By
Rebecca Gibson |
Meyer Turku has laid the keel for TUI Cruises’ new Mein Schiff 2 at its yard in Turku, Finland.
Invited guests and the shipyard’s employees watched as TUI Cruises’ CEO Wybcke Meier and CFO Frank Kuhlmann placed commemorative coins under Mein Schiff 2’s keel. Once the ship is assembled, the coins will be removed and placed onboard to bring good luck to everyone who sails on her.
“It is always great to visit the shipyard and to see the progress with our upcoming ships,” said Meier. “With the new Mein Schiff 1 and 2 we will get two great new ships to lead our fleet in the coming years. We are very happy to see how these ships are taking form.”
Mein Schiff 2 is the sixth ship Meyer Turku has built for TUI Cruises and will be delivered in early 2019, replacing the original Mein Schiff 2. The newbuild will be a sister ship to the new Mein Schiff 1, which was recently moved to Meyer Turku’s wet dock for final outfitting and will be delivered in spring 2018.
Both the new Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 are based on the design of Mein Schiff 6, but will be 20 metres longer (325 metres long) to accommodate a redesigned interior layout and more guest amenities. Onboard highlights will include accommodation for 2,894 guests, a climbing wall, a covered sports area, and a 438-metre-long jogging track that is almost twice as long as the one on Mein Schiff 6.