Karl J. Pojer, chief executive, said potential expansion would be part of Hapag-Lloyd’s aim to grow its number of English-speaking passengers “by up to 15%” within the next three years.

Pojer was speaking following the release of the line’s first English language brochure for the expedition class ship, which will launch in October 2019.

“We believe we have an excellent product for the UK market and we are already seeing incredibly encouraging signs of interest from the UK trade,” he told TTG.

Pojer added that giving British agents the chance to get onboard the vessel “will be one of our main targets going forward” as it looked to boost its profile within the UK travel trade.

The programme for Hanseatic Inspiration - which goes on sale from January 23 – features 22 expedition routes from October 2019 to September 2020, including the Arctic and Antarctic, the Amazon and the North American Great Lakes

The ship can accommodate up to 230 guests, or 199 guests on Antarctic cruises.

It is the second of two expedition vessels being built by Hapag-Lloyd with sister ship, Hanseatic Nature, aimed exclusively at the German-speaking market, launching in April 2019.

Between cruises to the Arctic during the European summer and expeditions to the Antarctic in the European winter, Hanseatic Inspiration will also offer intensive visits to the Amazon, Chile’s fjords, the Azores and Cape Verde.

The ship’s maiden voyage is a 15-day cruise from Antwerp to Tenerife.

Onboard, the vessel’s Ocean Academy will offer an area for guests to use interactive technology to discover information on the regions they are visiting, while passengers can also attend daily presentations in the ship’s HanseAtrium lounge.

Retractable glass balconies on the sun deck “give guests the feeling of hovering directly above the water”, according to Hapag-Lloyd, and guests can stand on the circuit on the bow of the ship “to be closer to the action”.

The vessel will also serve international gourmet cuisine in three restaurants, with a speciality restaurant offering modern Japanese and Peruvian cooking.