The new Mein Schiff 1, the first in the next generation of TUI Cruises ships, was floated out at Meyer Turku on Friday.
The newbuild takes the design to the next level, and is 20 meters longer than the previous generation of Mein Schiff ships built in Finland.
The added length boosts capacity and allowed the cruise line to make substantial changes to the interior spaces, according to a statement. Delivery is set for next spring, followed by a sister ship in early 2019.
“With the new Mein Schiff 1, TUI Cruises is creating a whole new ship generation in its fleet. She is based on our existing newbuilds, which we have again developed and supplemented with new attractions. We can now see these improvements come to life and cannot wait to show them to our passengers,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO, TUI Cruises.
“So far we could only see the design developments of New Mein Schiff 1 in parts or in our computer renderings. But to see them in reality is always again fascinating. Even more exciting is that we are in parallel rebuilding and modernizing the shipyard with new recruitments and our investments. A concrete sign is the preparations for the erection of our new gantry crane. This complicated heavy lifting procedure will start right away after new Mein Schiff 1 has left the dock,” noted Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer.
