Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is highlighting its culinary expertise with two new gastronomic concepts aboard its fleet and, at the same time, officially introducing the creative minds behind them: Corporate Executive Chefs Timon Lohrengel and Marcel Jücker. These two top chefs are responsible for the culinary development across the five ships: the luxury ships EUROPA and EUROPA 2, and the three expedition ships HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration, and HANSEATIC spirit.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has created new culinary experiences at sea with a new menu at the Pearls aboard the EUROPA. This menu features 15 innovative creations based on vegetarian caviar and is now available to passengers. A pop-up fish restaurant has also been launched on expedition ships. These new concepts combine innovative drive with technical perfection and demonstrate the growing diversity of the onboard gourmet scene.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises expands its gastronomic offering with two innovative ideas for different target audience groups, continuously developing its culinary signature with creativity and a clear understanding of contemporary cuisine.
As part of the modernization and renovation of the EUROPA, the Pearls has been completely rebuilt in an elegant setting overlooking the sea, setting new culinary standards at sea. As the first caviar restaurant at ocean, it stands out for its exquisite selection, innovative creations, and balanced menus in which the precious caviar pearls traditionally play the leading role. In addition to 15 new compositions featuring an impressive selection of caviar, 15 separate and innovative vegetarian options have been created. Vegetarian menus can also be prepared in a vegan version upon request. They are served in three tasting menus, each consisting of seven courses, including an amuse-bouche and dessert. With the new menu, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises once again surprises its guests with innovative gastronomic offerings. Each dish has been reinterpreted, and each vegetarian composition meets the highest standards.
Developed by Timon Lohrengel and Marcel Jücker, the vegetarian menus reinterpret the concept of caviar: vegetarian caviar is created through spherification, a process that transforms flavored liquids into tiny pearls that resemble caviar in texture and appearance, but are entirely plant-based thanks to ingredients such as yuzu, saffron tapioca, chili, or Granny Smith apple. This technique originates from molecular gastronomy, pioneered in the 1990s by visionary chefs like Ferran Adrià.
“We wanted to demonstrate that culinary pleasure and sophistication don’t depend on specific products, but rather on the idea behind them,” explains Timon Lohrengel, Senior Corporate Executive Chef of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “This menu symbolizes the spirit of innovation that drives us: classic gourmet tradition combined with a creative and contemporary lightness.”
On its expedition ships, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is introducing a new pop-up seafood restaurant concept, which opens for four nights on each 14-day or longer expedition and is located in the ship's existing specialty restaurant. This expands the culinary offerings with a fourth temporary restaurant seating approximately 35 diners. The idea arose from direct feedback from passengers who desired a dining experience focused exclusively on fish and seafood. The menu includes dishes such as surf and turf with lobster medallions and beef fillet, turbot à la Marseillaise, and king crab.
The expedition fleet is known for its small, maneuverable ships that embark on voyages of discovery to the world's most remote regions, with a strong focus on experiencing nature. With three restaurants, including a themed one, the culinary journey is an essential part of the cruise despite the ships' small size. “The concept is our culinary response to this desire: fresh, regionally inspired, and slightly different on each route,” says Marcel Jücker, Corporate Executive Chef of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “It reflects our philosophy of working closely with our guests and their expectations, but always with our own unique style.”
Timon Lohrengel and Marcel Jücker bring decades of experience to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Both know the fleet's culinary world from different perspectives, from chef de partie and head chef to being overall managers of all gastronomic concepts.
Timon Lohrengel has served as Senior Corporate Executive Chef since 2022. He previously gained experience in luxury hospitality, including at the Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere in Davos, and as head chef for the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet. His approach is characterized by precision, attention to detail, and product quality.
Marcel Jücker assumed the role of Corporate Executive Chef in 2024. Trained in Michelin-starred fine dining and with international experience, including a stint at Eleven Madison Park in New York, his career ultimately led him to the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet. His strengths lie in modern techniques and creative menu design.
Working as a team, Lohrengel and Jücker are responsible not only for new concepts, but also for quality control, product development, and trend monitoring across the entire Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet. Their close collaboration enables agile decision-making, creative synergies, and a clear culinary vision that is reflected on every ship, from the fine dining of the EUROPA to the expedition cuisine in the Arctic.
“Our work is based on combining tradition and innovation,” says Jücker. “We want to make every meal on board a memorable moment of discovery, characterized by creativity, quality, and a desire to bring out the best in every product.”
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