TUI Cruises orders second cruise ship from STX Finland
TUI Cruises announced today that the company confirms the order of a second cruise ship from STX Finland. The production of the second ship will start in summer 2013 and it will be delivered from STX Finland's Turku Shipyard in spring 2015.
The sophisticated and highly innovative 99,300 GRT cruise ship will be approx. 294 metres long and approx. 36 metres wide. The ship will have 1,250 staterooms, serve 2,500 passengers and have a crew of 1,000 persons. The cruise ship will have many environmentally friendly features, with a particular emphasis on the vessel's energy efficiency.
"We are extremely pleased that TUI Cruises confirmed the order of the sister ship for magnificent Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship. We have today reached this milestone of production start of the first ship after well performed and intensive basic design phase. After this production start, manning on this project will increase significantly during the coming months to reach the maximum level before summer next year", says Jari Anttila, EVP and COO of STX Finland.
"After being just four years in the business and after successfully putting two ships on the market - Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 - we are proud to proceed with building our first new ship and that way continue the growth of our fleet", says Richard J. Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises. He continues, "We have been extremely busy with the planning over the past two years, but now things are really starting to move".
STX Finland Oy has three shipyards in Finland, Turku shipyard, Rauma shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy, of which STX Finland Oy owns 50%. STX Finland's subsidiaries include Aker Arctic Technology Oy and STX Cabins Oy, among others. The company belongs to the STX Europe Group, an international shipbuilding group with a product range including cruise vessels, ferries, offshore services vessels, arctic and other specialized vessels. STX Europe has approximately 14,000 employees.
STX Europe's principal shareholder, the Korean-based international industrial group STX Business Group, has approximately 70,000 employees and aims to be a global top player in its core areas; shipping and trade, shipbuilding and machineries, plant and construction, and energy.
TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI AG and the global cruise shipping line Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company, founded in April 2008 and headquartered in Hamburg, has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market since May 2009. The Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises provides some 3,836 beds and has been designed from bow to stern with well-being and relaxation in mind. With its Premium All-Inclusive concept TUI Cruises is targeting first and foremost couples and families whose focus is on freedom, space, quality and personal service. Mein Schiff's numerous service restaurants, the spa and sport zone, a personal Nespresso machine in every cabin, spacious balconies as well as relax islands on the deck ensure that cruise holidays with TUI Cruises are perfect for body and soul.