Arrival & departure

Naturally, you can also book connecting flights to the flights offered by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, subject to availability. Please let us know which connecting flights you require at the time of booking.

Depending on the flight operator, flight connection and booked class of carriage, there may be a surcharge for the connecting flight you require, even in Economy Class. We will be happy to advise you on possible connections, classes of carriage and prices.

Our employees from the HLC Services team would be happy to provide you with recommendations, ideas and advice relating to the individual planning of your arrival and departure. Please let us know your desired travel dates, connections and/or airline. We would be pleased to provide you with an individual offer today.

Please note that individual travel information does not correspond to the arrival and departure services advertised by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and are therefore subject to different conditions regarding cancellation, changes, etc.

Your flight requests will be distributed by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises approximately 10 months prior departure date. Deviated flight connections which contain a different feeder airport could be charged with an upselling fee. For a relevant fee, we also offer a reservation in premium economy, business or first class (provided the airline offers those service classes). In that case please do not hesitate to contact your travel agency or Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

We allow about two hours for you to transfer between two flights. In the winter season, experience tells us, this is often not enough due to the uncertain weather conditions. We therefore extend the transfer time to up to four hours.

The additional booking of a "train to flight" ticket is currently not offered by Hapag Lloyd Cruises. We will be happy to check the availability and prices for an additional or connecting flight.

Flight bookings with integrated rail connections under Lufthansa flight number are fares on the part of the operating airlines.

Our Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Services Team will be happy to advise you on booking your flights from or to your desired home airport.

A paid seat reservation for your flight can usually be arranged directly through the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Services Team with the operating airline. In some cases, it may be necessary for the flight ticket to be issued, and there may be different costs for changes or cancellations to the flight connection. Please note that there are increasingly also costs for seat reservations in Business Class, while in Premium Economy and Economy Class, seat reservations are usually subject to a fee. In some exceptional cases, seat reservations may not be available for all flight connections or on all airlines. Additionally, please be aware that there may be changes to the assigned seats at any time. Also, please consider that any fees already paid for seat reservations will not be refunded by the airlines if you change your flight booking. Further information regarding this can be found on the website of the operating airline. Separate conditions apply to reservations at the emergency exits.

You will find the valid baggage regulations for your flights in the “Flight information” details that we will send to you after booking or flight clearance.

The baggage allowance for the outbound and return flights may differ, and is based on the flight or partial route with the lowest baggage allowance limit.

On flights booked via Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the applicable baggage regulations are those of the relevant airline that are valid on the departure date. (Please note that this may change after you make your booking.)

International labour laws generally restrict the maximum weight per item of baggage to 32 kg and the maximum dimensions to 158 cm (width + height + depth). Hand baggage must also not exceed the stated dimensions for passing through the airport security check.

Please register larger, heavier or additional pieces of luggage as excess baggage (subject to a charge) via the website of the relevant flight operator (pay directly by credit card) at least seven days before departure. 

Generell kann ein Upgrade für über Hapag-Lloyd Cruises gebuchte Flüge angefragt werden. Bitte beachten Sie, dass nur ausgewählte Buchungsklassen ein Upgrade erlauben. Es kann vorkommen, dass Hapag-Lloyd Cruises auf diese speziellen Buchungsklassen bei ausgewählten Fluggesellschaften keinen Zugriff hat. Gegebenenfalls kann für upgradefähige Buchungsklassen auch ein Aufpreis anfallen.

Ablauf: Das Reisebüro oder die Gäste bringen vor Ticketausstellung direkt bei der Airline in Erfahrung, ob es noch Verfügbarkeiten für ein Upgrade gibt. Bei einem positiven Bescheid kann bei Hapag-Lloyd Cruises schriftlich oder telefonisch die Ausstellung des Tickets angefragt werden. Nach Ticketausstellung kann bei der Airline das Upgrade veranlasst werden. Bitte beachten Sie, dass nach Ticketausstellung in der upgradefähigen Buchungsklasse eine kostenlose Stornierung nicht mehr möglich ist.

Please note that more and more airlines are replacing their check-in counters at airports with self-service check-in machines. Checking in at airline counters is no longer possible; these are now only used for bag drop.

We recommend that you check in online from 48 hours before your departure on the website of the airline that you booked with. Once you have done this, you will no longer need to check in at the self-service check-in machine and can bring your luggage to the luggage drop-off points of your airline on the day of your departure.

Dropping your luggage off is only possible with a valid boarding pass. Please have this ready for inspection at the airline’s bag drop.

To check in online, you will simply need your full name (as used to book your flight) and your destination. If a BOOKING REF (booking reference) is required and you have booked your flight via Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, you will find this reference in the booking code field in your personal flight information. Once you have selected a seat on the interactive seating plan, you can print off your personal boarding pass or have it sent to your mobile phone. Please contact your travel agency or representative for assistance if required.

Please note that you cannot check in online for charter flights of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

You need to inform us before commencing your journey as to the exact nature of your disability and its severity so that we can, for example, order an appropriate service for negotiating the passageways at the airport. We will then pass this information on to the airlines and the latter, in turn, to the respective medical care facilities at the airport. Please note that this request is non-binding and a corresponding service cannot be guaranteed.

For further information about travel for passengers with a disability, please see Travellers with disabilities.

Your luggage may only contain items for personal use. It is not permitted to bring firearms, ammunition, pepper spray (including animal repellent spray) and other items that can be used as weapons on board. It is also prohibited to bring drugs, acids, hazardous chemicals, flammable substances, medical devices that do not meet the technical requirements and other hazardous goods (e.g. irons, heaters, candles) on board. Pocket or hunting knives and knives with a blade length of more than 10 cm (4 in.) may not be brought on board. For safety reasons, you are not permitted to bring your own multiple sockets and extension cables on board. We will be happy to provide you with these at Reception.

In addition, it is forbidden to bring plants with soil and roots, plant products, sand or shells on board due to the possibility of transporting insects and bacteria.

For cruises starting or ending in a German cruise departure point (Hamburg, Kiel or Travemuende), the bus transfers to/from Hamburg airport and to/from Hamburg main station are included.

You will receive more details about this with your travel documents.

We created our "Welcome Points" and "Farewell Points" at the time in order to make the time until official embarkation or disembarkation as pleasant as possible for our individually arriving and departing guests and to create an easy way to drop off luggage. We would like to optimise this procedure from winter 2023 and adapt it to the needs of our valued guests.

From now on, there will no longer be a separate "Welcome Point" or "Farewell Point", but you will be able to drop off your luggage easily and conveniently directly in the cruise terminal. You will find the address of the terminal in your travel documents at a later date. Embarkation will probably be possible at an earlier time than usual. Please note that despite the earlier embarkation time, the suites can still only be occupied from 4 pm. We are pleased to be able to welcome you on board earlier than before and are sure that we have found a pleasant solution for you as our guests.

Disembarkation normally takes place until 10.00 hrs on the scheduled disembarkation day. Earlier disembarkation may be required in exceptional circumstances (e.g. early flights home or subsequent ship docking period). For more information, please refer to your travel documents after booking and the on-board information on the evening before your departure.

If you have booked flights independently, please let us know your flight times. In this way, we will be able to establish which guests are affected in the event of flight delays or cancellations.

When planning your individually booked flights, please note the arrival and/or departure times of the ship and allow sufficient time for transfers to and from the port. We recommend that you follow the official embarkation times. Please let us know if you are going to arrive at the port later than 18.00 hrs. Departure from the pier can take place only once official approval has been granted – normally 90 minutes after the arrival of the ship or by 10.00 hrs at the earliest. Please be aware that regulations vary from port to port, and there may sometimes be unexpected delays.

If you have any further questions, please contact your travel agency or Hapag-Lloyd Cruises at:

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises,
a TUI Cruises GmbH company
Heidenkampsweg 58 
20097 Hamburg 
Germany 
Phone +49 40 307030 - 70
Fax     +49 40 307031 - 70
E-Mail  salesteam@hl-cruises.com