By
Rebecca Gibson |
TUI Cruises has taken delivery of its new Mein Schiff 1 at Meyer Turku’s shipyard in Turku, Finland.
New Mein Schiff 1, which is the fifth Mein Schiff ship to be built by Meyer Turku, marks an evolution from the existing Mein Schiff fleet. The 111,500gt newbuild is 20 metres longer and one deck higher than the other Mein Schiff ships, and also has a new ‘Diamond’ that almost spans the breadth of the aft. Onboard highlights include the new Lagune sun deck area, a 438-metre-long elevated running track, a covered multiplex sports arena, a 25-metre-long outdoor pool, a rock climbing wall, a 2,000-square-metre fitness area, a large extendable cinema screen, restaurants, bistros, bars, lounges and 1,437 cabins for guests.
The new Mein Schiff 1 is also one of the first cruise ships in the world to be equipped with catalytic converters for the main and auxiliary engines, which will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Thanks to her green technology, the vessel will be 10% more energy-efficient than Mein Schiff 6, which was launched in 2017.
“The impressive new 50-metre-wide steel and glass window structure that makes up the new ‘Diamond’ at the aft of the ship just above the propellers is a good example how we combine architectural design with our engineering skills supported by sophisticated computer models,” said Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. “I am very thankful to our customer TUI Cruises for embarking and engaging in this innovation journey with us and for continuing it with the recently ordered Mein Schiff 7.”
On 11 May, the new Mein Schiff 1 will be christened by Kira Walkenhorst and Laura Ludwig, two of Germany’s Olympic and World Champion beach volleyball players from the Hamburger SV team. The christening ceremony will take place at the Port of Hamburg’s HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai at 10pm local time. Following a fireworks display and a lap of honour around the harbour, Mein Schiff 1 will depart Hamburg to begin her inaugural cruise.
“On our 10th anniversary, we are giving ourselves and our guests the gift of a new Mein Schiff 1, which marks the starting point for a new generation of ships,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises. “We will proceed with this expansion over the next year with the new Mein Schiff 2. In 2023, the Mein Schiff 7, another ship in this class, will continue the trend.”
Meyer Turku has already started building the new Mein Schiff 2 and will start work on Mein Schiff 7 ahead of her 2023 delivery.