Fincantieri Hands Over Innovative LNG Cruise Ship to Germany’s TUI Cruises
Germany’s TUI Cruises took delivery today, February 7, on the first of two new LNG dual-fuel cruise ships launching a new class of ship for the 16-year-old partnership between TUI and Royal Caribbean Group. The new ship named Mein Schiff Relax marks the first time the line has worked with Fincantieri after a long-term partnership with the shipyard in Turku, Finland.
At 161,000 gross tons, Mein Schiff Relax is the largest for the German brand and the first of the company’s ships to operate on LNG. It was built as a dual-fuel ship immediately capable of operating on LNG or Marine Gas Oil and it will be able to transition to alternatives including bio- or e-LNG when it becomes available in the market. Last year, TUI also introduced the first methanol-ready cruise ship, Mein Schiff 7, which was built at Meyer Turku and with the addition of some pending components is expected to commence operations with methanol.
Fincantieri received the order for the two ships from TUI in July 2018 with the steel cutting for the first ship commencing in June 2022. The ship was floated out from the yard in Monfalcone, Italy in November 2023 and began its first sea trials last October. The first trials focused on the performance of the vessel and especially maneuverability. In December, it received its first LNG load and at the end of the month commenced sea trials operating on LNG. Mein Schiff Relax is the second cruise ship delivered by Fincantieri fueled with LNG.
The Mein Schiff operation has been one of the fast-growing taking advantage of the strength of the cruise market in German-speaking countries. It was launched as a rival to Carnival Corporation’s successful AIDA brand with TUI’s first ship, acquired from Celebrity Cruises, sailing on its first cruise in May 2009. Today the brand has eight ships including Relax, with the oldest having been built just a decade ago.
“Eleven years ago, we took delivery of our first newly built ship,” says Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises. “With the Mein Schiff Relax, we are now opening a whole new chapter in the field of premium cruises.”
The new ship is 1,070 feet (326 meters) in length with 1,945 passenger cabins and accommodations for 3,984 passengers and 1,535 crew. In addition to being the largest ship of the fleet, it has innovations for relaxation, 14 restaurants including more variety and a new Asian restaurant, and redefined spa and wellness areas. The ship features the cruise line’s first two-deck “freedom suites,” as well as introducing inside, outside, and balcony cabins for solo travelers.
In addition to the dual-fuel configuration, Mein Schiff Relax features new catalytic converters meeting Euro 6 standards, a generative turbine using residual heat from the diesel generators, and a shore power connection for ports. It also has a highly efficient waste treatment system capable of transforming organic materials into recyclable components through a thermal process.
The cruise ship enters service at the beginning of March and will sail for the first year around the Canary Islands before moving to Germany in mid-2026. TUI has planned an innovative christening ceremony for the new ship on April 9 in Malaga. She will meet up with fleet mates Mein Schiff 5 and Mein Schiff 7. In addition to a celebrity performance, the three cruise ships will share the event with a gala dinner and cocktail aboard each ship and special culinary dishes from the restaurants on the new ship being served aboard all three ships.
Mein Schiff continues its rapid growth after introducing Mein Schiff 7 in June 2024. The next introduction, Mein Schiff Flow will take place in Spain in August 2026.