Plantours is preparing a substantial refresh for MS Hamburg, combining a complete cabin redesign with new balcony accommodation, updated public spaces and a more contemporary onboard feel. The changes are scheduled to debut from December 2026.
There is a particular challenge in modernising a small, characterful cruise ship: change too little and the product risks feeling dated; change too much and the personality that made the ship distinctive in the first place can disappear. With the next major refurbishment of MS Hamburg, Plantours appears to be aiming for the middle ground - preserving the ship’s familiar maritime identity while giving the accommodation and several public areas a noticeably more contemporary language.
The programme, due to be introduced from December 2026, goes well beyond a cosmetic touch-up. Every cabin on board is set to receive a completely new visual treatment, while the accommodation mix itself will change with the addition of new balcony cabins and three extra inside cabins. At the same time, wellness functions will be reorganised, the pool deck refreshed and a number of guest-service spaces relocated.
The most eye-catching addition is on Deck 4, where four new Category 14 balcony cabins will be created from cabins 401 to 404, becoming 401a to 404a. Large glazed doors are intended to bring significantly more daylight into the rooms and give them a brighter atmosphere, while a metal protective door can be closed in heavy seas or adverse weather conditions. For a ship whose accommodation has traditionally relied more heavily on windows and opening infinity-style windows than private balconies, the move adds a small but meaningful new premium option.
Three new Category 2 inside cabins will also appear on Deck 1, created from spaces previously occupied by the photo shop, hair salon and sauna. Their stated sizes are unusually generous for inside accommodation: approximately 22 square metres for cabin 120, 18 square metres for cabin 121 and 22 square metres for cabin 122. After the conversion, MS Hamburg will offer 208 cabins and suites. The new distribution will include 66 inside cabins, 134 outside cabins and eight suites. Among the outside accommodation, 92 cabins will retain conventional windows, 38 will feature lowering infinity windows and four will be the newly created balcony cabins. The suite inventory will comprise two suites with windows, four with lowering infinity windows and two veranda suites.
The refurbishment also addresses the details that often make the greatest difference during a longer voyage. In selected inside cabins and in Category 6/6a outside cabins, together with cabins 244, 245, 305 and 306, the existing desk or dressing table will be replaced by a central console between the beds, adding useful storage. Other outside cabins will continue to provide a table and two chairs. Bathrooms will receive one of the most practical upgrades: shower curtains are being replaced by glass shower screens throughout the ship. USB-B and USB-C connections will also be installed in every cabin alongside the existing sockets. Core amenities remain unchanged, including shower and WC, bathrobes, hairdryer, wardrobe, air conditioning, minibar, safe, telephone and television with onboard video channels and a forward-facing camera feed.
Beyond the cabins, Plantours is consolidating hairdressing, beauty and massage services into a central wellness area within the fitness zone on Deck 6. The fitness-room footprint will be adjusted as part of the redesign, while the former sauna will disappear. The move is less about adding another headline venue than about rationalising spaces that were previously scattered around the ship. Other changes are similarly targeted. The pool deck will receive a new maritime-style floor covering, the lounge is scheduled for a modern refresh, and the concierge office will move from Deck 3 to the former library area on Deck 5. The photo studio will also relocate to Deck 5, in the Weinstube area. Taken together, the project suggests an evolution rather than a reinvention. MS Hamburg will still be recognisably the same compact ship, but the passenger experience should feel more coherent and more current - particularly in the cabins, where the combination of a new design, improved bathrooms, additional charging options and a broader range of accommodation categories directly addresses the expectations of today’s cruise market.
For repeat guests, that balance may be the most important part of the refit. The ship is not being asked to imitate a new-generation resort vessel. Instead, the modernisation seems designed to make its established strengths - intimacy, straightforward spaces and a distinctly maritime atmosphere - feel fresher and more comfortable. From December 2026, that should give MS Hamburg a renewed identity without erasing the one it already has.
Gabriele Bassi
