MS Hamburg – What's important before your voyage – Everything on board from A-Z
What is important before your trip
You will no doubt have one or two questions about life on board. Below you will find the most important information in advance:
MS Hamburg has a modern ship's hospital under the direction of an experienced ship's doctor. Guests requiring medical treatment should contact the ship's doctor immediately after embarkation. You should carry a sufficient quantity of any necessary medication in your hand luggage. The costs for treatment and medication must be paid on board. The amounts will be reimbursed by the insurance company on presentation of the invoice, provided you have taken out foreign travel health insurance, in accordance with the existing conditions.
We therefore strongly recommend that you take out international health insurance. Please enquire before you travel to find out to what extent or whether your international health insurance will cover the costs. Patients with chronic illnesses and/or special diet plans are requested to enquire with the organizer in good time before the trip as to what measures can be taken to ensure a carefree trip.
In the small on-board boutique on deck 5, you can buy a small selection of gifts as well as everyday necessities. All items are VAT-free. The boutique must remain closed in port for customs reasons.
Please note that vaccination requirements may change at any time. A yellow fever vaccination is currently recommended for trips to Brazil and associated combination trips (as of June 2024).
The vaccination requirements can also be found on the respective travel pages.
For more information, please contact your local health authority or the CRM - Center for Travel Medicine in Düsseldorf (www.crm.de).
MS Hamburg is a cheerful ship with a casual and cozy atmosphere. We therefore recommend that you wear comfortable, sporty clothing during the day. However, we ask you not to enter the lounges and restaurants in swimwear. In the evening, we recommend smart casual attire in the restaurant. There are usually two festive evening events on each cruise where formal dress is requested. Additional information is provided by the onboard tour guide in the daily program.
For excursions and private shore excursions, we recommend comfortable, practical clothing and sturdy shoes that are appropriate for the route. Please note that in many countries the wearing of shorts or Bermuda shorts is not appreciated and ladies should keep their shoulders covered when visiting churches and mosques.
For our Zodiac trips in particular, you will need the following equipment, which is not available on board: non-slip, knee-high rubber boots with warm socks, rain pants/waterproof ski pants, a waterproof, warm jacket, fleece jacket or wool sweater, waterproof, warm gloves, a hat and/or headband (in case of cold winds), a rucksack for photographic equipment, binoculars etc., so that you always have both hands free for the boat trips, as well as sun cream and sunglasses. You will receive further information with the information about your trip.
You will receive the shore excursion programs for the respective voyages approx. 5 weeks before the start of the voyage and can then make advance bookings. Payment is always made via your on-board account. You can book additional shore excursions on board (subject to availability). After the booking deadline, which is announced in the daily program, changes or returns are no longer possible. All shore excursions are presented by the excursion leader at the beginning of each trip. Our lecturers will give you additional information about the respective destinations with interesting presentations.
Your clothing should be as comfortable as possible on the shore excursions and adapted to the respective surroundings. Our concierge will be happy to assist you with individual shore excursion requests at any time.
For these trips, we require the special and comprehensive medical questionnaire, which you will receive with the trip information, to be completed before the start of the trip. Your details will of course be treated in strict confidence and are for your own safety. International health insurance with repatriation/recovery is mandatory for these trips.
The customer is responsible for procuring and carrying the travel documents required by the authorities, any necessary vaccinations, visas and for complying with customs and foreign exchange regulations.
A valid passport is required to enter the country. The British government is gradually introducing an electronic travel authorization (ETA). The exact date of entry into force for German nationals is not yet known. A valid passport is also required for children to enter the UK.
You will receive your travel documents in digital form approx. 2 weeks before departure (postal delivery is possible for a fee of €5, booking must be made at least 4 weeks before departure). Please have your travel documents ready to hand in your hand luggage (this is also sufficient in digital form). Please note that paper tickets are no longer available for flights. All flights are boarded with electronic tickets, which means that you only need your passport or ID card to check in. If a booking number is also required for identification purposes, you will find this in your travel documents.
Meals in the Alsterblick restaurant are taken in one sitting. Breakfast and lunch are served at your choice of table. For dinner, you will be seated at your reserved table. We will be happy to accept your table seating requests prior to departure (non-binding). Should you require special arrangements, please contact the Maître d'Hôtel. He will do his best to accommodate your wishes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Palmgarten buffet restaurant are served at your choice of table.
Please note that baggage and airport security regulations may change at short notice. Please refer to your travel documents for further information. Liquids carried in hand baggage must be presented separately at the security checkpoint.
At the end of a cruise, it is customary to reward the service staff and tip the cabin crew and restaurant staff. An amount of €7 per guest per night is considered appropriate on cruise ships, provided your expectations have been met. Tipping is a voluntary service and can be charged directly to your on-board account at your request. The tip will then be divided fairly among all service staff by the ship's management.
We recommend that you take out travel cancellation, baggage, curtailment and international health insurance that covers return transportation, rescue costs and coronavirus treatment as well as quarantine and return travel costs. The latter is mandatory for the destinations Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.
Further information can be found on the respective travel pages.
There are currently entry requirements for various trips, which you can find in detail on the relevant travel pages. In addition, deviations may occur at short notice due to official regulations. We will inform you in advance about the applicable regulations at the time of your booking. If costs are incurred for visas or other entry and exit fees, we will charge these to your on-board account. Other regulations may apply for guests who are not German nationals.
The Brazilian authorities prohibit intra-Brazilian interruptions of the cruise (overland excursions lasting several days) with intermediate disembarkation in a Brazilian port and later re-embarkation in another Brazilian port. Shore excursions in the individual ports are not affected by this.
The official currency is the euro. You pay in the restaurant and at the bars with your on-board ID. At the end of the cruise (for combination cruises after each leg) you will receive a total bill from reception, which you can pay in cash, by EC card or by credit card (VISA or MASTER, credit card valid for 2 months). This invoice is also used to pay for shore excursions, drinks and other on-board expenses.
The minimum number of participants for each trip is 350. We reserve the right to make changes to the program. A deposit is required for the booking. The amount depends on the tour price and is explained in our travel conditions. Your payments are insured by DRSF, Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH, Sächsische Straße 1, D-10707 Berlin, in accordance with the statutory provisions.
Subject to changes and errors.
Status June 2024
MS Hamburg Decks from 1 to 6
Everything from A-Z
The travel conditions of plantours & Partner GmbH apply to all cruises listed on the website.
The hospital is located on deck 1. The consultation hours are announced daily in the daily program. In emergencies, the ship's doctor can be contacted via reception.
When you embark, you will receive your boarding pass, which serves as a means of payment on board and as an attendance check after shore leave. When leaving the ship, you always check out with your boarding pass and check in again when you return. Please always carry this pass with you, both on board and ashore.
Look over the shoulders of the captain and his officers on the bridge as they work. Bridge tours are available on request, depending on the sailing area and official requirements.
The concierge will be happy to advise you on individual land and flight arrangements, organize your personal dream programme and make all the necessary bookings. The concierge also offers comprehensive cruise advice. You can contact him directly in his office (please refer to the daily program on board for opening hours).
There are plenty of deck chairs and sun loungers available on board. We would ask you to refrain from making reservations by towel.
We are happy to fulfill special requests for diets, allergies and intolerances. Please let us know in good time when booking.
A limited number of bicycles and Nordic walking poles are available on board for shore leave. Subject to official approval, you can reserve these on board with our concierge for each shore excursion. (Bicycles are not available in tender ports). There is a rental charge of €20 per person and shore leave for bicycles.
A professional photographer is on board. He takes pictures on board and ashore during the trip, which can be exhibited and purchased. Digital images can be burned onto CD for a fee. There is also a videographer on board who records the impressions of the trip on DVD or USB stick.
The euro is accepted in many European countries. Outside these countries and in non-European countries you will receive change in the local currency. It is not possible to exchange money on board MS Hamburg!
The hairdressing salon is located on deck 1. We recommend that you book in good time to avoid waiting times. The same applies to cosmetics and massages.
You will receive luggage tags with your travel documents. Please attach these to your luggage so that they are clearly visible. These tags enable your baggage to be transported smoothly and make the work of the baggage handlers much easier. Please enter your full name and cabin number in block letters. We also recommend that you take out luggage insurance, for example our plantours complete protection package from HanseMerkur (insurance information can be found on the travel pages). You can book a luggage service from your front door directly to the ship or airport and back with TEFRA Travel Logistics.
You can find more information on the travel pages under luggage service or directly here: https://www.tefra-log.de/kreuzfahrtservice.html > We can also send you the luggage service brochure by post on request.
The overriding aim of our Antarctic cruises is to preserve the Antarctic natural paradise. The IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), a voluntary international association of tour operators operating in the Antarctic, is responsible for managing and complying with all environmental regulations. PLANTOURS Cruises is a full member of IAATO.
On board MS Hamburg you have WLAN access. This means you can connect to the Internet with your own laptop. Internet use is subject to a charge. An Internet desk with PC is available on deck 5 in the library.
All cabins have a color TV for three on-board video channels, four TV and two music channels (subject to availability) and a bow camera, as well as a telephone, closet, shower room with WC and hairdryer, bathrobe, air conditioning, minibar and safe. All cabins are non-smoking cabins.
The reception of the Hamburg can be reached by telephone and e-mail. Please note that an immediate connection cannot always be guaranteed and that costs associated with the receipt of e-mails will be passed on to the recipient on board.
Telephone: 0047 – 23 67 62 30
E-Mail: reception@ms-hamburg.eu
Children and young people up to and including the age of 17 (the start of the cruise counts) travel free of charge during the cruise passage. This offer applies to children and young people accompanied by two adults when staying in the same cabin in category 6. If accompanied by only one adult, this person pays the price for single use of a cabin (if using a cabin that is not designated as a single cabin, the surcharge is at least 50% of the cruise price). In this case, the child or young person also travels free of charge during the cruise passage. If flights are included in the cruise price on arrival/departure, the corresponding cost share for children or young people is shown in the price section.
The entire ship is air-conditioned. The temperature in your cabin is individually adjustable, the air conditioning cannot be switched off.
Cabins 244 and 245 are equipped for guests with reduced mobility and are furnished with a bed and a sofa bed. However, our cruises are only partially suitable for people with reduced mobility. Please contact us for further advice, stating your specific needs.
A presentation of all shore excursions is given by the excursion leader at the beginning of each trip. Our lecturers will provide you with additional information about the respective destinations with interesting presentations every day. Your clothing should be as comfortable as possible on the shore excursions and adapted to the respective surroundings. Our concierge will be happy to assist you with individual shore excursion requests at any time.
You can choose to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Alsterblick restaurant or in the Palmgarten buffet restaurant. Afternoon tea and coffee with cakes, pastries and savory snacks are served in the Palmgarten. A sausage station is open between the main meals in the Palm Garden. After the show in the evening, we offer a small midnight snack every day. In the Alsterblick restaurant there is free choice of table for breakfast and lunch, for dinner your reserved table is available. In the Palmgarten buffet restaurant there is generally free choice of table. From there you have direct access to the sun deck, i.e. in good weather you can eat outside in the sun.
We ask for your understanding that smoking is only permitted in the designated outdoor areas in front of the wine bar and the designated areas by the pool (on the port side). This is in line with national efforts and current legislation to protect non-smokers. Please note that all cabins are non-smoking cabins.
During the trip, you will be looked after by the Plantours tour guide team. The program on board, the organization of excursions and general guest advice and support are in the hands of your tour guide. The Plantours Cruises tour guide counter is located on deck 3 opposite reception. Please refer to the daily program for opening hours.
The ship is equipped with a modern stabilizer system that reduces the rolling motion of the ship on both sides in rough seas.
Every evening you will receive the daily program for the next day in your cabin, so that you are always informed about all events on board. The daily program also contains important information about the ports of call and shore excursions.
In ports where MS Hamburg does not moor at the pier but lies in the roadstead, tenders are used for disembarkation. In some destinations, expedition inflatable boats (Zodiacs) are used. Please be sure to follow the instructions of the tour guide and crew! We would also ask you to pay particular attention to guests with walking difficulties when boarding the boats.
The ship has a laundry with ironing service and dry cleaning. If required, please contact your cabin crew. The costs will be charged to your on-board account.
Subject to changes and errors.
Status June 2024
