MS Europa retains "best cruise ship" status

Hamburg/London - MS Europa has been named the "best cruise ship in the world" for the ninth consecutive time after Hapag-Lloyd's flagship scored 1,852 points out of 2,000 in the 2009 edition of the Berlitz Cruise Guide.

Though the Europa earned eight points less than last year, there's still a wide gap to the world's next best vessel, the Sea Dream II, which scored 1,788 points.

The guide is compiled by British cruise ship tester, Douglas Ward, on behalf of the London-based Berlitz publishing house.

Along with the rank of "best ship", the Europa is also the only vessel in the world in the category "Five Star Plus."

The Europa's owner, Aida Cruises, also has another reason to celebrate. Last year, the company's other ships Aidacara, Aidaaura and Aidavita each scored just under 1,400 points and were downgraded from the Four Star category to Three Star Plus.

But this year, Berlitz awarded the ships over 1,400 points each, elevating them once again to Four Star status.

The latest club ships in the fleet, the Aidabella and Aidadiva, earned 1,495 and 1,494 points respectively and are also Four Star vessels.

A total of 270 ships were tested of which 13 received the coveted Five Star status. They include once again the large sailing vessels Sea Cloud, Sea Cloud II and MS Hanseatic - another Hapag-Lloyd cruise ship.

The Europa has been the top-ranked vessel since it first entered the list.

Next year, the vessel will mark its tenth birthday and its owners plan to continue "setting the standards in the luxury segment," said a spokesman Sebastian Ahrens.

In September 2009, the Europa is due to enter port to refit 180 of the standard cabins and bring them up to the latest standard.

Most of the German-owned ships have not changed their category status. The Astor and Astoria from Transocean Tours remain in the Three Star category along with the Albatross from Phoenix Reisen.

Phoenix's flagship Amadea retained its Four Star Plus status. Hapag-Lloyd's Bremen was awarded four stars as in the previous year.

Peter-Deimann Reederei's vessel, Deutschland, remains without a category status. In the 1990s, Ward faced litigation over the ship's grade.

According to Ward, the average price of the standard accommodation on a cruise ship has fallen to the level of 1980.

To compensate for this, some cruise companies have discontinued a few services offered in their all-inclusive packages and are encouraging passengers to spend more while on board their ships.

Ward has also noticed that cruise companies are not allowing their guests to smoke in their cabins and on balconies any longer.

Short cruises of just a few days are also becoming increasingly common, allowing patrons to test out life at sea.

Literature: Douglas Ward: Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2009, Berlitz, ISBN: 978-9812685643, 34.90 euros (48 dollars). (dpa)