Cowes welcomed its first cruise ship visit of the year on Friday (22) — and to mark the occasion, a traditional plaque exchange took place on Cowes Parade.
Hapag Lloyd's HANSEATIC Inspiration made her maiden call to the Isle of Wight.
Photos from Cowes Harbour Commission/Paul Wyeth.
Captain of the ship, Captain Ulf Wolter, was presented with a commemorative plaque by Gary Hall, Cowes Harbour Commission chief executive.
In return, Captain Wolter presented Gary Hall with the ship’s name plaque, which will be displayed in the Harbour Office.
Made of carbon fibre, steel and aluminium, the Cowes Harbour Commission plaque represents the shipbuilding and maritime heritage of the twin towns of Cowes and East Cowes.
Photos from Cowes Harbour Commission/Paul Wyeth.
After disembarking at Trinity Landing, cruise guests from Germany, Netherlands and Belgium enjoyed exploring Cowes in the spring sunshine while others took a scenic coach tour of the Island.
Julian Pfitzner, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said:
“Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is honoured to be making the first international cruise ship call this year at Cowes Harbour. It is a very special occasion for us since our expedition vessel the HANSEATIC inspiration has never called at the Isle of Wight before.
"After stops on the Isles of Scilly and Fowey, our guests enjoyed the beauty of the Isle of Wight and the town of Cowes. We would like to thank all our partners who have given us such fantastic support with the preparations on-site.”
Gary Hall, Cowes Harbour Commission chief executive said:
“It is our pleasure to welcome HANSEATIC Inspiration to Cowes, and we look forward to welcoming her and her sister Hapag-Lloyd Cruise ships back to Cowes later this year.”
“Cruise ship visits are an excellent way to share the beauty and hospitality of the Isle of Wight with more visitors, and we are working hard to make Cowes a call of choice for the smaller luxury cruise ships."
Launched in October 2019, HANSEATIC Inspiration is one of the newest vessels in the Hapag-Lloyd Cruise fleet.
She is one of a three-ship expedition class, designed for luxury expedition cruising to smaller ports and destinations inaccessible to larger vessels.
Photos from Cowes Harbour Commission/Paul Wyeth.
At 138m in length, HANSEATIC Inspiration can carry 230 passengers and 175 crew across seven decks. The ship has a marina for launching a fleet of inflatable boats for shore expeditions, five restaurants and bars and two extendable glass balconies.
All Hapag-Lloyd Cruises ships have run on low-pollutant marine gas oil since 2020, and the HANSEATIC Inspiration features some of the latest environmental technology, including SCR catalytic converters to reduce emissions.
Photos from Cowes Harbour Commission/Paul Wyeth.
HANSEATIC Inspiration is the first of fifteen cruise ships due to call in Cowes this year. The next vessel due is the Sea Cloud Spirit, a 136m modern sailing windjammer, which arrives on June 10.