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Mein Schiff 3TUI 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. |
