As earlier reported, TUI Cruises' newbuilds scheduled for delivery in 2018 and 2019, originally designated as Mein Schiff 7 and 8, will enter service as Mein Schiff 1 and 2 since the existing 1 and 2 are going to Thomson Cruises within the TUI Group.
The steel-cutting for the new Mein Schiff 1 was started by Georgios Vagiannis, project manager - newbuild, TUI Cruises, in a ceremony at Meyer Turku's steel hall.
The vessel's greater size raises double-occupancy capacity to 2,894, and new experiences for passengers consistent with TUI Cruises' well-being philosophy will be introduced, along with technical improvements.
'The new Mein Schiff 1 will more than ever be built around the wishes of our guests,' said Wybcke Meier, ceo, TUI Cruises.
Length increases to 315 meters and gross tonnage goes from 99,500 to 111,500.
Eighty percent of the 1,447 cabins will have balconies.
The start of production also marks a new phase in the relationship between TUI Cruises and Meyer Turku.
The new design shows how real improvements can be achieved even within a long series of ships, according to Jan Meyer, ceo of Meyer Turku.
This illustrates, he said, that working long-term with the leading shipowners, Meyer Turku is able to improve on already good designs to reach new levels of performance that otherwise would be hard to achieve.
'In other industries this ideation, design, realization and reality feedback approach is called "design thinking,"' Meyer noted, adding that's in the DNA of Meyer Turku's approach to shipbuilding.
Mein Schiff 1 will be registered in Malta.
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