g src=”/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/mein_1.jpg” alt=”Mein Schiff 3″ width=”800″ height=”NaN” style=”margin: 5px auto; display: block;” />TUI Cruises announced today that it has ordered two more newbuilds to be built at the Turku shipyard. Mein Schiff 5 and 6 are slated for deliveries in 2016 and 2017.
Friedrich Joussen, CEO of TUI AG, said: “In Germany and in Europe the interest in cruises is increasing. The Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises has set a new premium standard in the market and it has attracted new markets for cruise holidays.
“The ships are excellently booked to capacity and the company is growing. TUI Cruises and its vessels are a pivotal pillar for our differentiation and growth strategy. Cruises meet the trend and are being discovered by new customer segments.”
At the presentation of the TUI AG half-year results Joussen had already called the prospects for the cruise segment as highly attractive and alluded to an expansion of the Mein Schiff fleet. This expansion is now being turned into action with the two vessels on order.
The new ships will be sisters of the previous newbuilds Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4: 295 meters long spanning 15 decks with 1,250 cabins. The majority of the “well-being” ships’ cabins, 90 percent, will be outside cabins with 82 percent having balconies. The 97,000-ton newbuilds will carry approximately 2,500 guests based on double occupancy.
Richard J. Vogel, CEO TUI Cruises, commented: ”We are pleased that a positive outcome of the negotiations between STX and Meyer Werft has been achieved. This step ensures that TUI Cruises keeps the valuable know-how of the shipyard.”
TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company founded in April 2008 and headquartered in Hamburg has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market since May 2009.
