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Why Go?
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 Oriented to adventure-minded German travelers
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Small ship by today’s standards, carries only 420 passengers
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One formal dinner seating accommodates all passengers
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Several sailings designed for solo travelers with no single supplement
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Few organized activities, greater emphasis on destinations
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Itineraries and Ports of Call: Asia • Caribbean - Eastern • Middle East & Africa
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Columbus Review
Launched in 1997 by Hapag-Lloyd, Germany's venerable cruise ship operator, the Columbus was designed to navigate the locks and canals that connect America's Great Lakes. At 15,000 gross tons the ship is small by today's standards, carrying 420 passengers when fully booked. Marketed primarily to German-speaking Europeans, Columbus nevertheless offers English-speaking travelers a unique experience: it's the only option for full cruise ship service through the waters shared by the United States and Canada.
Americans are going to find prices for this ship high. Uniquely, Hapag-Lloyd does not practice yield management in the selling of cabins. Those that are unsold close to sailing dates simply remain -- unsold. There's no bargain offering. The line offers only three discounts: five percent for onboard booking; five percent for booking 260 days or more before sailing; and a reduction for combining consecutive cruises (varying by sailing). Several cruises each year are offered to single travelers with no single supplement and for that reason these are a great value for solo travelers. One other (small) downside in the financial arena is that onboard purchases are charged in Euros and the dollar is not particularly strong in that area. While the line accepts checks for payment in euros, they charge a three percent fee for charging by credit card.
And yet: My cruise was relatively all-inclusive with free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (in the mini-bar, bars and Restaurant); included gratuities; and free shore excursions. The line offers about five of these virtually-all-inclusive cruises each year -- snap one up! Another five cruises are aimed at golf aficionados -- the line carries a pro golfer and makes arrangements for passengers to play local courses in each port.
Prices for most sailings (the regular voyages) begin at about $270 per person per day for an inside double.
In addition to three or four Great Lakes cruises each fall, Columbus sails around the world through the autumn and winter with passengers flying out from Germany for segments. Because of her small size, Columbus calls at rarely visited places like Easter and Pitcairn Islands. In spring and summer Columbus sails out of Germany to the Baltic, Arctic and Norway.
Overall, Hapag-Lloyd seems to be ambivalent about marketing their ships outside the German-speaking world (compare their attitude with Peter Deilmann's, Germany's other well known -- and quite English friendly, cruise operator). On my 9-day Great Lakes cruise there were 273 passengers: 185 Germans, 74 Americans, five Austrians, five Swiss and two each from Canada, France and the UK. Hapag Lloyd claims to run a bilingual cruise if 15 or more English-speaking passengers are onboard. Hence, one channel of the TV showed English-language films, the menus and daily program were available in English, and all announcements were made in German and English, alternating which came first. The only announcements concerned the navigation of the ship; there were no announcements of activities.
Had I not worked with a German intern at work, preparing for my trip -- even if it was a U.S.-oriented sailing! -- it would have been difficult as all cruise materials were in German. Fortunately, onboard the Great Lakes cruises are bilingual.
Read Complete Columbus Review
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Hapag-Lloyd Ships: Bremen • Columbus • Europa
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