Hanseatic Inspiration: New Routes on the Amazon River
With Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, after the Hanseatic Spirit, the Hanseatic Inspiration also sailed the Amazon River for the first time between March and April 2024, and new routes are also planned for next year with the Hanseatic Nature.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises thus continues its success story in the expedition sector, boasting a 20-year career of undertaking these cruises with previous ships Bremen and Hanseatic. These journeys are annual highlights of the calendar, offering rare yearly opportunities to sail down the famous river. Isolde Susset, head of expedition cruises and tourism at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, emphasizes that Amazon expeditions are extremely popular and sell out very quickly. Next year, the Hanseatic Nature will also travel these routes, but reservations need to be made promptly, as places for this incredible experience are in high demand and limited. This unique journey through the river’s side branches aboard Zodiacs promises to showcase exotic flora and fauna both day and night, thanks to German-speaking specialists, including ethnologists, biologists, and botanists, who are always at the guests’ service. Currently, no other international operator offers this route.
Rio Amazonas
This year, the Hanseatic Inspiration sailed along the largest contiguous tropical rainforest in the world, following the route of her sister ship, the Hanseatic Spirit, which celebrated its debut on the Amazon just last year. Thanks to the extensive experience of the entire team, the ship’s small size, and the shallow draft of the new expedition builds, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is currently the only international operator whose expedition ships sail the Amazon River all the way to Iquitos, Peru, unlike other operators that stop at Manaus, Brazil. These destinations also offer opportunities to closely learn about different traditions and ways of life, thanks to guided tours by the expert expedition team on board and local experts on land. Places like Pevas, one of the oldest settlements in Peru, or the markets of Leticia in Colombia, add a special and picturesque charm to this region.
Itinerary Spirit
Itinerary Nature
Navigating the “Rio Mar” or “Sea River,” as locals call it, requires skillful handling of significant directional changes along the river’s narrow course. This spectacle also attracts the attention of locals, the “Caboclos,” who reach the ship with their boats and stop at the stern marina to offer typical local products. Guests can personally experience the diversity of this unique and sensitive ecosystem. During the Amazon Expedition, aboard the Hanseatic Nature from the delta in Belem, Brazil, the journey up the river includes engaging activities and numerous Zodiac landings, passing through Rio Negro and Manaus in Brazil, all the way to Iquitos in Peru. The next departures are scheduled from April 5 to April 27, 2025 (22 days), with incredible offers available. With the Hanseatic Spirit, you can take the route from the upper course beyond Manaus to the delta, descending the river from Iquitos in Peru, passing through Rio Negro and Manaus to Belem in Brazil. The next departures for this cruise are from March 28 to April 18, 2026 (21 days).
All information and curiosities about this or other cruises on offer can be found on Cruising Journal.
