Tourism

What is the Europa cruise ship and when does it visit Gibraltar?

The cruise ship Europa
Photo: Dudva, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Europa is a small luxury ship from the German line Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, taking no more than 400 guests. Its upcoming visits to Gibraltar, with times and expected passengers, are listed on this page.

Upcoming visits to Gibraltar

  • Tuesday 10 November 2026, in port 07:00–15:00, about 408 passengers expected

    Also in port: Spirit of Discovery. Combined: about 1,408 passengers where known.

  • Friday 29 October 2027, in port 08:00–13:00, about 408 passengers expected

    Also in port: Costa Diadema.

From the Port of Gibraltar schedule, last checked 15 October 2026.

Detailed answer

Europa was built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Helsinki, Finland, and completed in September 1999. It has a gross tonnage of 28,890, a length of 198.6 metres and 204 suites, with a crew of about 275. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises says the ship carries no more than 400 guests and describes it as setting the global benchmark for luxury cruises. Most guests are German speakers, and the line has been reported as offering every cruise in both German and English from January 2026. Europa spent three weeks in dry dock at Bremerhaven in September and October 2024, when more than 130 suites and the public and pool areas were refreshed. A further refit at Bremerhaven is planned for autumn 2027.

How busy will town be?

The upcoming visits listed on this page show the passengers expected on each call and any other ships in port the same day. Town is busiest when several ships are in at once or a large ship arrives at a weekend. A ship carrying a few hundred passengers makes little difference on its own.

Can you sail on it from nearby?

Yes. Europa sails from Palma to Malaga from Thursday 5 November 2026, then from Malaga to Lisbon from Sunday 15 November 2026, and from Lisbon to New York from Wednesday 25 November 2026. In 2027 it is listed from Palma to Nice from Monday 17 May 2027 and from Palma to Tenerife from Monday 25 October 2027. Fares are quoted in euros and bookings are taken through Hapag-Lloyd's German and English sites.