German Operator TUI Cruises Announces 2010/2011 Cruises

November 20, 2009 - TUI Cruises has released its brochure and itineraries through April 2011. After completing her first European season, Mein Schiff starts sailing from Santo Domingo on November 13, offering two alternating northern and southern Caribbean itineraries until March 26, when she sails back to Europe. Caribbean ports of call are St. George’s, Grenada; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; and St. John’s, Antigua, on its southern itinerary; and Fort de France, Martinique; Roseau, Dominica; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe on its northern itinerary.

Starting April 2010, Mein Schiff will sail two eight-day cruises from Palma de Mallorca, before sailing 10 days north to Hamburg for a series of May cruises, and then sail from Kiel during the summer months. From Hamburg, Mein Schiff will also sail around the British Isles, celebrating the cruise line’s one year anniversary with fireworks while calling in Dublin on May 15 (2010). The sailings from Kiel alternate between the Baltic and cruises to the North Cape and Spitsbergen, in addition to Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland, and two short cruises to Copenhagen and Oslo.

In September, Mein Schiff sails back to Palma de Mallorca until November, when she starts her winter season program of seven-day cruises from Las Palmas until April 2011.

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NOTE: For Information on Cruises From New York Check out www.NYCruiseInfo.com.
For Information on Cruises From Baltimore, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Boston, Quebec, Montreal and the Great Lakes - Check out www.NortheastCruiseGuide.com.

TUI Cruises Names New Ship "Mein Schiff"

May 15, 2009 -- Mein Schiff (My Ship), the first ship in the new TUI Cruises fleet, was named today in Hamburg, Germany, in a celebration that marked a significant step for the joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and TUI AG.

The new brand is designed to serve the Germany cruise market, where some 906,000 Germans took cruises in 2008, and where that number is forecast to increase by 11 percent in 2009.
Following a short inaugural cruise, Mein Schiff will sail in the Baltic for the 2009 summer season (May through October). It will offer two- to 14-nights sailings from ports such as Kiel and Hamburg, Germany, and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The ship then will reposition to the Caribbean for winter (November 2009 through April 2010), home-porting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

During 2010 and 2011, Mein Schiff also will sail itineraries in the Nordic Seas, reaching the far coasts of the Faroe Islands and Iceland, as well as the eastern and western Mediterranean, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to visit the Canary Islands and Morocco.

“We are honoured to welcome Mein Schiff as a new benchmark in the European cruise market,” said Michael Bayley, senior vice president, International, for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "The launching of TUI Cruises’ first ship is a significant milestone in the relationship between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and TUI AG. We have an outstanding partnership in TUI Cruises, which will provide extraordinary holidays for its German guests. We look forward to helping the new brand grow and prosper.”

“The naming of our first ship and her first sailing for us are significant achievements for our new brand,” said Richard J. Vogal, chief executive officer of TUI Cruises. “This is a great day in the history of German cruising and it highlights our outstanding partnership with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Together, we’ve done an excellent job rejuvenating Mein Schiff in just 38 days, and the results are stunning. We look forward to providing an entirely new level of service and enjoyment to our guests.”

The 1,914-guest Mein Schiff was formerly Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Galaxy. The ship left the Celebrity fleet on March 16, 2009, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her transformation began during her crossing from the Caribbean to Europe and was completed in 38 days. The ship is now tailored to German guests, their tastes in food, entertainment and amenities, and it will provide a contemporary/premium cruise experience.

“TUI Cruises is another strategic step in our efforts to meet the growing international demand for cruising,” said Bayley. “It will provide more options to German cruisers and assist in growing that market. In 2009, our five wholly owned brands will have an unprecedented 22 ships deployed in Europe. When combined with TUI Cruises, this provides more choices than ever before to the European cruise market."

A national naming contest attracted over 30,000 suggestions for the name of TUI Cruises’ new ship. Mein Schiff (or My Ship, in English) was the overwhelming winner.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AG announced their intentions to form TUI Cruises on December 10, 2007. Each company holds a 50 percent interest in the joint venture.

"Mein Schiff" Is the Name Chosen For TUI Cruises.Ship.

Photo: Copyright TUI Cruises / TUI AG.

TUI Cruises, a joint operation between Royal Caribbean and TUI Group, have chosen a name for their first ship. The ship's name will be "Mein Schiff", literally meaning "My Ship". The name was chosen from over 30,000 names which were submitted via a contest.

The hull of the ship will be painted blue and the name of the ship will be painted in large cursive letters. In addition, words representing inspiring feelings encountered during a sea cruise will be displayed on the hull as well. The TUI Cruises name and logo will be displayed on the superstructure just below the bridge wings.

The ship, formerly Celebrity Cruises' Galaxy, will be christened in Hamburg, Germany on May 15th. The ship will sail throughout Europe in the Summer and sail from the Caribbean in the Winter.

This joint effort between the two lines, represent Royal Caribbean's entry into the German Market. TUI is already involved in cruising via the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises brand.