It is the sixth newbuild in six years: With the delivery of the new Mein Schiff 2, TUI Cruises has the youngest and most environmentally friendly cruise ship fleet worldwide. Wybcke Meier and Frank Kuhlmann, CEO and CFO of TUI Cruises, and Dr Jan Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Turku Werft shipyard, signed the delivery documents yesterday. For the first time, the delivery ceremony did not take place in Turku in Finland, where the shipyard is located, but in Kiel. The new Mein Schiff 2 had left the shipyard in early January to berth at the port of Kiel on the Baltic Sea due to her delivery ahead of schedule and the Finnish winter: The final silicone painting of the hull’s underwater part of Mein Schiff 2 is not designed to withstand icy water.
Members of the Tourism Committee of the German Parliament and representatives of the Regional Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein were given the opportunity to explore the innovative environmental technologies and learn more about the details regarding the implementation of sustainable practices on the cruise ship at a presentation given by Wybcke Maier and on a guided tour with the Environmental Officer of the new Mein Schiff 2.
“The launch of the new Mein Schiff 2 marks the successful conclusion of our expansion through newbuilds. Our sixth vessel built by Meyer Turku does not only feature an impressive design, but also offers convincing “inner values”: Through the use of cutting-edge technology, we are setting standards in terms of environmental protection,” said Wybcke Meier. Just as Mein Schiff 1, launched last year, Mein Schiff 2 is part of a new generation of ships. Both ships are around 20 metres longer than the previous ships. Apart from offering even more generous feel-good space, they feature an even wider choice of cabins and suites. “For us, it was again exciting to cooperate with TUI Cruises so as to further develop the concept and use our expertise in ship design and technology to build a better, more energy-efficient and customer-friendly ship”, said Dr Jan Meyer.