Hamburg-based TUI Cruises is celebrating its 10th anniversary on April 22. TUI Cruises was founded in 2008 as a joint venture between the tourism group TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
While established in 2008, TUI Cruises has been sailing since 2009 and presently has six ships with a berth capacity of 14,784 and an estimated annual passenger capacity of 511,854, according to the 2018-2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.
On May 11, 2018, TUI will christen the new Mein Schiff 1 Hamburg, the latest addition to its six-ship fleet. The new Mein Schiff 2 is currently being built in the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard and will enter service in 2019, while the original Mein Schiff 2 will be renamed and remain in the fleet.
Marking the anniversary, Mein Schiff 7 has been announced for delivery in 2023.
Since its launch with the Mein Schiff 1, which was the former Celebrity Galaxy, the brand added the Mein Schiff 2, the former Celebrity Mercury, before embarking on a newbuild program. The original Mein Schiff 1 has since been transferred to sister company Marella Cruises, hence the introduction of a new Mein Schiff 1 this spring.
According to a prepared statement from TUI, the Mein Schiff fleet has welcomed around 2.2 million guests and the six ships have sailed to more than 200 ports, covering about 1.8 million miles, during its first 10 years.
The brand also claims to have new industry standards with its premium all-inclusive concept and has established itself in Germany as the leading premium brand in the volume segment.
“I am looking forward to the next 10 years of TUI Cruises. We have big plans,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO, in a prepared statement. “Of course, we also want to celebrate this with our guests. We have planned various activities that guests can look forward to.”
