Hanseatic Inspiration, the second of three 16,100 gross ton expedition cruise ships on order for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in Germany, has been launched at the Tulcea shipyard of the Vard group, the cruise line said in a statement.

The hull, which weighs 6,400 tonnes, will be towed for fitting out to the Langsten shipyard of the Vard group, a distance of some 4,000 miles. The tow will take between 24 and 28 days. The ship is due for delivery in October this year.

The 230 passenger capacity, manoeuvrable expedition ships feature cutting-edge technology and have the highest ice class for passenger ships (PC6).

“Their routes will take the ships from one extreme to the other – from cold polar waters to the warm regions of the Amazon. The construction, design and routes of the new ships focus on providing a true expedition experience, getting as close to nature as possible and incorporating state-of-the-art equipment to minimise the environmental impact,” Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said. The company is part of the TUI AG group, while Vard is owned by Fincantieri.