Young “Summer Seafarers” Gain First-Hand Maritime Experience on Hapag-Lloyd Container Ships

Young “Summer Seafarers” Gain First-Hand Maritime Experience on Hapag-Lloyd Container Ships

(IN BRIEF) Hapag-Lloyd is again participating in the Association of German Shipowners’ summer seafaring programme, offering 35 pupils from across Germany the chance to spend several weeks aboard its container ships. Several participants will depart from Hamburg, including three young summer seafarers travelling aboard the Santos Express, a 333-metre container ship with capacity for 11,519 TEU, operating on a Northern Europe–South America route to Callao, Peru. The programme gives young people aged 16 and above practical insight into life at sea, including work on the bridge, deck and engine room, and helps them explore maritime apprenticeships, technical shipboard careers or maritime degree pathways. Hapag-Lloyd says the initiative has a strong talent-development impact, with around 50% of summer seafarers later choosing a seafarer apprenticeship at the company.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, 6-Aug-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Hapag-Lloyd is once again taking part in the summer seafaring programme organised by the Association of German Shipowners, known as VDR, giving young people from across Germany the chance to experience life and work at sea.

This year, all 35 available places on Hapag-Lloyd ships have been filled.

The programme allows pupils to spend several weeks of their summer holidays aboard a Hapag-Lloyd container vessel, gaining first-hand insight into maritime operations and possible career paths in the shipping industry.

Several of the young participants will begin their voyages from Hamburg this summer.

Among them are three summer seafarers boarding the Santos Express together.

The 333-metre container ship, with capacity for 11,519 TEU, operates on a Northern Europe–South America route.

Their voyage will take them from Hamburg across the Atlantic to Callao, Peru, with the passage through the Panama Canal expected to be one of the most memorable parts of the journey.

For 16-year-old Lias Denecke from Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, the programme offers an opportunity to experience maritime life beyond what can be learned from videos or classroom information.

He said he is interested in navigation and technology and wants to understand what everyday work on board is really like.

He added that the experience is not about taking a holiday, but about helping, learning and gaining a realistic understanding of seafaring.

Erik Hirsch, Head of Maritime Training at Hapag-Lloyd, said the summer seafaring programme is often the first genuine contact young people have with commercial shipping.

He said this direct insight is important for awakening interest in maritime careers and supporting young talent at an early stage.

Hirsch added that filling all 35 places this year demonstrates strong interest among young people in life and work on board.

During their time at sea, participants experience ship operations under real conditions.

They accompany crew members in their daily routines and learn about procedures on the bridge, on deck and in the engine room.

The programme also helps participants understand the importance of teamwork, responsibility and coordination in life at sea.

The initiative is aimed at young people aged 16 and above who are still at school and want to explore whether a nautical apprenticeship, a technical career on board or a maritime degree could be the right path for them.

Hapag-Lloyd said the programme has a strong track record in encouraging future maritime careers.

Around 50% of all summer seafarers later decide to pursue a seafarer apprenticeship at Hapag-Lloyd.

The long-term impact of the programme is also reflected in the career of Wolfram Guntermann, now Director of Regulatory Affairs at Hapag-Lloyd and a former captain with the company.

Guntermann said the summer seafaring programme was his first real step into maritime shipping.

During a summer voyage in 1979 aboard the Cordillera Express around the U.S. Gulf Coast, under the command of Captain Schmidt-Grunert, he experienced how demanding, international and responsible the profession is.

He said that experience convinced him to continue his career with Hapag-Lloyd, showing how a single summer on board can become the beginning of a maritime career.

The VDR summer seafaring programme has introduced young people to maritime shipping since the 1960s.

Hapag-Lloyd has supported the initiative for many years and regards it as an important contribution to attracting the next generation of talent to Germany’s maritime sector.

Through its participation in the programme, Hapag-Lloyd is helping pupils gain practical experience of global shipping, while giving the maritime industry a direct way to inspire future seafarers, technical specialists and maritime professionals.

About Hapag-Lloyd
With a fleet of 302 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. In the Liner Shipping segment, the Company has 15,200 employees and 400 offices in 140 countries. Hapag-Lloyd has a container capacity of 3.7 million TEU – including one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers. A total of 133 liner services worldwide ensure fast and reliable connections between 600 ports on all the continents. In the Terminal & Infrastructure segment, Hapag-Lloyd has equity stakes in 24 marine terminals in Europe, Latin America, the United States, India and North Africa. 4,400 employees are assigned to the Terminal & Infrastructure segment and provide complementary logistics services at selected locations in addition to the terminal activities.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions, estimates, projections or plans that are inherently subject to significant risks, uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results can differ materially from those anticipated in the Company’s forward-looking statements.

Media Contacts:

Nils Haupt
Nils.Haupt@hlag.com
+49 40 3001 – 2263

Hanja Maria Richter
HanjaMaria.Richter@hlag.com 
+49 40 3001 – 5102

SOURCE: Hapag-Lloyd