 Hamburg Atlantic logo | |
| Industry | Ocean liner andcruise ship traffic |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Defunct | 1973 (1st time) |
| Reestablished | 1991 |
| Defunct | 1997 (2nd time) |
| Fate | Acquisition |
| Successor | Hapag-Lloyd Cruises |
| Headquarters | Hamburg,West Germany |
Key people | |
Hamburg Atlantic Line (German:Hamburg Atlantik Linie) was anocean liner andcruise ship operating company established inHamburg,West Germany in 1958 byAxel Bitsch Christensen andVernicos Eugenides, the latter being the adopted son ofHome Lines' founderEugen Eugenides.[1][2] In 1966, the company changed its name toGerman Atlantic Line (German:Deutsche Atlantik Linie). Liner services were abandoned in 1969, after which the company's ships concentrated solely on cruising. Due to the1973 oil crisis, German Atlantic Line closed down in December 1973.[2]
In 1991Dirk Moldenhauer, the captain of the last German Atlantic Line ship in service, acquired the rights to the Hamburg/German Atlantic Line logo and establishedHanseatic Tours which used the same livery and ship names as the German Atlantic Line. In 1997Hapag-Lloyd acquired Hanseatic Tours, and their operations were merged to those ofHapag-Lloyd Cruises. The last Hanseatic Tours vessel,MSHanseatic retained the Hanseatic Tours livery in Hapag-Lloyd service until 2011.[2]
Hamburg Atlantic Line was the brainchild ofAxel Bitsch Christensen, aDane who had been living in Hamburg since 1952, who wanted to establish a new company to offer liner service from West Germany toNew York. Christensen convinced his friendVernicos Eugenides, the chairman ofHome Lines,[3] to invest 6 millionDM in the new company, making it possible for Christensen to raise enough loan to purchase a ship.[1][2] Hamburg Atlantic Line acquired their first ship in January 1958 when they purchased the 1930-built RMSEmpress of Scotland fromCanadian Pacific Steamships. After substantial rebuilding, the ship re-emerged as the firstTSHanseatic in June 1958, and was placed in service connectingCuxhaven, Germany toNew York,United States viaLe Havre (France),Southampton (United Kingdom) andCobh (Ireland). During the winter season she was also used for cruising out of New York to theCaribbean.[4] Coinciding with Hamburg Atlantic beginning transatlantic service, Home Lines ceased transatlantic service so that the two companies in which Vernicos Eugenides had large investments would not compete with each other. After a good year in the transatlantic service in 1959, passenger numbers begun to drop due to competition from air traffic. By 1965 theHanseatic made only eight round crossings, spending the rest of the year cruising.[2]
Already in 1962 Axel Bitsch Christensen had begun planning for a new ship to replace theHanseatic. He had trouble securing a loan to fund the new building, but was not discouraged and drew up an unusual plan for gathering funds. A new company, German Atlantic Line, was established; shares of the new company were offered to past Hamburg Atlantic passengers, and enough funds for the new ships were gathered using this method.[1][2] However, before an order could be placed for the new ship, theHanseatic caught fire on 6 September 1966 while in New York harbour. There were no casualties, but after the hulk of the ship was towed back to Germany, she was deemed too expensive to repair and was sent to scrappers.[2][4] An order for the newTSHamburg was placed withDeutsche Werft during the following month, but the company needed another ship to operate until the new ship would be completed.[2]
Hamburg Atlantic Line was without a ship from the loss of the firstHanseatic until November 1967, when the three-year-old SSShalom was purchased from theIsrael-basedZIM Lines.[5] By this time the decision was made to abandon the name Hamburg Atlantic Line, and the company began to be marketed as the German Atlantic Line.[2] The formerShalom, that had been renamedTSHanseatic, set on a crossing from Hamburg to New York on 16 December 1967 with invited guests on board. After the initial crossing she began making cruises out of New York.[6] In 1968 the German Atlantic Line decided to abandon transatlantic service, concentrating solely on cruising. TheHanseatic did still cross the Atlantic twice a year onrepositioning trips between Europe and America.[2][5]
The new TSHamburg was delivered to German Atlantic Line on 20 March 1969, entering service on 28 March 1969 with a cruise from Hamburg toSouth America.[7] She was the first major German-built, German-flagged passenger ship to enter service since 1938.[8] By this time the company was collaborating withHolland America Line, who acted as German Atlantic's agents inNorth America.[2]
Around the time of theHamburg's delivery German Atlantic was faced with bad times financially. 75% of their income was made inUS dollars, but during the late 60s and early 70s theDeutsche Mark gained value heavily compared to the Dollar. At the same time both crew expenses and fuel prices rose dramatically. Due to the raising expenses the company was forced to seek out a joint venture withHapag-Lloyd, but nothing came of this.[1] By September 1973 the company's debts were estimated at 50-70 million DM, so whenHome Lines lost theirSSHomeric and expressed interest in buying theHanseatic as a replacement, German Atlantic had no choice but to sell the ship or face bankruptcy.[1][3][6] On 25 September 1973 theHanseatic was sold and renamed SSDoric.[3][6] On the same date theHamburg was in turn renamedHanseatic,[6][7] but at the same time plans were being drawn to sell her to Hapag-Lloyd.[1]
Negotiations about the sale of the thirdHanseatic continued with Hapag-Lloyd, as well as a potential buyer fromJapan, while debts continued to accumulate. On 1 December 1973 German Atlantic Line was forced to cease operations completely. TheHanseatic was laid up and eventually sold to theBlack Sea Shipping Company of theSoviet Union (via an American intermediary) in 1974, becoming their TSMaxim Gorkiy.[1][2][7] TheMaxim Gorkiy spent most of her subsequent career under charter to various West German (and afterGerman reunification, German) tour operators.[8]
In 1991Dirk Moldenhauer – the last captain of the thirdHanseatic – purchased the rights to the logo used by Hamburg/German Atlantic Line, as well as the right to use the name "Hanseatic", and founded a new expedition cruise operator Hanseatic Tours.[2] Initially the new company made an agreement to charter the MSRenaissance Five, at the time still under construction, fromRenaissance Cruises. Before delivery the ship was renamedMSHanseatic Renaissance and entered service in Hanseatic Tours colours in May 1991. TheHanseatic Renaissance remained in Hanseatic service until 1992, when she was returned to her owners.[2][9]
On 23 March 1993 Hanseatic Tours chartered the 1991-built MSSociety Adventurer and renamed herMSHanseatic.[10] Although built two years previously, the ship has never seen active service as the company that had ordered her went bankrupt before she was completed, and the ship had been laid up until chartered to Hanseatic Tours.[11] The fourthHanseatic entered service on 27 March 1993 when she set on a cruise from Hamburg toSevilla.[10] Hanseatic Tours continued operations with one ship until 1997, when the company was purchased byHapag-Lloyd, with Dirk Moldenhauer becoming one of the chiefs of Hapag-Lloyds cruise operations. Even after entering service with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the fourthHanseatic retained her name and Hanseatic Tours livery.[2]
| Ship | IMO-number | Built | In service for HAL/GAL/HT | Flag | Gross register tonnage | Status today | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSHanseatic | 5514232 | 1930 | 1958–1966 |  West Germany | 30,030 GRT | Burnt 1966, subsequently scrapped. |  |
| TSHanseatic | 5321679 | 1964 | 1967–1973 | West Germany | 25,338 GRT | Sunk 2001 |  |
| TSHamburg TSHanseatic | 6810627 | 1969 | 1969–1973 1973 | West Germany | 25,022 GRT | Scrapped inAlang, India in 2009 | .jpg) |
| MSHanseatic Renaissance | 1991 | 1991–1992 |  Italy | 4,280 GRT | Since 2001 sailing as MSSpirit of Oceanus forCruise West. | ||
| MSHanseatic | 9000168 | 1991 | 1993–1997 |  Bahamas | 8,378 GRT | Since 1997 sailing forHapag-Lloyd. Retained Hanseatic Tours livery until 2011. | _(cropped).jpg) |
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