Turku, August 16, 2016. The production of a new generation of Mein Schiff ships started today at Meyer Turku shipyard, Finland, with the steel cutting ceremony. The new Mein Schiff 1, NB-1392, will be around 20 meters longer than the previous Mein Schiff ships and will have space for additional 180 cabins.

The steel cutting for hull number NB-1392 or the new Mein Schiff 1 was started by Georgios Vagiannis, Project Manager Newbuild, TUI Cruises, in a ceremony at the steel hall of Meyer Turku. The first steel cutting marks the start of production of a new generation of TUI Cruises ships. Mein Schiff 1 will be around 20 meters longer than the existing new builds and will have space for 180 additional cabins. Based on double occupancy, this means up to 2,894 guests will be able to enjoy the TUI Cruises well-being cruise experience. In addition the ship will feature various other guest experience and technical improvements. Mein Schiff 1 will be delivered in 2018 and will replace the existing Mein Schiff 1, and Mein Schiff 2 will replace the older ship in 2019. The first two TUI Cruises ships will be handed over within the TUI Group to Thomson Cruises.

With the new ships the Hamburg-based cruise line is continuing the consistent well-being concept the fleet is known for.

“The new Mein Schiff 1 will more than ever be built around the wishes of our guests,” Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, explains.

The start of production also marks a new phase in the good and long cooperation between TUI Cruises and Meyer Turku.

“After intensive collaboration with TUI Cruises and substantial new design work, we are happy to see that our ideas are starting to become reality with cutting the first steel for the new Mein Schiff 1.” Jan Meyer, the CEO of Meyer Turku, comments and continues:

“For Meyer Turku the new design also shows how real improvements can be achieved even within a long series of ships. This nicely shows that working long-term with the leading ship owners, that we are iteratively improving on already good designs to new levels of performance, which otherwise would be hard to reach. In other industries this ideation, design, realization and reality feedback approach is called ‘design thinking’. Our approach is: It’s in the core DNA of shipbuilding.”

Facts and figures for Mein Schiff

Length	ab. 315m
Width	ab. 36m
Draft	ab. 8m
Size	111.500 GT
No. of decks	15
Flag	Malta
Crew complement	1000
No. of passengers	2894
No. of cabins	1447 (80 percent with balconies)

More Information: Tapani Mylly
Communication Manager
tapani.mylly@meyerturku.fi
Mobile: +358-50-560 2464
Tel: +358 (0)10 670 6206
www.meyerturku.fi

TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI group, the world´s number one tourism business and the global operating cruise shipping line, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company was founded in April 2008 and is headquartered in Hamburg. It has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market since May 2009. With the commissioning of Mein Schiff 5 in summer 2016 the Mein Schiff fleet will expand to a bed capacity of 11.382 (Mein Schiff 1: 1924, Mein Schiff 2: 1.912, Mein Schiff 3: 2.506, Mein Schiff 4: 2.506, Mein Schiff 5: 2.534). The ships have been designed from bow to stern with well-being and relaxation in mind. With its well-being concept TUI Cruises targets foremost guests whose focus is on informality, space, quality and individual service. Additionally, the Premium All-Inclusive concept offers numerous service restaurants, the SPA & Sport zone and a generous and diverse entertainment program included in the already paid travel price. Within the scope of the fleet expansion TUI Cruises keeps expanding and will therefore be introducing the Mein Schiff 6 by 2017. Additionally, two more ships will follow in 2018 and 2019 in the result of replacing the Mein Schiff 1 and the Mein Schiff 2. Consequently, TUI Cruises will possess six ships with a bed capacity of about 14,000. Environmental friendly directed business practices are firmly anchored in the corporate values ​​of TUI Cruises. The new vessels are setting new standards in terms of environmental friendliness.

Meyer Turku Oy employs 1,500 persons and specializes in building highly complex, innovative and environmentally friendly cruise ships, car-passenger ferries and special vessels. Together with two sister shipyards in Germany, Meyer Werft in Papenburg and Neptun Werft in Rostock, Meyer Turku is one of the world’s leading cruise ship builders. The successful shipbuilding tradition in Turku has been continuing since 1737. The company is currently building cruise ships for TUI Cruises and a fast ferry for Tallink. The company will also build two cruise ships for Costa Crociere. The design and construction of the ships are supported by the subsidiaries of Meyer Turku: Piikkio Works Oy, which is a Cabin Factory in Piikkiö, Shipbuilding Completion Oy, which provides turnkey solutions to public spaces in ships, and ENG´nD Oy, which is an engineering company offering services for shipbuilding and offshore.