Completed in a German yard in 1997, the Columbus has a gross tonnage of 14,903 and a length of 472 ft. She has German officers and an international crew of 170. While fleetmate Europa is one of the top-rated ships in the world, the Columbus may be considered a very good value rather than luxurious. She also benefits from the high-quality food purchases that the Hapag-Lloyd cruise fleet receive, including for the two top expedition ships—Bremen and Hanseatic.
Hapag-Lloyd is a venerable German shipping company that traces its origins to the 19th century and two shipping lines: Hamburg American Line, Hamburg, and North German Lloyd, Bremen. Both shipping lines were major carriers of immigrants and regular passengers, especially on the transatlantic routes. The now-combined company also operates one of the world's largest container-ship fleets.
Most of the up to 420 passengers aboard the Columbus are German-speaking, except on a handful of sojourns to the Great Lakes in summer and early fall. Germans who speak English may be reticent to speak to North Americans, so initial attempts at contact often come from the latter.
In early summer, The Columbus is in the Mediterranean and Baltic, and then a northerly Atlantic crossing brings her to the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. Several Great Lakes cruises target English-speaking passengers, setting out from Toronto and Chicago, and making calls in such places as Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor for Detroit with passage through the Soo Locks and/or the Welland Canal. These advertised bilingual cruises will offer printed programs, menus and shore excursions in English. Although she cruised the Great Lakes in 2007, she is not scheduled to do so in 2008. A separate bus for English speakers depends on the numbers booked. In the fall, she repositions for the German-speaking market to the Caribbean, South America then across the South Atlantic to South Africa, into the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia. She then returns to the Mediterranean via the Middle East.
The ship strikes a colorful pose with her bold reds, greens and blues. Public rooms are mostly aft, with large windows flooding interiors with light. The main lounge, with some of the jazziest carpeting afloat, provides a dance floor, bar, and a more intimate section. The low-key entertainment is cabaret-style, and during the day, an English-speaking lecture program give the cruises a boost. On the deck above the main lounge are two cozy lounges and a wine bar with handsome wicker seating. The forward palm garden and observation lounge also host breakfast buffets, luncheons and late-day snacks. The main restaurant seats all passengers at one sitting, and while the Continental menu is good, main courses at dinner are limited to three choices. Every night features a German speciialty such as venion steak, wild boar, reindeer and bratwurst, knockwurst and weisswurst. Service is generally good, too, and the staff's English is more than adequate. Public rooms are entirely smoke-free. The Sun Deck pool is sheltered, and deck space on this level and aft on a second is ample. An Octoberfest lunchtime buffet with complimentary beer, band and games around the pool is a special celebratory event followed by a long nap to sleep it off.
Of the 134 outside cabins (63 are insides), 124 vary little in size or amenities, despite the line's listing of 16 categories. Of eight suites, just two have private balconies. The primary difference is location. Dark paneling, desks, phones, TVs, minibars (for a fee), safes, twin beds pushed together, hair dryers, and showers are the common denominators.
Rates are moderate, and itineraries are unusual enough to keep the ship well-filled. The Columbus makes a good choice for deep-water cruising in the sometimes-choppy Great Lakes.
