Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of Cruising

• 2016: marks the 125th anniversary of passenger cruising
• First cruise departed on 22 January 1891
• Hamburg-born Albert Ballin was the inventor of the cruise concept

The year 2016 is a special one for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: cruising, an ever-popular form of travel, is celebrating its 125th anniversary. In 1891, Albert Ballin launched the first pleasure cruise on the Augusta Victoria and in doing so laid the foundation of what is now a major industry. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is entering an exciting year under the banner of this special 125^th Anniversary.

In the late 19th century, the first cruise was born of a purely pragmatic idea: the Augusta Victoria, the flagship of HAPAG (“Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft”), would spend its winters at anchor and out of use. Albert Ballin, the visionary and later general director of the shipping company, proposed sending the ship on a Mediterranean cruise during this season. On 22 January 1891, the Augusta Victoria departed from Cuxhaven, Germany on what proved to be a resoundingly successful two-month, round-trip cruise, with a 245-strong crew and 241 guests from Germany, Britain and the USA. Today, 125 years later, the cruise sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the travel and tourism industry.

“This year we are very happy to be celebrating the significant anniversary of 125 years of passenger cruising and looking back with pride on the long history of our company,” says Karl J. Pojer, Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “Albert Ballin had a ground-breaking idea. Today, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is a leading provider in the luxury and expedition segments in the German-speaking marketplace. To this day, we remain dedicated to the embodiment of this spirit of innovation and discovery when we design our cruises and seek out new paths. We are looking forward to a year of remembering our roots and celebrating this wonderful anniversary with lots of new ideas.”

“We remain dedicated to the embodiment of this spirit of innovation and discovery when we design our cruise itineraries and seek out new paths. We are looking forward to a year of remembering our roots and celebrating this wonderful anniversary with a range of new ideas.”

Hamburg, January 2016