Dalmatia's Charm And The Magic Of The Greek Islands
Dalmatia's Charm And The Magic Of The Greek Islands
Cruise overview
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About Dubrovnik
Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of Dubrovnik. Lying 216 km (135 miles) southeast of Split and commanding a jaw-dropping coastal location, it is one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities. Its massive stone ramparts and fortress towers curve around a tiny harbor, enclosing graduated ridges of sun-bleached orange-tiled roofs, copper domes, and elegant bell towers. Your imagination will run wild picturing what it looked like seven centuries ago when the walls were built, without any suburbs or highways around it, just this magnificent stone city rising out of the sea.In the 7th century AD, residents of the Roman city Epidaurum (now Cavtat) fled the Avars and Slavs of the north and founded a new settlement on a small rocky island, which they named Laus, and later Ragusa. On the mainland hillside opposite the island, the Slav settlement called Dubrovnik grew up. In the 12th century the narrow channel separating the two settlements was filled in (now the main street through the Old Town, called Stradun), and Ragusa and Dubrovnik became one. The city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century, and these were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.From 1358 to 1808 the city thrived as a powerful and remarkably sophisticated independent republic, reaching its golden age during the 16th century. In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.Dubrovnik lost its independence to Napoléon in 1808, and in 1815 passed to Austria-Hungary. During the 20th century, as part of Yugoslavia, the city became a popular tourist destination, and in 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the war for independence, it came under heavy siege. Thanks to careful restoration, few traces of damage remain; however, there are maps inside the Pile and Ploče Gates illustrating the points around the city where damage was done. It’s only when you experience Dubrovnik yourself that you can understand what a treasure the world nearly lost
About Hvar Island
The Croatian island of Hvar bills itself as the "sunniest island in the Adriatic." Not only does it have the figures to back up this claim—an annual average of 2,724 hours of sunshine—but it also makes visitors a sporting proposition, offering them a money-back guarantee if there are seven consecutive days of snow (snow has been known to fall here; the last time being February 2012).
About Zadar
Dalmatia's capital for more than 1,000 years, Zadar is all too often passed over by travelers on their way to Split or Dubrovnik. What they miss out on is a city of more than 73,000 that is remarkably lovely and lively despite—and, in some measure, because of—its tumultuous history. The Old Town, separated from the rest of the city on a peninsula some 4 km (2½ miles) long and just 1,640 feet wide, is bustling and beautiful: the marble pedestrian streets are replete with Roman ruins, medieval churches, palaces, museums, archives, and libraries. Parts of the new town are comparatively dreary, a testament to what a world war followed by decades of communism, not to mention a civil war, can do to the architecture of a city that is 3,000 years old. A settlement had already existed on the site of the present-day city for some 2,000 years when Rome finally conquered Zadar in the 1st century BC; the foundations of the forum can be seen today. Before the Romans came the Liburnians had made it a key center for trade with the Greeks and Romans for 800 years. In the 3rd century BC the Romans began to seriously pester the Liburnians, but required two centuries to bring the area under their control. During the Byzantine era, Zadar became the capital of Dalmatia, and this period saw the construction of its most famous church, the 9th-century St. Donat's Basilica. It remained the region's foremost city through the ensuing centuries. The city then experienced successive onslaughts and occupations—both long and short—by the Osogoths, the Croatian-Hungarian kings, the Venetians, the Turks, the Habsburgs, the French, the Habsburgs again, and finally the Italians before becoming part of Yugoslavia and, in 1991, the independent republic of Croatia. Zadar was for centuries an Italian-speaking city, and Italian is still spoken widely, especially by older people. Indeed, it was ceded to Italy in 1921 under the Treaty of Rapallo (and reverted to its Italian name of Zara). Its occupation by the Germans from 1943 led to intense bombing by the Allies during World War II, which left most of the city in ruins. Zadar became part of Tito's Yugoslavia in 1947, prompting many Italian residents to leave. Zadar's most recent ravages occurred during a three-month siege by Serb forces and months more of bombardment during the Croatian-Serbian war between 1991 and 1995. But you'd be hard-pressed to find outward signs of this today in what is a city to behold. There are helpful interpretive signs in English all around the Old Town, so you certainly won't feel lost when trying to make sense of the wide variety of architectural sites you might otherwise pass by with only a cursory look.
About Opatija
Stroll along Opatija’s seaside promenade, and soak up the splendour, as you enjoy fresh sea air, the sight of waving yacht masts, and the presence of grand ocean-facing buildings. Historically a fashionable destination for European aristocracy, the city is just as in-demand today - with palatial structures watching out over an inviting blue sea, and a border of lush green mountains stretching around the city. Vibrant gardens, glorious weather and endless seafront combine to ensure that Croatia’s original tourist destination remains one of the country’s finest.
About Trieste
Up until the end of World War I, Trieste was the only port of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire and therefore a major industrial and financial center. In the early years of the 20th century, Trieste and its surroundings also became famous by their association with some of the most important names of Italian literature, such as Italo Svevo, and English and German letters. James Joyce drew inspiration from the city's multiethnic population, and Rainer Maria Rilke was inspired by the seacoast west of the city. Although it has lost its importance as a port and a center of finance, it has never fully lost its roll as an intellectual center. The streets hold a mix of monumental, neoclassical, and art-nouveau architecture built by the Austrians during Trieste's days of glory, granting an air of melancholy stateliness to a city that lives as much in the past as the present.
About Monopoli
About Corfu
Corfu town today is a vivid tapestry of cultures—a sophisticated weave, where charm, history, and natural beauty blend. Located about midway along the island's east coast, this spectacularly lively capital is the cultural heart of Corfu and has a remarkable historic center that UNESCO designated as a World Heritage Site in 2007. All ships and planes dock or land near Corfu town, which occupies a small peninsula jutting into the Ionian Sea.Whether arriving by ferry from mainland Greece or Italy, from another island, or directly by plane, catch your breath by first relaxing with a coffee or a gelato in Corfu town's shaded Liston Arcade, then stroll the narrow lanes of its pedestrians-only quarter. For an overview of the immediate area, and a quick tour of Mon Repos palace, hop on the little tourist train that runs from May to September. Corfu town has a different feel at night, so book a table at one of its famed tavernas to savor the island's unique cuisine.The best way to get around Corfu town is on foot. The town is small enough so that you can easily walk to every sight. There are local buses, but they do not thread their way into the streets (many now car-free) of the historic center. If you are arriving by ferry or plane, it's best to take a taxi to your hotel. Expect to pay about €10 from the airport or ferry terminal to a hotel in Corfu town. If there are no taxis waiting, you can call for one.
About Lefkáda Island
About Argostoli
Ground literally to ashes in World War II and wracked by a massive earthquake a decade later, the capital of Kefalonia once more shows pride in its native spirit and natural beauty. The vast harbor on Argostoli’s east side makes an especially attractive port for cruise ships full of visitors who never seem to tire of strolling the cobbled seaside promenade, sipping ouzos in cafés, and stocking up on the succulent Mediterranean fruits in the outdoor markets.
About Náfplion
Oraia (beautiful) is the word Greeks use to describe Nafplion. The town's old section, on a peninsula jutting into the gulf of Argos, mixes Greek, Venetian, and Turkish architecture; narrow streets, often just broad flights of stone stairs, climb the slopes beneath the walls of Acronafplia. Tree-shaded plazas surround neoclassic buildings. The Palamidi fortress—an elegant display of Venetian might from the early 1700s—guards the town. Nafplion deserves at least a leisurely day of your undivided attention, and you may want to spend several days or a week here and use the city as the base from which to explore the many surrounding ancient sights.
About Piraeus
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
The Owner Suite is much more than our most exclusive suite, it is an exquisite residence on the seas of the world. Enjoy every conceivable amenity in over 114 square meters of personal freedom.
- Living area: 99 m²; veranda 15 m²
- Separate living and sleeping areas
- Separate dining table
- guest toilet
- bathroom with two sinks
- shower with steam sauna
- whirlpool and daybed in the bathroom area
- butler service
- Free minibar
- Exclusive service privileges (details experience)
Enjoy luxurious spaciousness on the sea in the Grand Penthouse Suite – in the daybed with a view of the wide sea or while bathing in the middle of the ocean in your private whirlpool.
- Living area: 78 m²; Veranda: 10 m²
- Separate living and sleeping areas
- Separate dining table
- guest toilet
- bathroom with two sinks
- shower with steam sauna
- whirlpool and daybed in the bathroom
- butler service
- Free minibar
- Exclusive service privileges (detailsexperience)
A private oasis of well-being and a stylish haven of peace – in the Grand Ocean Suite you can leave everyday life far behind thanks to a spa bath with panoramic sea views.
- Living area: 42 m²; Veranda: 10 m²
- bathroom with two sinks
- Separate toilet
- daylight in the bathroom
- shower with steam sauna
- whirlpool tub
- Free minibar
Awonderfully spacious suite with every comfort, uniquely located on the upper decks - is there a nicer place to relax? In the Penthouse Suite, enjoy the endless view of the sea and the amenities of a classic penthouse suite.
- Living area: 42 m²; Veranda: 10 m²
- walk-in closet
- bathroom with two sinks
- whirlpool tub and separate shower
- Separate toilet
- butler service
- Free minibar
- Exclusive service privileges (detailsexperience)
The Penthouse Suite can also be booked with barrier-free facilities (category 13). Here the toilet is in the bathroom.
Everyone feels at home here. Lots of space for you and your personal wishes - that's what makes for a relaxing family holiday. In the family apartment, parents and children live in two separate areas that are connected by a door and the balcony. One of the living areas is specifically designed for our younger cruisers.
- Living area: 2× 20 m²; Veranda: 14m² (divisible to 2× 7 m²)
- connecting door between the rooms and verandas
- Separate toilets
- Free minibars
One of the living areas is specifically designed for our younger cruisers:
- Two single beds, one of which is a Pullman bed (80 x 200 cm)
- bathtub (140 x 80 cm)
- Age-appropriate games including games console
If you want to start the day with a fantastic view, you will have a wonderful time in the Ocean Suite.
- Living area: 28 m²; Veranda: 7 m²
- daylight in the bathroom
- bathroom with two sinks
- whirlpool tub and separate shower
- Separate toilet
- Free minibar
This comfortable suite offers plenty of space for relaxing days on board and a cruise with fantastic views.
- Living area: 28 m²; Veranda: 7 m²
- walk-in closet
- Exclusive living area with chaise longue
- bathtub and separate shower
- Free minibar
MS EUROPA 2
With a maximum of 500 guests, you can expect the highest level of personal space and individual service. And all this with an extremely luxurious ratio of almost one to one. The EUROPA 2 combines comfort with a high level of flexibility by also heading to small ports and remote corners off the beaten track. Welcome on board the best cruise ship in the world!*
Enjoy every moment
Casual and individual, exquisite and stylish, entirely in line with your requirements – this is the aim of the EUROPA 2 philosophy. Experience a symbiosis of perfection, elegance and aesthetics, and enjoy lifestyle at the highest level in a modern, relaxed atmosphere.
Experience a unique ship
Experience the great freedom - in a relaxed and individual way, yet high quality and stylish. Enjoy a symbiosis of perfection and elegance as well as the highest level of casual luxury - culinary highlights, first-class wellness and fitness offers, exceptional on-board entertainment complemented by the highest level of privacy and individual freedom. With casual luxury for a maximum of 500 guests, the EUROPA 2 combines design and lifestyle, the highest standards and individual freedom.
Ship Facts
| Launch Year | 2013 | ||||
| Refit Year | 2017 | ||||
| Language | de+en | ||||
| Gross Tonnage | 42830 | ||||
| Length | 225 | ||||
| Width | 27 | ||||
| Currency | EUR | ||||
| Speed | 21 | ||||
| Capacity | 500 | ||||
| Crew Count | 370 | ||||
| Deck Count | 7 | ||||
| Cabin Count | 251 | ||||
| Large Cabin Count | N/A | ||||
| Wheelchair Cabin Count | 2 | ||||
| Electrical Plugs |
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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 or Ocean Suites
- Family Apartments
- Penthouse Suites (accessible)
Deck 7
- Veranda Suites or Ocean Suites
Deck 6
- Veranda Suites or Ocean Suites
- Owner Suites
Deck 5
- Ocean Spa
- Sauna
- Jacuzzi
- Golf
- Embarkation and disembarkation
- Grand Ocean Suites
- Veranda Suites or Ocean Suites
Deck 4
- Restaurant Weltmeere
- Restaurant Serenissima
- Restaurant Elements
- Restaurant Tarragon
- Grand Reserve
- Tour Office
- Teens' Club
- Boutique / Jeweller
- Reception
- Foyer
- Piano Bar
- Embarkation / disembarkation
- Photo shop
- Club 2
- Collins
- Theatre
Haute cuisine. Extremely casual.
With a keen eye for the finest details, the EUROPA 2's chef will open up new culinary horizons for you. He also offers vegetarian cuisine lovers a fine selection of artfully arranged dishes of the highest quality. Enjoy modern creations or timeless classics with more flexible table times and no fixed seating in our gourmet restaurants.
- Exclusive gourmet restaurants, all at no extra charge, with flexible table times and no fixed seating
- Full board: breakfast, late breakfast, lunch and dinner, patisserie and snacks
- Tea and coffee specialties.
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 in the heart of the EUROPA 2: Enjoy a daily changing international gourmet cuisine and go on a culinary journey. The Weltmeere bears the very personal signature of our chef and stands for creative culinary highlights - always interpreted in a new and unusual way, of course also vegetarian.
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
The Tarragon stands for great French cuisine and bistro classics, served in a stylish Art Deco atmosphere. Look forward to specialties that are as simple as they are sophisticated - like the beef tartare prepared fresh at the table.
Elements
Whether Indian, Vietnamese or traditional Chinese – at Elements the sun rises in the east, even in culinary terms. Enjoy the variety of Asian cuisine, the aroma of lemongrass, seafood and lime – and the exotic, modern flair of Elements.
Serenissima
Experience exquisite classics of Italian-Mediterranean cuisine: The Serenissima combines everything you love about Italian enjoyment and lifestyle. The house recommendation is the Ditaloni con Aragosta Marinata allo Zafferano.
Yacht Club
At the Yacht Club you can enjoy the finest cuisine from breakfast to dinner and an incomparable panoramic view of the sea. Look forward to fresh salads, antipasti from the buffet and grill specialties, fish, pasta and dishes prepared à la minute directly from the open cooking stations.
Sakura
Our Asian chef has mastered the art of conjuring up small masterpieces from the finest ingredients. The results are traditional and modern interpretations of Japanese cuisine as well as exquisite sushi, from classic to creative. In the relaxed atmosphere of the Sakura, you can enjoy an exclusive menu - with a sea view, of course.
Grand Reserve
The Grande Réserve, which is connected to the Tarragon, is all about exquisite wines, which you can also taste in a small group under the guidance of a sommelier (for an additional charge).
Lights out, spotlight on.
When the curtain opens, an unforgettable evening begins. With great acrobatics, dance, comedy, interesting talks, lectures or moving music from classical to pop. Let yourself be inspired by artists, performers and entertainers of the highest level on board the EUROPA 2. A varied show and a diverse entertainment program await you on every trip.
Enjoyment is a question of style
Six bars with unique charm to celebrate the day or night. Each with its own, distinctive atmosphere, from loungey to glamorous. This way you can give every night the perfect start and every day the perfect end. Discover the largest selection of champagne at sea on board the EUROPA 2 and let our sommeliers inspire you.
- Daily changing entertainment program with lectures, concerts, workshops and a sophisticated evening program, for example with live shows or readings
- Free internet on board - One hour per guest per day.
Zanzibar
The younger sister of the Sansibar on Sylt sees much more of the world: the view from the open-air bar over the sea and the parties on the dance floor to DJ sounds are unforgettable. And for a late breakfast and small dishes in the afternoon and evening, it is also the top location.
Belvedere
With its incomparable panorama, the Belvedere is a cozy place to linger. But above all, it is an atmospheric lounge where readings and concerts also take place.
Piano Bar
The piano bar follows the tradition of bars in classic grand hotels: you can reflect on the day with a first-class drink and pleasantly understated music from the Steinway grand piano. You can also enjoy a sea view that probably no other hotel in the world can offer.
Club 2
With its cosy bar and lounge area and small stage, Club 2 adapts to the theme of the itinerary and is constantly reinventing itself with its colour and lighting concept. Let the day end with exquisite drinks and small snacks, in keeping with the destination, and be inspired by the diverse entertainment programme.
Collins
The perfect setting for the perfect drink, nothing more and nothing less. In a classic, stylish ambience with club chairs and precious woods. With Cuban specialties from the humidor.
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
art2sea
Look forward to an inspiring journey into the world of art - art2sea welcomes important artists, gallery owners, art experts or curators from major museums. In cooperation with renowned experts, fascinating insights into the international art world are created. Exclusive exhibition, gallery and museum visits offer you a look behind the scenes.
Art on the High Seas
A walk through the bright corridors of the EUROPA 2 is as inspiring as a day in a museum of contemporary art. More than 890 original paintings and exhibits, photographs and sculptures - from Damien Hirst to Gerhard Richter - accompany the ship and its guests around the world. This collection is complemented by changing exhibitions and lectures by artists on various art historical topics.
pool bar
In the pool or at the bar next to it – where does the perfect refreshment await? The relaxed meeting point on the pool deck serves snacks for breakfast and lunch, legendary waffles in the afternoon, fresh juices and coffee specialties. It offers a casual atmosphere until the evening.
MS EUROPA Unplugged
Instead of in large concert halls, you can experience your star acoustically and up close - the concerts in the EUROPA 2 theatre thus have an almost private touch. Enjoy exclusive encounters with outstanding musicians.