wild boar, deer, civets, and several species of squirrel. Trekking through the wilderness is a highlight with a number of fascinating trails to follow.Cat Ba Island has also become a firm favorite with the adventure sports set. Indeed, along with Railay Beach in Thailand, it is recognized as one of the top spots in the region for rock climbing. Other outdoor pursuits include sailing and kayaking around the karsts. Although Halong Bay has arguably been tainted by over-exposure, Bai Tu Long Bay farther east toward China, retains all the majesty of Vietnam’s premier bucket-list natural attraction but sees a fraction of the traffic of its immediate neighbor to the west. Here, visitors will find islands of substantial size with deserted beaches and untamed jungle. Halong Bay's 3,000 islands of dolomite and limestone cover a 1,500-square-km (580-square-mile) area, extending across the Gulf of Tonkin nearly to the Chinese border. According to legend, this breathtaking land- and seascape was formed by a giant dragon that came barreling out of the mountains toward the ocean—hence the name (Halong translates into "descent of the dragon"). Geologists are more likely to attribute the formations to sedimentary limestone that formed here between 300 and 500 million years ago, in the Paleozoic Era. Over millions of years water receded and exposed the limestone to wind, rain, and tidal erosion.Today the limestone formations are exposed to hordes of tourists—but don't let that discourage you. Hundreds of fishing trawlers and tour boats share space on these crystal waters, yet there seems to be room for everyone. Most people use the main population center, Halong City, as a base from which to venture into the bay. Although it's now officially one municipality, Halong City was, until 1996, two separate towns: Bai Chay is now Halong City West, where Halong Road winds its way around the coast and past the lifeless central beach; Hon Gai is the grimier Halong City East, where a coal transportation depot dominates the center of town and covers nearby roads and buildings with a sooty film. Locals still refer to the towns by their old names, but they are now inexorably lassoed together by a bridge. Boat trips through Halong Bay are the main attraction. Little of the majesty of this region can be found in the city, so head out onto the water and start exploring. Countless 10- and 30-foot fishing boats have been converted into Halong Bay's formidable tourist-boat fleet. Hotels or travel agencies in Halong City or Hanoi can arrange boat trips for you (often they are part of organized tours from Hanoi). It is still possible to go down to the wharf and bargain yourself onto a boat for the day, but you are likely to be charged (sometimes significantly) more than you would pay for a prebooked tour, so this is not advised. Self-sufficient travelers have fallen victim to the old bait-and-switch: they've arranged a next-day boat tour with local fishermen, only to be told in no uncertain terms the following morning that they could not board their chosen boat, but they could take a different one for quite a bit more money. You may have no choice in the end. Usually travel agencies, however, have their tried-and-true favorites.
About Xiamen
About Xiamen
About Shanghai
Shanghai is a city of two faces. It is home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, miles of luxury goods shops, and scores of trendy bars and restaurants. But look just beyond the main streets and you’ll find narrow alleyways packed with traditional lane houses, where laundry billows from bamboo poles, and local communities are alive and well.Shanghai has always been China’s most Westernized city. In its heyday, Shanghai had the best nightlife, the greatest architecture, and the strongest business in Asia. Nearly a century later, after extreme tumult and political upheaval, it’s back on top.Shanghai’s charm lies not in a list of must-see sites, but in quiet, tree-lined streets, the Bund’s majestic colonial buildings, sweet boutiques, and a dizzying array of places to eat and drink, from literal hole-in-the-walls to celebrity chef restaurants.Today, Shanghai has nearly 24 million people, the skyscrapers keep getting taller, the metro keeps getting longer, and the historical buildings continue to evade the wrecking ball. For how much longer is anyone’s guess.
About Shanghai
Shanghai is a city of two faces. It is home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, miles of luxury goods shops, and scores of trendy bars and restaurants. But look just beyond the main streets and you’ll find narrow alleyways packed with traditional lane houses, where laundry billows from bamboo poles, and local communities are alive and well.Shanghai has always been China’s most Westernized city. In its heyday, Shanghai had the best nightlife, the greatest architecture, and the strongest business in Asia. Nearly a century later, after extreme tumult and political upheaval, it’s back on top.Shanghai’s charm lies not in a list of must-see sites, but in quiet, tree-lined streets, the Bund’s majestic colonial buildings, sweet boutiques, and a dizzying array of places to eat and drink, from literal hole-in-the-walls to celebrity chef restaurants.Today, Shanghai has nearly 24 million people, the skyscrapers keep getting taller, the metro keeps getting longer, and the historical buildings continue to evade the wrecking ball. For how much longer is anyone’s guess.
The Owner's Suite is so much more than our most exclusive suite; it is an exquisite home on the oceans of the world. Enjoy all the amenities you could possibly need, spread over more than 114 m²/1,227 ft² of personal freedom.
Selected equipment features
- Living are: 99 m²/1,066 ft²; veranda 15 m²/161 ft²
- Separate living and sleeping area.
- Separate dining table.
- Guest WC.
- Bathroom with two sinks.
- Shower with steam sauna.
- Whirlpool and daybed in the bathroom area.
- Spacious walk-in wardrobe.
- Butler service.
- Free mini bar (soft drinks, beer and a selection of high-quality spirits).
- Other exclusive service privileges.
In the Grand Penthouse Suite, you can enjoy lavishness at sea - on a daybed with view of the endless sea, or while taking a bath in the middle of the ocean in your private whirlpool.
Selected equipment features
- Living areas: 78 m²/840 ft²; veranda: 10 m²/108 ft².
- Separate living and sleeping area.
- Separate dining table.
- Guest WC.
- Bathroom with two sinks.
- Shower with steam sauna.
- Whirlpool and daybed in the bathroom.
- Butler service.
- Free mini bar.
- Exclusive service privileges.
A private oasis of well-being and a stylish haven of peace
- in the Grand Ocean Suite, you can leave all your worries far behind you.
Pamper your body and soul at the highest level
- with warm colour tones and a spa bath with a panoramic view over the sea.
Selected equipment features
- Living area: 42 m²/452 ft²; veranda: 10 m²/ 108 ft².
- Bathroom with two sinks.
- Separate WC.
- Natural light in the bathroom.
- Shower with steam sauna.
- Whirlpool tub.
- Free mini bar.
A wonderfully spacious suite offering the utmost comfort, uniquely located on the upper decks - is there a better place to relax? In the Penthouse Suite, you can enjoy endless views over the sea and all the amenities of a classic Penthouse Suite.
Selected equipment features
- Living area: 42 m²/452 ft²; veranda: 10 m²/108 ft².
- Walk-in wardrobe.
- Bathroom with two sinks.
- Separate WC.
- Butler service.
- Whirlpool tub and separate shower.
- Free mini bar.
The Penthouse Suite can also be booked with facilities suitable for disabled guests.
Where everyone will feel comfortable. Plenty of room for you and your personal needs - creating a relaxing family holiday. In the Family Apartments, children and parents live in two separate areas connected by a door and a balcony. The furniture of one of the living areas has been tailored especially for our younger passengers.
Selected equipment features
- Living area: 2× 20 m² (2x 215 ft²); veranda: 14 m² (150 ft²), divisible into 2x 7 m² (2x 75 ft²).
- Connecting door between the rooms and the verandas.
- Separate toilets.
- Free mini bars.
The furniture of one of the living areas has been tailored especially for our younger passengers:
- Two twin beds, one of which is a Pullman (80 × 200 cm [2 × 6 ft]).
- Bathtub (140 × 80 cm [4 × 2 ft]).
- Age-appropriate range of toys and games including a games console.
Those who like to start their day with a fantastic view will have a wonderful time in the Ocean Suite. The bathrooms in this category all provide plenty of natural light. Treat yourself to this special luxury and look out over the open ocean from your own bath.
Selected equipment features
- Living area: 28 m²/301 ft²; veranda: 7 m²/75 ft².
- Natural light in the bathroom.
- Bathroom with two sinks.
- Whirlpool tub and separate shower.
- Separate WC.
- Free mini bar.
This comfortable suite has plenty of space for relaxing days on board and boasts wonderful views. The spacious veranda affords a magnificent view over the open sea and the first port lights on the horizon.
Selected equipment features
- Living area: 28 m²/301 ft²; veranda: 7 m²/75 ft².
Walk-in wardrobe.
- Exclusive living area with a chaise longue.
- Bathtub and separate shower.
- Free mini bar.
MS EUROPA 2
All the promises of a yacht and the serenity of a small resort: on board the EUROPA 2, you can enjoy the highest level of casual luxury with a maximum of 500 guests. Discover the best cruise ship in the world*.
Ship Facts
| Speed | 21 | ||||
| Width | 26.7 | ||||
| Length | 225.38 | ||||
| Capacity | 516 | ||||
| Currency | EUR | ||||
| Language | de+en | ||||
| Crew Count | 370 | ||||
| Deck Count | 7 | ||||
| Refit Year | 2017 | ||||
| Cabin Count | 251 | ||||
| Launch Year | 2013 | ||||
| Gross Tonnage | 42830 | ||||
| Electrical Plugs |
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| Large Cabin Count | N/A | ||||
| Wheelchair Cabin Count | 2 |
Deck 10
- Zodiacs
- Shuffleboard
- Sun Deck
- Bridge
- Veranda Suites
- Penthouse Suites
- Grand Penthouse Suites
- Owner Suites
Deck 9
- Restaurant Yacht Club
- Sushi Restaurant Sakura
- Sun Deck
- Pool
- Conference Room
- Studio
- Gallery
- Culinary School
- Belvedere with library and coffee lounge
Deck 8
- Sansibar
- Tender
- Knopf Club / Kids Club
- Veranda Suites
- Ocean Suites
- Family Apartments
- Penthouse Suites (accessible)
Deck 7
- Veranda Suites
- Ocean Suites
Deck 6
- Veranda Suites
- Ocean Suites
- Owner Suites
- Grand Ocean Suites
Deck 5
- Ocean Spa
- Sauna
- Jacuzzi
- Golf
- Embarkation and disembarkation
- Grand Ocean Suites
- Veranda Suites
- Ocean Suites
Deck 4
- Restaurant Weltmeere
- Restaurant Serenissima
- Restaurant Elements
- Restaurant Tarragon
- Grand Reserve
- Tour Office
- Teens' Club
- Boutique / Jeweller
- Reception
- Foyer
- Embarkation / disembarkation
- Photo shop
- Club 2
- Collins
- Theatre
With an eye for detail, the EUROPA 2 chefs are constantly opening up new culinary horizons. They also offer a fine selection of artfully presented dishes at the highest level for those who prefer vegetarian cuisine. Enjoy modern creations or timeless classics with flexible mealtimes and no fixed seating plans in our seven gourmet restaurants.
Weltmeere
Restaurant Weltmeere is the biggest restaurant on board. It is located at the stern of the ship and is quite striking thanks to its spacious room concept.
The world a la carte
The flagship restaurant at the heart of the EUROPA 2: enjoy an international gourmet menu that changes every day, and embark on a culinary voyage of discovery. Weltmeere bears the very personal hallmark of our chef and stands for creative culinary sensations – always interpreted in new and extraordinary ways, with vegetarians also catered for.
CREATIVE CUISINE WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH
Our chef de cuisine looks forward to pampering you with the highest possible standard of cuisine. The culinary range spans from international to vegetarian menus, which are all interpreted in new and surprising ways.
- The restaurant on board where our chefs de cuisine demonstrate their very personal flair.
- Magical culinary moments with international and vegetarian menus, always interpreted in new and unusual ways.
Tarragon
France a la carte
Tarragon stands for great French cuisine and bistro classics, served in an art-deco-style setting. You can look forward to specialities that are at once simple and sophisticated, such as beef tartare prepared at the table.
Elements
Asia a la carte
Whether Indian, Vietnamese or traditional Chinese dishes – Elements offers a feast for the senses of everyone with a penchant for the flavours of the East. Enjoy varied Asian cuisine, the aroma of lemongrass, seafood and lime – and Elements’ exotic, modern ambience.
Serenissima
Italy a la carte
Exquisite classics and new interpretations of the flavours of the Italian Mediterranean: the Serenissima combines the best of Italy's flavours and lifestyle. The house speciality is the malfatti tartufo.
Yacht Club
Relaxed enjoyment, also under an open sky.
At the Yacht Club you can experience the finest cuisine and an unforgettable panoramic ocean view, from breakfast to dinner time. Fresh salads, antipasti from the buffet and freshly grilled specialities, fish, pasta and dishes cooked a la minute direct from the open chef’s stations await you.
Sakura
Japanese creations with a modern twist.
Our master chef for Asian cuisine has perfected the art of conjuring up small masterpieces from the finest ingredients. The result is traditional and modern interpretations of Japanese cuisine, as well as exquisite sushi dishes ranging from classic to creative. Sample the culinary delights from an exclusive menu while enjoying the ocean view in the Sakura’s relaxed setting.
Grand Reserve
Fine wines & specialities
At the Grande Reserve the focus is on fine wines, which you can taste* in small groups under the direction of a sommelier.
*This service in not included in the cruise price.
Raise the curtain! Enjoy unforgettable events and spectacular shows featuring famous artists and stars on board the EUROPA 2. Great comedy, music from classical to pop, and exciting presentations and talks - and always first class.
Sansibar
Germany's most famous beach bar. Also on board.
The little sister of the Sansibar on the German island Sylt has seen a lot more of the world. The view from the open-air bar across the ocean and the parties on the dance floor, with DJ music pumping, are simply unforgettable. Plus, it’s also a fantastic location for a late breakfast or a small bite to eat in the afternoon or evening.
Belvedere Club
Superb panoramic views.
Providing breathtaking panoramic views when the ship is entering or leaving the harbour, the Belvedere is the ideal place to enjoy a little time out. But it’s also an atmospheric lounge with a library, where select coffee and tea specialities are served. Readings and concerts are also held here.
Pool Bar
Culinary enjoyment on the sun deck.
In the pool or at the poolside bar – which is the best place for maximum refreshment? This relaxed meeting place on the Pool Deck serves snacks at breakfast and lunch-time, and our famous waffles in the afternoon, plus fresh juices and coffee specialities. It then takes on a laid-back bar atmosphere until late into the evening.
Piano Bar
A pleasant atmosphere for a relaxing drink.
The Piano Bar is modelled on the bars found in classic grand hotels: a place to sit back with a first-class drink while you reflect on the highlights of your day and enjoy relaxing music from the Steinway grand piano. All this plus an ocean view that no hotel in the world can match.
Club 2
Concerts, comedy and cabaret
Whether for musical entertainment, readings, cabaret or comedy, Club 2 – with its bar and lounge area and small stage – will also adapt its ambience to the cruise route, constantly changing its colour and lighting concept. Bring your day to a close enjoying our fine selection of drinks and snacks that match the destination, and be inspired by our varied entertainment programme.
Collins
Largest gin selection at sea.
The perfect backdrop for the perfect drink – nothing more, nothing less. The atmosphere is traditional and stylish, with armchairs and high-grade woods. The menu features Cuban specialities from the humidor, as well as the largest gin selection on the seven seas.
Theatre
- Multifaceted shows.
- Performances with numerous guest stars, soloists, entertainers and acrobats.
- Concerts from classical music to pop.
- Vaudeville highlights.
- State-of-the-art stage technology with LED screen.
Art
State of the art
A stroll through the luminous corridors of the EUROPA 2 is as inspiring as a day in a museum of modern art. Over 890 original paintings and exhibits, as well as photographs and sculptures by artists including Damien Hirst and Gerhard Richter, accompany the ship and its guests around the world. The collection is complemented by changing exhibitions and lectures by artists on various aspects of art history. Enjoy fine art on the open sea.
The perfect setting for art
Set sail and discover the world of art – art2sea welcomes prominent artists, gallerists, art experts and curators from great museums. Cooperations with renowned experts reveal fascinating insights into the international art world. Exclusive exhibition, gallery and museum visits offer you a look behind the scenes.