TUI Cruises New Ship

STX Finland Oy and TUI Cruises have today signed a contract for the design and construction of a 97,000 gross ton cruise vessel. The sophisticated and highly innovative cruise vessel is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2014. The vessel has many environmentally friendly features, with a particular emphasis on the vessel's energy efficiency. The project will bring some 5,500 man-years of labour to STX Finland's Turku shipyard. TUI Cruises has an option to order another ship subject to the decision of TUI Cruises shareholders.

The vessel will be approx. 295 meters long and approx. 36 meters wide. The ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will serve maximum of 2,500 passengers and a crew of 1,000 persons. High balcony ratio will ensure that most of the passengers will have a possibility to enjoy their own balconies during the cruise. The ship has a wide variety of restaurants, a theatre, a spa, a nightclub and a large deck area which all are carefully designed to ensure a unique cruising experience for passengers of all ages.

"We are extremely pleased to sign this contract with TUI Cruises. This order is highly important for STX and STX Finland. By building this innovative ship we continue our successful and long history of building top class cruise vessels," says Sujou Kim, CEO of STX Europe and STX Finland.

"This is a very important contract for STX Finland's Turku Shipyard and for the entire Finnish maritime cluster. We are delighted to deliver to TUI Cruises their first newbuilding which will represent the next generation of energy efficient and environmentally friendly cruise ship," says Jari Anttila, Director of STX Finland's Turku Shipyard.

"Due to its outstanding positioning as a shipyard and long-term cooperation with Royal Caribbean Cruises, we trust that STX Finland is a great partner for us and will successfully realize our ideas in the new ship," says Richard J. Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises. Turku shipyard was the only yard that was capable to delivery the ship by May 2014.

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Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Mercury to Become Germany's TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 2

May 27, 2010 - Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Mercury will become the second ship in the fleet of TUI Cruises, a cruise brand established in 2008 through a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AG, tailored for the German market. The new ship, to be named Mein Schiff 2, will become sister ship to Mein Schiff (the former Celebrity Galaxy), which set sail in May 2009.

“Celebrity Mercury has been a cherished member of the Celebrity family since she entered service in 1997, and has offered countless guests outstanding vacation experiences,” said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “We are dedicated to offering the same impeccable service our brand is known for right up until the ship transitions to TUI Cruises, and we are confident that the ship’s future with TUI Cruises is very bright.”

Hanrahan assured that the future for the crew on Celebrity Mercury is equally bright. “With the rapid growth and momentum of the Celebrity brand, and the fourth member of our five-ship Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Silhouette, launching in July 2011, we have abundant opportunities for the fine crew on Celebrity Mercury to transfer to another Celebrity ship.”

Celebrity Mercury joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet in November 1997, and was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany - builder of Celebrity’s widely heralded, new Solstice Class fleet. The 77,713-ton ship carries 1,898 guests (double occupancy) and 909 crew.

“The timing for expanding the TUI Cruises fleet could not be better,” said TUI Cruises CEO Richard J. Vogel. “Mein Schiff has firmly established its place in the German market, and now, it is time to broaden and further develop the concept. The cruise industry has shown its resilience in the midst of the economic crisis, and we look forward to growing it further, with our expanded fleet and our unique ‘premium all-inclusive’ concept.”

Celebrity Mercury will complete its scheduled sailings through the February 14, 2011, itinerary. Guests with individual bookings and named group bookings on Celebrity Mercury on or after February 26, 2011 have the option to either cancel their booking or move to any Celebrity Mercury sailing from Baltimore from October 18, 2010, through February 14, 2011, with the exception of the December 20, 2010 itinerary.

Guests who pursue this option will receive an onboard credit of $75 per stateroom for inside or ocean-view accommodations; $100 per stateroom for veranda or Concierge Class, and $200 per suite.

Guests with reservations affected by the transition will be proactively contacted by Celebrity Cruises. Guests with questions specific to impacted bookings are welcome to call 1-888-281-9343.

Celebrity Mercury will enter service with TUI Cruises in May 2011, as Mein Schiff 2, following an extensive refurbishment resulting in additional verandas, an expanded spa and fitness area, inclusion of a teen bar, and a host of design elements and other attributes consistent with those found on Mein Schiff.

Mein Schiff 2 will spend her first cruising season in the Baltic and Nordic regions. Full itinerary details will be published when bookings open June 1, 2010.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. has agreed to provide seller’s financing in the event that alternative financing is not fully available at the time of delivery. Additionally, the company will recognize a gain related to the sale of the Celebrity Mercury, but the gain is not expected to have a material effect on the company’s annual earnings.

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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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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.